Kentucky Guardsmen perform recovery duties

Photo By Capt. Desiree Pavlick | Soldiers with, 1st Platoon, 2113th Transportation Company, 1st Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), prepare their gear during a mock recovery mission alert, May 12, at Contingency Operating Base Q-West, Iraq.  

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION Q-WEST, IRAQ

05.12.2010

Story by 1st Lt. Desiree Pavlick 

278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Tennessee Army National Guard

By 1st Lt. DesiRee L. Nicely

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION Q-WEST, Iraq — For Soldiers with 1st Platoon, 2113th Transportation Company, 1st Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) in Q-West, Iraq, the word "mission" started a fury, May 12, but one with a specific purpose.

"Designated as the recovery platoon, 1st Platoon, 2113th [Trans. Company], has the specific mission of escorting KBR, Inc. assets to downed or disabled vehicles anywhere within our given area of responsibility. As a result of that mission, we are on call and ready to react 24 hours (per) day at a moment's notice," said Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Chapman, platoon sergeant with 1st Platoon and an Ekron, Ky., native. "Today's rehearsal is a reflection of how we react to real missions,"

The recovery platoon keeps gear staged on their trucks, and can be called on and prepared to receive their mission within minutes of notification.

"When we first received the … recovery platoon mission, Sgt. 1st Class Chapman would have us running rehearsals and drills for missions … He would even wait till we had fallen asleep sometimes," said Spc. Jordan Tinsley, a Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected vehicle gunner with 1st Platoon and a Guys, Tenn., native. "I was a driver on my last deployment, and feel that I know the routes pretty well and can contribute knowledge to the younger Soldiers, but this mission encompasses a larger skill set than my last mission, and that's why our training and rehearsals are beneficial."

With all of the team members in charge of different tasks, it may seem like sheer chaos to watch the Soldiers go in so many different directions; still yet, they're ready within minutes to escort recovery assets to wherever they are needed within the battle space.

"Recovery Platoon can be called on for a plethora of different events," Chapman said. "It can be something as simple as a flat tire or as complex as a mechanical failure or catastrophic event. We just have to take each mission as it comes."

As a result of short-notice missions, the recovery platoon has developed a sense of camaraderie and togetherness. These Soldiers eat together, go to the gym together and share living quarters while on their shifts. Many of the Soldiers within the platoon also have multiple deployments together, making them a very cohesive team.

Through training, teamwork, sound leadership, and professionalism, 1st Platoon, 2113th Trans. Company has been able to accomplish their mission it in a safe manner, Chapman said.

• Date Taken: 05.12.2010
• Date Posted: 05.26.2010 00:40
• Story ID: 50273
• Location: CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION Q-WEST, IQ