Photo By Capt. Carlos Agosto | During the Combat Support Training Exercise, members of the 282nd Quartermaster...... read more read more
By Spc. Charlotte Martinez
JOLON, Calif. - Cooperation is the key to victory, and the Army Reserve cannot complete its mission without a variety of units working in perfect harmony to create a concert, despite moments of chaos.
Several units served as a shining example as they came together to conduct an aerial drop and re-supply mission to replicate performing a similar mission that would take place in Afghanistan during the Combat Support Training Exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett, a large scale collective training exercise held June 16-24, which recreated a deployment environment for over 2,000 Army Reserve Soldiers.
Members of the 282nd Quartermaster Company, from Montgomery, Ala., were on hand to recover supplies as they reached the ground.
“We were to recover supplies at the drop zone and provide the supplies to be dropped,” said 1st Lt. Benjamin Vernon, commander of the 282nd QM Co., and Birmingham, Ala., native.
“We recovered Meals, Ready-to-Eat and water,” said Spc. Angela Gibson, a Tallassee, Ala., native and supply specialist for the 282nd QM Co. “The water is simulating fuel because you cannot drop fuel in a training environment.”
During the three days of aerial re-supply, the unit recovered 12 loads of supplies, including 4,608 MRE packages and 880 gallons of water, said Vernon.
“After we recover the supplies, we take them back where they will be distributed accordingly,” said Staff Sgt. Lyn Williams, an Andalusia, Ala., native, and Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge of the drop zone recovery team.
Williams said the recoveries were fairly smooth with the exception of a couple of loads that landed in the water towards the edge of the drop zone.
“We had some difficulties because we had to pull pallets of MREs out of waist-deep water. The terrain was very uneven and difficult to maneuver,” said Vernon.
“This was good training because it gave us more hands-on training and it allowed us to work and coordinate with other units involved,” said Gibson.
Vernon said his unit did several things to help prepare them for this mission, since they typically run the subsistence warehouses and only get to conduct missions like this during training exercises like CSTX.
“The 421st Quartermaster Company conducted equipment recovery classes a few days prior to the event,” said Vernon. “We conducted rehearsals, rock drills and leader’s reconnaissance of the drop zone.”
The 282nd QM Co. conducted several missions during the CSTX, including operating the warehouse, convoy operations, improvised explosive device training and forward operating base defense operations, as well as the aerial re-supply.
“Because Afghanistan uses aircrafts for transportation, we needed to experience what it was like to receive supplies via air drop,” said Vernon. Because the terrain in Afghanistan is vastly different than the terrain in Iraq, air transportation provides a better means of getting around the mountainous region in Afghanistan.
“We have really great NCOs and motivated junior enlisted Soldiers,” said Vernon. “Without them, the mission would be much tougher.”
Vernon said units such as his on contingency operating bases in Afghanistan have a high possibility of seeing and participating in missions like the aerial drop and re-supply-recovery mission completed here.
| Date Taken: | 06.24.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.24.2010 21:00 |
| Story ID: | 51935 |
| Location: | FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 310 |
| Downloads: | 166 |
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