Va.-Based Reserve Unit Paves Path Toward Greater Deployability

Photo By Maj. Khoran Lee | Sgt. Manuel Ponce assist by guiding the 10k forklift operator while uploading container onto the PLS.  

FORT KNOX , KY, UNITED STATES

03.14.2018

Story by Capt. Khoran Lee 

310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command

As more than 11,000 Soldiers and 200 Army Reserve units from across the country arrive for training at Fort Knox, Ky., the 302nd Inland Cargo Transit Company (ICTC) stands ready to provide real-world support to enable units to be more deployment-capable.

The Bridge-Combat Support Training Exercise, or CSTX, exercise focuses on preparing units to be trained and ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. Just as unit personnel would ship equipment overseas in theater operations, Unit Movement Officers shipped their unit’s containers and rolling stock in advance to Fort Knox, arriving at the Central Receiving and Shipping Point (CRSP) before companies departed from home station.

As containers and rolling stock arrive by commercial trucks to the CRSP yard, the 302nd is there to manage the unloading of items and staging them for onward movement once units arrive to receive them to train. The 302nd was instrumental in receiving and verifying more than 250 containers and 1,200 rolling stock items passing through the CRSP yard, according to leadership.

“We’re responsible for downloading all of the equipment and making sure it gets to the customer. When units send their equipment from home station, whether by commercial trucks or rail, the equipment arrives at the CRSP yard first,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jonathan Ten-Brink.

“This type of operation happens pretty much at any port anywhere in the world. You’re loading ships, loading air-craft or unloading. If you go to these ports you will see all these cargos coming in with conexs on it.”

The capabilities of the Inland Cargo Transit unit are essential for providing support, ensuring containers with key items are available for the mission. “A lot of the units here don’t have the proper material handling equipment (MHE) in order to unload the equipment that they brought here. So they are relying heavily upon us. For the containers we have the KALMAR which can unload 20-, 30- and 40-foot conexs. If we did not have that equipment here most likely it would not have gotten downloaded,” said Ten-Brink.

As the CSTX exercise tempo picks up, Soldiers with the 728th Transportation Company, out of Vallejo, Calif., arrive at the CRSP yard in a Palletize Load System (PLS) vehicle to receive equipment for a mission. “We are transporting this conex to another training site. This is a request for hot mission to get this item to another unit that needs it,” said Spc. Yamil Soto of the 728th TC.

“This is important for the unit receiving the containers because of the key items to run their mission from their MRE’s to their tents, and weapons running to continue the mission,” said Sgt. Manuel Pounce with the 302nd ICTC.

While the 302nd provides real-world support to enable units to be more deployment-capable during the CSTX the Company is also taking part in the exercise to increase its readiness.

• Date Taken: 03.14.2018
• Date Posted: 03.20.2018 14:02
• Story ID: 269996
• Location: FORT KNOX , KY, US