Photo By Sgt. Christina Clardy | Fort Hood, TEXAS -- Guardsmen with the 372nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion,...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas - Soldiers with the 372nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 36th Sustainment Brigade hosted an employer support of the guard and reserve visitation day during their annual training June 22, 2018.
About 30 employers visited their Texas Army National Guard employees out in the field for a day of range tours, weapons demonstrations and an airborne jump as part of the Department of Defense's ESGR program.
"I think it's great to bring the employers out to visit their employees and our Soldiers in the field," said Lt. Col. John Crawson, commander of the 36th Sustainment Brigade. "It’s important that they see that our Soldiers wear two hats - one as their civilian employee and one as a member of the National Guard serving their communities, their state and their country."
Some Soldiers invited not only employers, but peers from their civilian careers.
"I work for Liberty Mutual Insurance as a senior manager and today I invited other senior managers from different departments within my company," said Capt. Eric P. Amstutz, commander of the 112th Quartermaster Company, 372nd CSSB, out of Corsicana. "They wanted to come out because they have a strong interest in understanding what I do, seeing how we function in an army unit collectively, and how we task out Soldiers to do different events and how we conquer objectives."
Employer visits allow the Soldiers the opportunity to show their bosses and peers more of who they are and what they do when away for military duty.
"I'm also excited to get to show them the other side of me that they never get to see in our corporate world," said Amstutz. "So there is a corporate Eric and there is a Capt. Amstutz that's in the Army. I'm hoping they can see the differences and challenges of being an employee and Guardsmen, but I definitely hope they will be able to see the benefits that can come from both a civilian and a military career."
The employers were flown in by CH-47 Chinook helicopters from Grand Prairie and Austin, to the battalion’s tactical operations center, where they received a briefing about the unit, the Soldiers, the military equipment they use and an overview of recent past missions, such as the battalion's response and actions during Hurricane Harvey.
"We like to demonstrate some of our combat capabilities that we do in the field and showcase our ability to respond to a natural disaster here in the state to support our neighbors and our communities in Texas," said Crawson. "Our Soldiers and their employees are part of a bigger picture both in the national defense plan for the United States and how we support our neighbors and communities here in Texas.
After the briefing, the visitors went to a marksmanship rifle range. There they could climb inside gun-mounted trucks and talk to Soldiers about the static crew-served weapons that were on display.
"I really appreciate getting to see service members show their expertise in their training and with all the equipment," said Kathleen Harman, a business and leadership professor at Norwich University and professional mediator in partnership with the ESGR. "I can really see now all the minutia that goes into every detail of all training for gunners and drivers inside the cabs of the military trucks."
Employers were allowed to go onto the rifle range to get a first-hand experience of what it takes to qualify with the weapons. Paired with an experienced Soldier, each visitor was given a lesson on safety and proper use of the M4 carbine, and then given the opportunity to fire the rifle in a mock weapons qualification scenario.
"Getting to fire the rifle on the range was fun, but what I really loved was getting to know some of the different Soldiers, hearing what they do and where they are from, and seeing what they do," said Harman. "You get to see and experience first-hand servant leadership through the ranks and through the different training aspects and missions. It's truly incredible."
The tour then moved to a range with an urban training town, nicknamed "shanty-towns," to watch a mounted gun-crew convoy exercise. In the exercise, the crews must react to contact with oppositional forces and respond to simulated crew injuries by calling in a casualty evacuation by helicopter.
"I come from a really strong military family of three generations," said Harman. "It's really wonderful to see all the different layers of training and how things interplay together. The logistics, the team building, and all the activities in the training that have to happen, it just really makes me appreciate these Guardsmen and their service."
Following the exercise, the employers were taken to their final demonstration - an airborne jump by Soldiers from the 249th Quartermaster Company, 372nd CSSB, out of Fort Worth.
"I think every component of the whole program is really valuable," said Harman. "This experience has really given me a sense of appreciation for what service members go through and all their sacrifices for their training. I know I will be able to take back what I've seen and learned here today to be able to further assist and understand the National Guard and reserve Soldiers I work with."
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| Date Taken: | 06.22.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 07.16.2018 16:14 |
| Story ID: | 284455 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TX, US |
| Hometown: | AUSTIN, TX, US |
| Hometown: | DALLAS, TX, US |
| Hometown: | FORT CAVAZOS, TX, US |
| Hometown: | FORT WORTH, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 245 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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