Photo By Spc. Anthony Zane | Spc. Rainer Cabance of the 77th Sustainment Brigade assembles a section of a DRASH...... read more read more
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FORT MCCOY, Wis. -- It is a muggy and hot afternoon in August, arriving at the work site; beads of sweat begin puckering out of the skin within minutes. The immediate surroundings are similar to the images of overseas military installations seen in magazines. Here, they are part of the Army base of Fort McCoy, and Army Reserve soldiers have been hard at work since the early morning as part of their annual training. Troops are busily hurrying all around like worker bees in a giant hive. The heat of the day imposes an almost surreal feel to the scene.
Soldiers from the 77th Sustainment Brigade are participating in a team-building exercise focused on how to construct a Tactical Operations Center out of a Deployable Rapid Assembly Shelter during Combat Support Training Exercise 2010.
At first glance, the DRASH looks like nothing more than a very large camping tent, but during construction it is clear that there is much more. The sweat on the brows and faces of the Soldiers shows the laborious efforts and hard work it takes these troops to raise a DRASH.
As Master Sgt. Colin McKiel of Allentown, Pa., stands inside under the domed ceiling his Soldiers just constructed, he speaks of them with pride. This gives the soldiers an opportunity to see new systems and to work with them, said McKiel. Especially if you look at the crew out here, you’re looking at a lot of privates first class and specialists; and it’s perfect to have them here. They learn how to set it up and tear it down and then if we do experience a situation like this down range we have subject matter experts, he added.
Along with the experience of learning the mission-specific skills to build a DRASH, the Soldiers of the 77th Sustainment Brigade are building their teamwork skills at the same time.
“This is a great experience because it teaches you teamwork, how to work together and how to problem solve, and those are skills you’re going to need when you go overseas because the people around you are going to be the only people you’re going to have with you,” said Spc. Christopher Jackson of Richmond, Va. “If you don’t know how to work as a team, how protected are you really going to be?”
At times the job takes up to 10 soldiers to grip onto a single piece of the DRASH and pull it hard in different directions at the same time to fully extend.
It takes teamwork to maneuver enormous pieces of beige tent which exemplifies the intricate process and effort it takes to erect a DRASH.
“We’ve all done Field Training Exercises and a lot of times we just come to the place and the tents are already built,” said Pvt. Bianca Lewis of Philadelphia. “You never see the process and how much work it really takes to put these things up, so this is really about when we get out there so that, that way we can take down our own tents and move them accordingly,” continued Lewis.
It was like a giant puzzle, and thanks to everybody working together, it came together nicely and all the pieces fit, said Lewis.
| Date Taken: | 08.11.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 08.12.2010 19:36 |
| Story ID: | 54481 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 104 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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