No Bull riding in this Rodeo

Courtesy Photo | Spc. Amanda Sugai a Essex Junction, Vt., native and a motor transport operator with the 220th Transportation Company, 394th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) celebrates after successfully maneuvering the serpentine slalom course. (Photo by: Staff Sgt. Constance Oberg)  

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IRAQ

10.23.2010

Courtesy Story

3rd Division Sustainment Brigade

By Staff Sgt. Constance A. Oberg

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq— Cowboy hats were replaced with Advanced Combat Helmets, and instead of riding on a bull for eight seconds, soldiers with the 220th Transportation Company, 394th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), found themselves behind the wheel of the M915 Series Heavy Line Haul Truck during a truck rodeo held recently at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq.

The soldiers showed off their skills in five different events, including alley docking, backing up to a dock, straight-line backing between two rows of orange cones without touching them, right turn/left turn, and navigating a serpentine slalom course that serpentines, including hooking and unhooking a trailer to an M915.

The truck rodeo started with 45 competitors, and eventually narrowed down to the top five soldiers after the four events. The events were timed; every cone hit added three seconds on to the soldiers’ time.

“While deployed…in a combat zone, this is a very unorthodox thing to be happening,” said Staff Sgt. Jason Santerre, the training non-commissioned officer-in-charge with the 220th Trans. Company, and a Danbury, Conn., native. “Most truck rodeos take place in the states on home soil.

“The terrain and environment is very different here in Iraq than back in the states, but training in the operational environment that you drive in here is very important. You never know when you are going out on a mission, and having the opportunity to do a truck rodeo to get some useful training out of it that the soldiers can take with them on their missions is important, as well as a morale booster for the soldiers.”

With all of the events going on at once, Pfc. John Rice, a motor transportation operator with the 220th Trans. Company, and a an Everett, Pa., native, felt the truck rodeo was well-organized and ran smoothly.

“It shows where a lot of people are with their driving skills,” said Rice.

Of the four events, he said his favorite was the left turn/right turn; he felt it let him go a little faster than normal.

“It was a good opportunity to get everyone together to compete and test each other’s skills with the trucks,” said Pfc. Keith C. Corriveau, a motor transportation operator with the 220th Trans. Company, and a Peterborough, N.H., native. “I feel straight line backing and left turn/right turn are very important events, especially when you are out on the road. You may encounter things in the road that make you have to make a quick decision and swerve. All of this plays a really big role in our everyday missions more than the soldiers might think.”

For Pfc. Jason W. Straley, a motor transportation operator with the 220th Trans. Company, and a Waynesboro, Pa., native, coupling and uncoupling was his favorite event.

“You would do this whenever you need a trailer moved,” he said. “You back up to the kingpin until it latches, raise the landing legs and connect the air hoses and light. It can be the easiest thing to do, but you need to be fast and correct.”

Straley added, “The truck rodeo gives soldiers a chance to take time out from their regular missions and a chance to show and improve their transport skills; every time the soldiers are behind the wheel it helps them out when they are on the road executing a mission.”

Short felt that alley docking the truck and trailer was the toughest event. “A simple turn of the wheel can throw you completely off,” he said.

But for Spc. Geoffrey S. Boffitto, a motor transportation operator with the 220th Trans. Company, and a Concord, N.H., native, and Spc. Matthew A Smyrski, also a motor transportation operator with the 220th Trans. Company, and an Ira, Vt., native, agreed that even though alley docking may be more difficult, it was still their favorite event.

For Spc. Amanda Sugai, a motor transportation operator with the 220th Trans. Company, and an Essex Junction, Vt., native, felt she “got backed up to the alley dock with no problems.” She accomplished the task in just two minutes and 30 seconds.

“I usually do well with alley docking, but that is when I have a ground guide,” added Sugai. “This time I did a lot better on alley docking than on straight line backing.”

Boffitto said that alley docking was his favorite event because it was more challenging than the other events. “It used to be my toughest event; I actually feel like I do it fairly well now.”

Many soldiers felt the truck rodeo was both fun and important because the skills needed to do well are also essential on missions.

“Everything that is covered in this type of training is used every day out on the missions,” said Pfc. Eric W. Flowers, a motor transportation operator with the 220th Trans. Company, and a Winterport, Maine, native. “It still created a fun day for the company. I felt it gave everyone a chance to get out and enjoy some time off with some implemented training, but there still was the friendly competition. It helped to show the soldiers where they were at in their specific skills that they use on the roads.”

The 220th Trans. Company is still looking forward to competing against another unit, but in the meantime, they will take what they are learning to help them as they carry out their missions here.

• Date Taken: 10.23.2010
• Date Posted: 11.09.2010 08:29
• Story ID: 59733
• Location: CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IQ