NOVO SELO TRAINING AREA, Bulgaria – The 841st Engineer Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, and 194th Engineer Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard combine their efforts during Operation Resolute Castle in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. Resolute Castle is a U.S. led effort in Eastern Europe designed to improve military infrastructure and security in the region.
Spc. Staci Evbuomvan, 194st Eng. Bde., one of the operational coordinators for Resolute Castle said, “it is good working with different components [Reserve and National Guard].” Tracking construction on this scale between different units can be difficult but she said, “It all comes together.”
In order for things to run smoothly the unit Tactical Operations Center (TOC) tracks everything going on. Routine daily updates include a review of the 24 and 48 hour operations schedule, and the status of personnel and equipment readiness across Atlantic Resolve countries where the unit operates.
Sgt. 1st Class Lester Ramirez, 841st Eng. Bn., assistant operations leader, said, “We merge well with the staff on ground and have a good flow between personnel.”
When asked about his experience participating in Resolute Castle, Sgt. Richard Corrales, 841st Eng. Bn., communication specialist, replied, “It is a good experience being able to keep communication between the TOC and the construction sites. We have different sites in different countries and track the status of all of them.”
Along with the 841st Eng. Bn., and the 194st Eng. Bde., there is a three-member assessment team at the Novo Selo training area that evaluates the progress of current units. Its assessment will be used to help plan future operations.
When asked about integrating Guard and Reserve units when they first arrived, 1st Lt. Aubrey Smoot, 478th Engineer Battalion, replied, “The capability for the units to adapt made it a seamless transition… we work well with each other.”
Sgt. Cody Geffre, 194st Eng. Bde., a logistical and personnel coordinator, mentioned that the Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve do things a little different when it comes to logistics and personnel operations, “but we still make it work.”