SC National Guard deploy their tactical water purification system “Ardent Sentry”

Photo By 2nd Lt. Jorge Intriago | U.S. Army Sgt. William White hands a water nozzle to Spc. Paul Hiers, water specialist assigned to the 741st Quartermaster, South Carolina Army National Guard, after filling purified water into a water supply tank during the training exercise Ardent Sentry, held in Barnwell, S.C., May 18, 2013. Ardent Sentry is a North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM)-directed exercise focusing on defense support of civil authorities in response to simulated weather, security and disaster contingencies. While Ardent Sentry is primarily a command post exercise, several field training events were conducted at various locations within the USNORTHCOM area of responsibility. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jorge Intriago/Released)  

BARNWELL, SOUTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES

05.18.2013

Story by Staff Sgt. Jorge Intriago 

South Carolina National Guard

BARNWELL, S.C.- The 741st Quartermaster Company, S.C. Army National Guard, deployed their tactical water purification system during the Ardent Sentry training exercise at Barnwell’s Lake Brown, May 18. Their mission was to purify lake water into potable water.

“The mission here is to provide 15,000 to 20,000 gallons of potable water on the ready for when the call comes for whoever needs it whenever they need it,” said 2nd Lt. Anthony Ross from Darlington, S.C., second platoon leader for the 741st Quartermaster Company.

The 741st Quartermaster Company used this exercise to train on the newer TWPS, which is a quieter and more deployable piece of water purification equipment.

“You can take pond water or salt water and purify it to make it drinkable. It even clears the water of color because it dissolves solids,” said Spc. Rod Turple from Columbia S.C., water purification specialist, 741st Quartermaster Company, maintains the TWPS

Turple said that the water purification process takes water from something a person would not drink to potable water that is safe to drink.

“Overall the unit did really good considering the fact we have not had much practice with the TWPS, since this is a newer system,” said Ross. “The soldiers came out and worked through the kinks through troubleshooting and were able to pump 6,000 gallons of water in three hours.”

• Date Taken: 05.18.2013
• Date Posted: 05.18.2013 23:05
• Story ID: 107194
• Location: BARNWELL, SOUTH CAROLINA, US
• Hometown: COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, US
• Hometown: DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, US