Kentucky Army National Guard trains with 129th CSSB

Courtesy Photo | Soldiers from 2123rd Transportation Company of the Kentucky Army National Guard defend their simulated guard post July 24, 2017, on Fort Campbell, Kentucky from an attack by Soldiers of 129th Combat Sustainment Support battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Sustainment Brigade, 101st Abn. Div. acting as opposing forces. (Photo by Capt. Luis Velazquez/ 129th CSSB UPAR)  

FORT CAMPBELL, KY, UNITED STATES

07.26.2017

Courtesy Story

101st Division Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs

Story by Cpt. Luis Velazquez

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – Soldiers of 2123rd Transportation Company from the Kentucky Army National Guard trained with the 129th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Sustainment Brigade during its annual training exercise July 10 – 26, here.

As part of the Army’s three-year Associated Units Pilot Program, units from the Army National Guard are being paired with active duty units to improve readiness.

For 17 days, the 2123rd Trans. Co. conducted a five-day convoy crew academy that culminated with convoy situational training exercise lanes, attended defense advanced GPS receiver (DAGR) and Joint Capabilities Release-Logistics software (JCR-LOG) classes, and qualified at the M2 and MK19 range, while other Soldiers in the company trained on the rollover trainer, RVTT and VBS3 training to better prepare them for future deployments.

First Lt. Nicolas Wentzel, the executive officer for 2123rd Trans. Co., participated in the training with his unit.

“The immersion into this type of intense training was incredibly beneficial, as it will be retained in the Soldiers’ minds far longer than training at home station,” he said.

Many of the new Soldiers in the National Guard unit had never had hands on experience with the equipment used in the training.

During the last seven days of training, the 2123rd Trans. Co. conducted a field training exercise to test their base defense and convoy skills.

Soldiers from 2123rd Trans. Co. conducted multiple convoy scenarios on the Fort Campbell training areas while Soldiers from 129th CSSB supervised and performed observer/controller functions as well as opposing forces.
While many Soldiers were engaged in convoy training, the others maintained their perimeter in the field and provided security against the opposing forces.

Various scenarios, planned by the 129th CSSB intelligence section and executed by the operations section, tested the National Guard Soldiers.

Scenarios ranged from a Soldier acting as a pregnant woman pretending to need help, but actually hiding a notional suicide vest underneath to angry rioters storming the entrance control point, to all out attacks on the perimeter.

Spc. Fabiola Maya, a Soldier with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 129th CSSB, played the role of the opposing forces pregnant villager and said she has never seen or experienced training like that.

“It was fun and I got to see how both sides would think in a situation,” she said.

While Soldiers on the forward operating base defended themselves, the convoy escort teams faced their own challenges.

While attempting to navigate through Craig Village, a simulated village on one of the training areas, to deliver supplies to a notional outpost, they faced an enemy determined to loot their cargo using small arms fire, improvised explosive devices, and smoke.

Convoy commanders, drivers and Soldiers in the convoys had to make hasty vehicle recoveries, defend themselves and handle stressors in order to make decisions affecting convoy personnel.

Soldiers had to demonstrate skills such as navigation, radio communications, and calling for medical evacuation.

The scenarios provided Soldiers of the 2123rd Trans. Co an opportunity to put to use all the training the learned in the previous weeks to protect not only their vehicles, but safely deliver needed supplies to their destination.

• Date Taken: 07.26.2017
• Date Posted: 09.20.2017 12:53
• Story ID: 248960
• Location: FORT CAMPBELL, KY, US