While the majority of the 2d Cavalry Regiment traveled to the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, to execute a regimental field training exercise, the Regimental Support Squadron, 2CR remained at its garrison to undertake the reorganization of its footprint in Rose Barracks, Germany, July 15 – 31, 2019.
The RSS, 2CR has been responsible for sustaining the six other Squadrons in the Regiment, and as effective as it has been with this mission, the squadron is afforded significantly less time to attend to its own sustainment needs.
To address this, Col. Thomas Hough, commander, 2CR approved the duration of regimental exercise time for the squadron to remain at its headquarters to reorganize its motor pool, supply bays , and office areas, allowing the unit to devote the extra time to its own maintenance services.
The reorganization effort began on July 15, when Soldiers across the squadron began taking inventory of all supply items and sorting them into piles for keeping, turning in and throwing away. Many of the items uncovered in the process had been sitting in their respective locations for longer than any Soldier currently in the Squadron could remember.
“The reorganization seemed like a lot more work than we could handle when we first heard of it, but it was amazing how much work we could accomplish as a squadron when we all worked together” said Staff Sgt. Komlanvi Noumon, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear non-commissioned officer in charge, RSS, 2CR.
After the containers were inventoried and reorganized, RSS Soldiers went to work on their vehicles, by repainting bumper numbers, updating names of vehicle commanders and drivers on windshields, identifying maintenance faults, and rearranging the vehicles on their lines to ensure they were ordered by bumper number. Soldiers also took this time to ensure that all of the vehicles’ basic issue items were present.
Efforts by the Squadron’s Soldiers have boosted its supply and equipment readiness considerably. RSS Staff also set up a tactical operations center within the motor pool to enable its personnel office to take care of Soldiers’ individual needs, such as personnel records reviews.
Family Readiness Groups in the Squadron utilized the concentration of Soldiers in the motor pool to sell food items as fundraisers for their organizations, keeping Soldier morale running high throughout the duration of the event.
The time and labor that everyone spent inventorying and shuffling equipment also served as a camaraderie-building activity for Soldiers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Officers throughout the RSS. In addition to providing guidance and direction, leaders joined their Soldiers in lifting and moving all of the equipment.
“It was great to have time to be able to take care of our motor pool, and to build camaraderie across the sections and Troops as we helped each other out” said Sgt. Daniel Chang, the Non-Commissioned Officer in charge of the Squadron’s intelligence office.
The RSS, 2CR will spend the coming months preparing for 2CR's combat training center rotation, Dragoon Ready 20, scheduled to take place at JMRC in October. The successful reorganization of RSS equipment has increased the squadron’s readiness by streamlining preparations for this exercise and other future deployments.