MECHANICSBURG, Pa. - Soldiers with the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade conducted rail operations May 20 to 22 at Naval Support Activity Mechanicsburg in preparation for an upcoming exercise in California.
28th ECAB Soldiers with the 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion and 628th Aviation Support Battalion, as well as Soldiers with the 128th Chemical Company and 252nd Quartermaster Company, loaded wheeled-vehicles and other equipment on to a train to be transported to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, where the training will take place this summer.
They will use that equipment in order to make the training as realistic as possible for themselves and to provide support for the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team who will also participate in the exercise.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Sara Christensen, with the 2-104th GSAB, is the rail operations lead, charged with the movement of all equipment needed for the upcoming exercise at NTC. She began planning for this movement over a year ago.
“I was just the planner,” said Christensen. “Without the support and assistance from the supply sergeants, staff officers and NCOs, unit Soldiers from the 628th ASB, 128th Chemical, 252nd Quartermaster and the 28th ECAB staff we would not have been able to make it happen.”
Christensen’s preparations for this event included not only load plans for all the equipment they needed to move but also risk assessments, plans for safety and medical support during the loading.
“Rail operations is a meticulous process that requires extreme attention to detail,” said Capt. Nathan Bevans, assistant operations officer with the 2-104th GSAB. “That train was the first thing to roll towards Fort Irwin for Pennsylvania Guard units attending this rotation.”
Rotations at the National Training Center, located in California’s Mojave Desert, are about a month-long and include realistic exercises in a harsh climate, simulating conditions Soldiers could operate in overseas.
“The equipment loaded will enable the task force and adjacent units to meet the mission at NTC and provide support to the 30th ABCT,” said Bevans. “The experience gained during rail operations will be needed during follow-on missions next year.”