Seventeen Soldiers representing seven states graduated from the Motor Transport Operator Reclassification Course Aug 8 at the Illinois National Guard Regional Training Institute, Camp Lincoln, Springfield, Illinois.
“Congratulations on graduating from this challenging course,” Lt. Col. Brad Leighton, Commander, 1st Battalion, 129th Regiment (RTI) told the Soldiers. “Go back to your units and do good things but keep in mind the safety lessons you learned. You operate massive machines and all that steel can do damage.”
“As transporters, you must conduct maintenance on your equipment,” CW3 Raymond Butler, Mobility Warrant Officer, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “Your trucks are your lifeline. As a leader you need to enforce maintenance. Your units should always check equipment before the mission, during the mission and after the mission is complete.”
The two-phase course honored a Distinguished Honor Graduate and Honor Graduate from each phase. Sgt. Ulysses Belville of Petersburg, Illinois, earned Distinguished Honor Graduate for Phase I. Sgt. William Collins, of the Ohio National Guard, earned Honor Graduate for Phase I. Staff Sgt. Matthew Wood, of the West Virginia National Guard, earned Distinguished Honor Graduate for Phase II. Sgt. Nathan Hook, of the Iowa National Guard, earned Honor Graduate for Phase II.