Belton leaders visit 15th Sustainment Brigade's Hood

Photo By Cpl. Jessica Hampton | A member of the Belton leadership tour group hosted by the 15th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), photographs a new Humvee simulator while an Army contractor talks about the technology at the Close Combat Tactical Trainer, June 2.  

FORT HOOD, TEXAS, UNITED STATES

06.02.2009

Story by Sgt. Matthew Cooley 

15th Sustainment Brigade

FORT HOOD, Texas — 15th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Soldiers hosted a group of Belton leaders on their tour of Fort Hood, June 2, as part of the brigade's ongoing effort to build strong relationships between Soldiers and the local community.

The tour included meetings with Brig. Gen. Paul Wentz, 13th ESC commander, and 15th SB commander Col. Larry Phelps as well as hands-on tours of the Medical Simulation Training Center, Warrior Skills Trainer, and the Close Combat Tactical Trainer.

They even ate lunch at Freeman Dining Facility.

"[We're] just taking in everything that Fort Hood has to offer," Jeff Sutton, assistant director of campus activities at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor said.

"It's its own little world."

From shooting paintball guns and learning about a medic's jobs at the MSTC to commanding and gunning simulated tanks at the CCTT, the Belton leaders experienced some of the same training Soldiers do.

Before they stepped into the tank and Bradley simulators at the CCTT, a civilian briefer explained to them that often Soldiers in a deployed or field environment must live in their vehicles for awhile.

"[This] gives us a better understanding of what our local military does ... and the intense training they go through," Sutton said.

At the WST, Soldiers drove humvee simulators while the group's members stood in as machine gunners and learned how to properly talk on the radio.

One woman in the group, whose son deployed to Iraq, said that she felt more comfortable with his deployment now that she knew the level of training the Army puts into Soldiers.

At meetings with the 13th ESC and 15th SB commanders, the group learned about the history and role of the sustainment units and what their part will be as many troops begin withdrawal from Iraq. Phelps likened the 15th to a business with him as the CEO to better explain the unit's operations.

Sutton said that he and the group enjoyed their visit to Fort Hood.

"It's cool to see everything you don't normally get to see."

• Date Taken: 06.02.2009
• Date Posted: 06.03.2009 16:57
• Story ID: 34503
• Location: FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US