316th ESC Soldiers earn two years of training at two-week mission

Photo By Maj. Marvin Baker | Spc. Karli Court, a small arms and artillery repairer from Ridge, N.Y. and nearly 70 other Army Reserve Soldiers from the 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), 237th Support Maintenance Company headquartered in Fort Totten, N.Y., completed a unique annual training that increased the unit’s capabilities during a two-week training exercise at Fort Benning, Georgia Mar. 9-23. The event also helped the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command, Fleet Management Expansion increase their equipment readiness. The 237th SMC includes multiple military occupational skills including wheeled vehicle mechanics, small arms repairers, and radio equipment repairers.  

FORT BENNING, GA, UNITED STATES

03.23.2019

Story by Maj. Marvin Baker 

316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

With all the annual training obligations in front of a commander of a support maintenance company in the U.S. Army Reserve, it could be a challenge to find suitable situations for Soldiers to conduct sustainment operations. During their two-day battle training assembly each month, Army Reserve Soldiers must fit in warrior tasks, physical training, and a few administrative requirements.

These are important responsibilities. However, the key to a sustainment Soldier’s development and increased capability is time spent turning wrenches toward maintaining operational readiness. A focused and well-planned two-week annual training event can lead to a quadrupling of the average daily hours conducting repairs to Army equipment for Army Reserve Soldiers who normally spend 25 percent of the weekend battle training assembly making repairs to equipment.

Soldiers from the 237th Support Maintenance Company headquartered at Fort Totten, N.Y. got all the maintenance time they asked for and then some during their annual training exercise held at Fort Benning’s U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command, Fleet Management Expansion Mar. 9-23.

“This TACOM exercise has been like training with industry,” Capt. Joe Espinal, commander of the 237th SMC, said. The unique training opportunity will help improve the unit’s warfighting functions, Espinal added.

TACOM FMX program provides TRADOC units located at Fort Benning with responsive, reliable and uninterrupted logistical support of TRADOC training fleets and ensures the availability of training equipment to meet their training load.

Espinal said that although past training events such as rotations at the National Training Center were valuable, they did not provide the kind of skill-building opportunities for all the Soldiers assigned to the SMC. An SMC is filled with all ranks of Soldiers and warrant officers. It is led by a commissioned company-grade officer. Some of the positions include maintainers for radio equipment, wheeled vehicles, and small arms.

A fortunate few of the Soldiers like Pfc. Shamel Workman, a small arms and artillery repairer, got to work on some of the newest weapons in the Army’s arsenal. Others, who work in the Army’s Allied Trade Specialist career field got to increase their hours with welding and cutting tools fabricating, repairing, and modifying metallic and nonmetallic parts. The training also included all the sustainment processing like ordering equipment through Army computer systems, conducting inventories, and dispatching vehicles.

Espinal said he noticed the Soldiers had a newly awaken interest and enthusiasm in their jobs. “The day sneaked up on us fast. Everyone was fully engaged and focused on getting their piece of equipment back into the hands of the Soldiers who needed it,” he said.

The training also offered an added benefit to the U.S. Army by providing a cost-effective way to increase the equipment readiness for the field-level maintenance requirement at Fort Benning’s TACOM. After the training exercise, Major General Gary M. Brito Commanding General, U.S. Army Fort Benning and Maneuver Center of Excellence, visited the troops and thanked them for their contributions to the Total Army.

“It takes all components to make the Army run its best,” Brito said. “And the Army Reserve has a unique base of sustainment skills that are essential to the total force.”

• Date Taken: 03.23.2019
• Date Posted: 03.25.2019 11:26
• Story ID: 315577
• Location: FORT BENNING, GA, US