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Idaho Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Erik Isaacson is prepping an M113 amored personnel carrier for a steam cleaning of the engine bay. Sgt. Isaacson has been in the Idaho National Guard 13 years with over nine years working at MATES. Isaccson commutes from Kuna, Idaho, 35 miles from MATES which he says takes him about 45 minutes one way, each day. Staff Sgt. Isaccson served a year in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as a door gunner on UH-60 Black hawk helicopters.
At the heart of the Orchard Combat Training Center, the Idaho Army National Guard's Maneuver Area Training and Equipment Site (MATES) is the 116th CBCT's premier and largest maintenance shop. MATES is charged with the sustainment of combat power across 3 separate states, in support of their missions both domestic and abroad.
MATES is built around 5 Field Maintenance Teams (FMTs), 1 Field Maintenance Support Team (FMST), 1 Materiel and Readiness Team, and a warehouse in order to provide maintenance support to units from Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada.
MATES soldiers within the FMTs are subject matter experts on the M1A2/A1 Abrams, the M2A3 Bradley, the M88A2 Hercules, the M113/M1068 family of vehicles, and variety of other equipment. MATES mechanics have been asked to travel across the country to ensure the highest possible quality of work is performed.
The FMTs rely heavily on the knowledge and skills within the various supporting teams. The FMST are proactive in repairing equipment at the lowest possible expense while recognized nationally for creative solutions to common maintenance or repair problems. The MATES teams can troubleshoot electronic components down to the microchip level, repair .50 caliber machine guns, or fabricate a part when needed.
According to MATES Superintendent Cpt. Mark Ross, “ Despite a global pandemic, numerous state emergencies, and an ever increasing operational tempo, MATES personnel continue to drive the mission forward, hunt for creat
| Date Taken: | 03.10.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.27.2021 09:54 |
| Photo ID: | 6858158 |
| VIRIN: | 210927-Z-XK920-0018 |
| Resolution: | 2700x1800 |
| Size: | 3.88 MB |
| Location: | BOISE, IDAHO, US |
| Web Views: | 91 |
| Downloads: | 10 |
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