BAMAN, Colombia - Staff Sgt. Bernard Miller, armament and platoon sergeant for the 742nd Support Maintenance Company (SMC), South Carolina Army National Guard, gave the Colombians several classes on their night vision goggles (NVG). Each class included simple maintenance and cleaning tips for the NVGs. Miller also helped them learn how to use a new piece of maintenance equipment that was received in August.
The 742nd SMC is in Colombia supporting the State Partnership Program linking South Carolina National Guard with the Colombian military. Service members share experiences and techniques that improve capabilities among the units.
“I had the opportunity to teach classes on NVG and the classes went well. There was a lot of interaction between everyone. With the help of Sgt. Wes Warren, translator and generator mechanic for the 742nd, we made quick progress,” said Miller. He added the Colombians had received a 126A machine that checks the functions of NVG. Through their training and partnership, they all learned how out it operated.
“The Colombians have about 12 soldiers who specialize in the NVG equipment. Through our classes, we improved their capabilities to take care of their own equipment which will help them in the future and improve their mission capabilities,” said Miller.