Photo By Staff Sgt. Nicholas Moyte | Spc. Eligi Gonzalez, 92G Culinary Specialist, 905th Quartermaster Platoon, 153rd...... read more read more
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BELLEMONT, Ariz.—From one end of Camp Navajo to the other, the focused and purposeful hustle and bustle of the Soldiers of the Arizona Army National Guard (AZARNG) can be heard. The sounds of weapons being fired on ranges, vehicles moving from one area of operation to another, heavy equipment moving earth, commands being shouted, and moments of camaraderie and celebration echo through the installation.
To the Soldiers of the AZARNG, Annual Training is often grueling and exhausting. It is also what many of them live for as Soldiers.
“We basically wake up at 0500, start the lanes, and then we’re running till 2200,” said Master Sgt. Kamas Van De Graaff, S3 Operations NCO, 153rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB). “We’re doing night ops. And it’s all stuff that you see in the commercials. So, the Soldiers love that. They love firing their weapons, they love using NVGs [Night Vision Goggles], they love going on mounted patrols, driving vehicles.”
This training is also necessary for all Soldiers of the AZARNG. No matter the MOS (military occupational specialty), all Soldiers must be proficient in the basic warrior tasks. When all Soldiers are proficient in those tasks, the lethality and effectiveness of the entire force are magnified.
“So, every Soldier in the Army has a responsibility to be lethal on their weapon system, understand how to handle it, and move at the team and squad level,” said 2nd Lt. Gabriel Yozzo, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 153rd CSSB. “So, that’s what we’re doing here. We’re working at the team and squad level, enabling our team leaders and squad leaders to take command of their formations and take contact with an enemy, if need be. Which is always a possibility, no matter what your position is in the Army.”
If it is necessary for each individual Soldier to be proficient in his/her warrior tasks, it is critical that those individual skills be effectively directed within a team.
“But for us, we’re finding out how to trust each other more. Communication gets easier when you kinda have the same dialect,” said Spc. Ian Curtis, Culinary Specialist, 905th Quartermaster Platoon, 153rd CSSB. “And the only way to find that out is to get out there and yell at each other and find out what that sounds like. So, I think that trust is really the most important thing.”
By honing individual skills and facilitating the creation of tight-knit and tactically proficient teams, the Soldiers of the AZARNG will remain ready to confront any adversary and excel in thier roles as part of the primary combat reserve of the United States Army.
“I would say that not only are we prepared, but if we were to get called up and have to integrate with our Active Duty counterparts, there would be more of a seamless transition,” said Van De Graaff. “We would be able to pick up where they left off, or be able to join them at the same level of proficiency that they’re at. And that would keep our force, basically, more lethal.”
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.12.2026 12:49 |
| Story ID: | 567496 |
| Location: | BELLEMONT, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 262 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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