FORT CARSON, Colo. –Infantry Soldiers usually carry a large amount of supplies and gear that can weigh upwards of 100 pounds. Light Infantry Soldiers don’t always the ability to rely on the use of vehicles, that’s why they’re commonly called ‘legs.’
The 282 Soldiers from 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, didn’t have to worry about how they were getting from their area of operations to their destination on the night of Sept. 24. They knew they could count on the 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4ID for assistance.
“It’s extremely beneficial to us to know that we can call on the 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, for support,” said 1st Lt. Lemans Cooper, executive officer, Alpha company, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2IBCT, 4ID “They’re enabling a battalion-sized training event, which essentially allows us to train for real world combat.”
When the request for troop transport was passed onto Capt. Rachel Campion, commander, 59th Quartermaster Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, she knew that she was going to need to coordinate with the other commanders in the battalion.
“59th took the lead on this mission but we determined that help was needed from the rest of the battalion,” Campion said. “After I assigned my convoy commander, he went to the other companies to coordinate the use of their equipment and Soldiers. We ended up with a total of 17 vehicles to conduct the troop transport mission. ”
The hard work by everyone involved was appreciated by the infantry Soldiers.
“Without help from the 68th, this mission would have been extremely difficult for us,” Cooper said. “We don’t have the assets as a light infantry battalion to transport the whole battalion by vehicles.”
Leaders know that they must be flexible when conducting a ground assault convoy mission, because things can change very quickly.
“We transported the Soldiers to the helicopter landing zone and after the first two groups lifted off, the helicopters didn’t feel safe landing there anymore,” said 2nd Lt. Troy Berghoefer, platoon leader, 59th QM, 68th CSSB, 4SB Brigade, 4th Inf. Div. “So we had to load the remaining Soldiers back into the trucks and move them to another landing zone.”
This mission was a good way to build cohesiveness between the different units that will be working together again at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
“It’s very important to me to have been able to work with 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division now,” Berghoefer said. “We now know what kind of support we will be providing at JRTC. And throughout the next couple of months, I can actually start training my Soldiers so we’ll be more efficient and be able to provide even further support.”
The commander saw this as a great opportunity for everyone involved.
“This has been a good networking opportunity for future missions,” Campion said. “Not only does 2IBCT know that we can support them, but if we need their help, we’ve made those contacts. This bridges that gap, they know they can rely on us and we work well together.”
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