Photo By Todd Pruden | Pfc. Jonathan Johnson, petroleum laboratory specialist with the 316th Quartermaster...... read more read more
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – During their annual Extended Combat Training, soldiers are expected to hone their skills by conducting drills and running through battle-focused scenarios and training specific to their jobs.
When soldiers get to put their jobs to use during a real-life mission, the bar is set higher, and a heightened sense of accomplishment is usually the end result.
Army Reserve soldiers from various quartermaster and transportation units conducted their annual training here June 1 through 15 to hone their skills in their military occupational specialties by conducting what is called a quartermaster liquid logistics exercise, or QLLEX. Soldiers from these units performed a real-world mission of storing, circulating, testing and transporting fuel to various military installations in the area; a job usually done by Defense Logistics Agency contractors.
“[DLA] stepped aside and let us handle what they actually do on a day-to-day basis,” said 2nd Lt. Edwin Rodriguez, executive officer for the 1017th Quartermaster Company, based out of Camp Pendleton. “When they get the information from a customer needing this amount of fuel, they send it to us and we turn it into a mission. And based on that mission, [the soldiers] execute it.”
The Soldiers set up a fuel system supply point, or bag farm, to store fuel to be distributed to various locations. But before the fuel went anywhere, it was tested by a petroleum quality assurance team to ensure there are no contaminates.
“There’s a certain standard,” said Rodriguez. “The military has to meet those standards every single time. It’s crucial that the customer is not getting contaminated fuel because that could affect their equipment or whatever they are running that fuel on.”
Once the testing was complete with optimal results, the fuel was then transported to local DLA customers.
This was the first time the 1017th had ever conducted a QLLEX, according to Rodriguez. He said the mission was critical in order for the young unit to receive the training they needed.
“It helps the soldiers to think and be able to overcome different problems that they are going to encounter with the environment,” said Rodriguez. “It’s still a learning process for me.”
Sgt. Roland Amigo, petroleum supply sergeant, 1017th Quartermaster Company, agreed.
“You can teach them by the book,” said Amigo. “But once you go to field training like this, now you’ve got to adjust to the weather, the terrain, and all of the traffic flow. So, all of the stuff you learn by the book is going to change. So, now I am teaching my soldiers to adjust.”
The bag farm at the exercise consisted of three 50,000 gallon bags. Amigo said the bags can accommodate approximately 130,000 gallons when full, a lesser amount than the maximum capacity to compensate for expansion. Attached at both ends of the farm were 350 gallon-per-minute pumps; one to receive fuel, and the other to dispense fuel.
“You’ve got to have the schematics drawn up before you can do anything,” said Pfc. Villi Villamarin, petroleum supply specialist, 1017th Quartermaster Company. “This is a brand new system. It’s just like learning a new language. It’s going to be hard at first, but when you pick it up, it slowly goes into place. Once you know it, it’s always going to stick with you.”
All the while, though, safety was the top concern on all soldiers’ minds.
“Safety is above any of them,” said Amigo. “It’s always safety first. “I keep telling my guys, with our trade, we are not here to rush. We are going to do it step-by-step, slowly, and safely as possible.”
But being safe does not mean one can have a good time. While the soldiers were benefiting from the training they received, they agreed the hard work paid off in the end and look forward to doing their jobs down the road.
“This is the most I have done since I graduated from [initial entry training],” said Villamarin “It’s a great experience.”
Amigo agreed.
“It’s continuous learning, and all of the soldiers we've got, they actually have a better idea now on how things work,” he said. “The more we do this type of training, we have to sustain the knowledge that we’ve got.”
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 06.17.2013 17:21 |
| Story ID: | 108799 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 440 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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