Soldiers with 138th Quartermaster bear water to keep 76th troops hydrated

Photo By Master Sgt. Brad Staggs | Sgt. Elizabeth Pearson of Dardanelle, Arkansas, a water treatment specialist with the Indiana National Guard’s 138th Quartermaster Company, 519th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 38th Sustainment Brigade, tests the water supply during the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s training rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, Louisiana, Sunday, July 23, 2017. Photo by Master Sgt. Brad Staggs, 38th Infantry Division Public Affairs  

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, UNITED STATES

07.23.2017

Story by Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry 

38th Infantry Division

FORT POLK, La. — The troops who deliver water to their fellow service members could be called Aquarians. Troops who bear water for others providing the sustaining liquid necessary to stay in the fight and in the game.

About a dozen Indiana National Guard soldiers with the 138th Quartermaster Company performed the water bearing duties for the troops assigned to the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team for its rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center here.

“My job is important because if 76th soldiers don’t stay hydrated then there are going to be a lot of casualties. And the fewer amount of soldiers we lose to heat casualties, the better we will be able to complete our mission,” said Cpl. Melissa Williams, of Fishers and a water purification specialist with the 138th Quartermaster Company, headquartered in Brazil.

And that mission, in this exercise scenario, is to free the Atropians from an Arianan takeover … think Iraq invading Kuwait during the Gulf War in 1991.

“We want to make the Atropians proud,” said Sgt. Elizabeth Pearson, of Dardanelle, Arkansas, who is also water purification specialist with the 138th.

“Hashtag, make Atropia great again,” said Williams.

Joking aside, personal hydration is key for soldiers to stay mission ready during the 76th Brigade’s rotation here at the Joint Readiness Training Center. During the first week of training, temperatures pushed upward to the 90s. And if it’s not the heat, then it’s the humidity that runs from 60 to 90-plus percent on a daily basis.

“The hydration level is going to allow soldiers not only to increase their physical readiness, but also allow them to function longer periods of time,” said Capt. Samuel Lowe, 38th Infantry Division safety officer of being properly hydrated. “The level of hydration they have is extremely important to their combat readiness and their ability to focus on their mission.”

With this in mind, the soldiers who comprise the Water Dog team, a moniker they took on themselves, take their job seriously. They will make daily runs from their operating base to outlying units throughout the box, a term used for where the battles are taking place among the pines, hills and kudzu of Fort Polk.

“We will be in and out the box to deliver water and be part of the game. It feels good, actually. ” said Pearson about delivering water to the troops and the importance of that mission. “You can not fight and sustain without us … well you can, but not for long.’

The team can deliver water from trucks with 2,500 gallons, 2,000-gallon water trailer known as hippos, and 400-gallon water trailer known as buffaloes.

While Pearson saw one aspect, her comrade saw another, especially if they don’t arrive in a timely matter.

“It can be stressful,” said Williams. “Because there could be soldiers out there without water, and in this heat, that’s not a good thing. I’m contributing to keep people hydrated and keeping them from falling out.”

Leaders asking soldiers to drink water is to ensure soldier safety and their well-being, said Lowe.

“They truly do care that you’re properly hydrated,” he said.

So take it from the Water Dogs and Lowe; hydrate!

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• Date Taken: 07.23.2017
• Date Posted: 07.23.2017 19:46
• Story ID: 242247
• Location: INDIANAPOLIS, IN, US
• Hometown: BRAZIL, IN, US
• Hometown: DARDANELLE, AR, US
• Hometown: FISHERS, IN, US