Photo By Brad Staggs | Spc. Joseph Merkley receives instruction on engaging targets with a Mk-19 Automatic...... read more read more
BUTLERVILLE, Ind. — Spc. Donald Cornett lives in North Vernon, Ind., with his family and has been working at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center for a year. He takes great pride in the job he does, getting the facility ready for the training of deploying troops. Little did he know that he would soon be one of those service members using the same facilities he had been creating from the ground up.
"It feels great [to use the facilities I helped build]," Cornett said. "It feels like I've been a part of something that will carry on into the future."
Cornett is a petroleum supply specialist with the 1313th Engineer Company out of Columbus, Ind., which was at MUTC training for their early-summer deployment to Iraq.
The 1313th used Muscatatuck as a base of operations to run training from, including live fire and simulator training which could only be done at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh, Ind.
"Our facilities here have been very conducive to completing all of our tasks," Capt. John Lubbe, 1313th Commander, said about Muscatatuck. "I think there have been a lot less distractions and that has allowed the unit to remain close and cohesive throughout the training."
The 1313th used their time at Muscatatuck to conduct individual Soldier training, ensuring that every Soldier was been trained on the latest techniques in weaponry, convoy maneuvers, and other tasks which they will be called upon to perform.
1st Sgt. Robert Hempstead, whose daughter will also be deploying with the unit, feels confident that his Soldiers can perform their jobs as good as or better than any Soldiers they are put up against.
"Without a doubt," Hempstead said, with a confidence that only comes from training with Soldiers day in and day out. "This is the best group of young officers I've ever worked with and it's the same with the [non-commissioned officers]."
While his senior NCOs, the Soldiers responsible for the day-to-day activities of the unit, are young, Hempstead says that he has no concerns whatsoever that they can get the job done. Sgt. Alvin Pearson, a maintenance team leader also from North Vernon added that it was because of the training they received that he feels confident.
"The training here is outstanding," Pearson said. "Because there are less troops here, the trainers can pay more attention to us and give us more one-on-one training. Training to standard, not to time. That means a lot to us."
The commander echoed Pearson's comments, saying that the staff at Muscatatuck was very accommodating and flexible which was something he wasn't used to.
"Anything that we asked for was provided to us in a rapid, surprisingly efficient manner," Lubbe said. "I guess I'm just not used to that kind of response and I was pleasantly surprised."
Not every second of every day has been spent on training, however. There has been some time built into the training schedule for morale, welfare, and recreation. When the Muscatatuck softball team challenged the 1313th to a softball game, they didn't know what they were in for.
"Muscatatuck got beat," Hempstead bragged. "The Muscatatuck softball team got whooped by the 1313th, 24 to 22. I just want to make sure they remember."
The 1313th Engineer Company's departure ceremony was held at Camp Atterbury on May 21.
| Date Taken: | 06.04.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 06.04.2009 09:34 |
| Story ID: | 34536 |
| Location: | BUTLERVILLE, US |
| Web Views: | 458 |
| Downloads: | 298 |
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