Photo By Staff Sgt. Bruce Daddis | Virginia Army National Guard Spc. William Orange of the 3647th Maintenance Company,...... read more read more
Story by Sgt. Bruce Daddis
444th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, New Jersey Army National Guard
Fort Drum, New York (July 16, 2022) - As more than 2,500 Soldiers from the New Jersey Army National Guard’s 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team embarked on their three-week long eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) exercise last week, it wasn’t without support from their southern neighbors, the Virginia Army National Guard’s 3647th Maintenance Company, 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group out of Blackstone, Va. During the training exercise, the mission of the 3647th Maintenance Co. is to provide wheeled-vehicle recovery and maintenance support as well as more specialized trade support such as generator, armament, and HVAC maintenance to the 44th IBCT as it conducts the training event which enables brigade combat teams to achieve the trained platoon readiness necessary to deploy, fight, and win.
Working with the New Jersey National Guard is mutually beneficial according to company commander, Cpt. Alec Hulbert, “So far, the experience working with the New Jersey National Guard has been good. They've been coordinating and planning for this exercise for a long time, and they've kept us well-informed throughout the process. We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with other National Guard units from other states. Any chance for our Soldiers to learn from their peers and put their skills to work is a win for us.”
That same sentiment is shared by Sgt. Jeffrey Sabatino, a Longshoreman with International Longshoremen’s Association Local 970 out of Portsmouth Marine Terminal in Portsmouth, Va. “It’s been great, everyone is out here training and learning new things.” One of such things is a brand-new vehicle the company will be working with, the Modular Catastrophic Recovery System (MCRS), which will help recover catastrophically damaged equipment in an expeditious manner, especially in combatant environments. After eight years on active duty, the non-commissioned officer came to the National Guard out of a sense of duty but also because of the professional development and educational opportunities available in order to enhance his skill set. “The reason I serve is a dedication thing. I served eight years on active duty and wanted to continue my service and my trade, so the National Guard has been the way to go, and I have my GI Bill from active duty and all around it all helps me be a better mechanic.”
In addition to the 3647th Maintenance Co., the 1033rd Engineer Company, 276th Engineer Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group out of Cedar Bluff, Va., has also joined the exercise, making two companies from Virginia and one battalion from Massachusetts supporting the 44th’s XCTC. The latter is the Massachusetts Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team out of Worcester, Mass. Such collaboration between states is just another example of the many strengths of the Army National Guard and exemplifies commitment to the “One team, One fight” concept.
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 07.17.2022 11:04 |
| Story ID: | 425153 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NY, US |
| Hometown: | BLACKSTONE, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 267 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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