Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Crane | Ralph Hines, civilian heavy equipment operator, guides a truck loaded with a CONEX box with the 1670th Transportation Company during Operation Patriot Press at Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond, Ky., July 16, 2025. The Alabama Army National Guard unit transported the containers—filled with small arms ammunition and other supplies—to Anniston Army Munitions Center in Anniston, Ala., as part of their annual training. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Crane) see less
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Operation Patriot Press provides vital experience to Soldiers
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Soldiers build logistical expertise and gain vital mission-ready experience through Operation Patriot Press.
Established by Army Materiel Command, OPP is conducted each year by the Joint Munitions Command along with other major subordinate commands within AMC. The exercises enhance units’ operational capabilities and support JMC’s strategic objectives by emphasizing sustainment and readiness. These hands‑on missions allow Soldiers to meet Army requirements while ensuring unit commanders’ mission‑essential tasks are completed.
“Each year, OPP prepares Soldiers by giving them hands on experience that can’t be replicated in a classroom,” said Seth Dismore, the chief of logistics planning for JMC. “These missions place Soldiers in authentic operational environments where they work directly with the civilian workforce that sustains the Army every day.”
In 2025, 14 company-level units executed 17 JMC missions with a total of 651 Soldiers gaining crucial experience in real-world logistics operations, including ammunition movement, depot operations and asset realignment. A similar number of units will participate in OPP this summer.
OPP exercises strengthen logistical readiness and deepen collaboration across the force. By bringing together active‑duty units, Army National Guard and Army Reserve formations, and the civilian workforce, OPP reinforces the relationships essential for seamless integration during critical missions. These exercises also enhance distribution efficiency and flexibility across JMC’s Organic Industrial Base, ensuring the optimized movement of ammunition and other vital military supplies.
“OPP gives units a chance to operate in conditions that mirror the demands of large‑scale sustainment,” Dismore said. “OPP sharpens Soldiers’ ability to execute complex tasks under real timelines and with real consequences.”
Units who are taking part in OPP-26 and supporting JMC missions include:
• The 222nd Transportation Company, Army National Guard (Arizona)
• The 1048th Transportation Company, Army National Guard (Connecticut)
• The 1133rd Transportation Company, Army National Guard (Iowa)
• The 18th Field Artillery Brigade, Army (North Carolina)
• The 1742nd Transportation Company, Army National Guard (South Dakota)
• The 142nd Field Artillery Brigade, Army National Guard (Tennessee)
• The 473rd Support Battalion, Army National Guard (Tennessee)
• The 1172nd Transportation Company, Army National Guard (Tennessee)
• The 1176th Transportation Company, Army National Guard (Tennessee)
• The 664th Modular Ammunition Company, Army (Texas)
• The 118th Transportation Company, Army National Guard (Utah)
• The 1032nd Transportation Company, Army National Guard (Virginia)
• The 1710th Transportation Company, Army National Guard (Virginia)
