Photo By Staff Sgt. Cooper Cash | Soldiers of the 421st Quartermaster Company, 352nd Combat Service and Support...... read more read more
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Nearly 90 soldiers, on opposite sides of the island of Puerto Rico worked feverishly; some packed parachutes, some loaded trucks, and others cooked and tended to medical needs of their comrades. Moving as seamlessly as a timepiece, soldiers of the 421st Quartermaster Company choreographed movement of personnel and equipment continuously across 50 miles of the Cordillera Central Mountain Range between Muñiz Air National Guard Base and Camp Santiago from July 15 until the August 1. To tackle this, the Fort Valley, Ga., based parachute rigger unit, assigned to the 352nd Combat Service and Support Battalion, 642nd Regional Support Group, 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), utilized C-130 Hercules aircraft, and tactical military ground vehicles. The trucks delivered troops and equipment to parachute riggers at the air base. The riggers packed parachutes and then prepared the equipment and parachuting personnel for airdrops over Camp Santiago.
Dividing forces across the island plays a role in the training the 421st.
“The separation of the unit across Puerto Rico will simulate deployment scenarios in Qatar, Afghanistan or any other AO (area of operations),” said Puerto Rico native Capt. Cecilio Mendez, the commander of the 421st.
During the exercises, the unit used its assigned support troops as
well.
“We are training to execute and perform airdrop operations for wartime,” said Savannah, Ga., native, 1st Sgt. Jimmy Bowers, the 421st first sergeant. “ That includes our cooks, maintenance specialists, drivers, petroleum specialists, and riggers.”
Bowers said it is essential to show junior soldiers how to operate as self sufficiently as possible by having each of the support soldiers providing their expertise to the exercises.
Part of the self-sufficiency, is moving supplies and troops between the unit’s two locations for airdrop preparations. Vehicle maintenance soldiers with the 421st conducted driving and familiarization training to accomplish this mission.
“We need to be able to recover our troops and equipment from drop zones here, and transport them to the staging area across the island,” said Macon, Ga., resident Sgt. William H. Bray, a maintenance sergeant assigned to the 421st. “All of our soldiers are required to drive, and the more soldiers we have trained, the more flexibility we have.”
Riggers endure rigorous initial training after completing basic training, but more is needed to hone their skills.
“Junior riggers are taught to rig loads in AIT (advanced individual training), but they become proficient during exercises like these with their units,” said 19 year jumpmaster Bowers. “And for experienced riggers, it maintains their proficiency.”
The junior enlisted riggers take the lead when new soldiers begin training with the unit.
“We are helping new soldiers know what to do systematically, rather than needing to know where to start,” said Spc. John H.A. Davis, a parachute rigger assigned to the 421st. “Confidence is being built here, before they deploy and need to drop 80 CDS (container delivery system) bundles per day.”
High Falls, Ga., resident Davis said that at some Army Reserve rigging facilities are not located on a flight line, but during deployment situations they are. The facilities at Muñiz simulate the configuration of those overseas facilities by having the facilities on the flight line.
As the soldiers in the northern airbase prepare their equipment and their minds for a 1,250-foot drop onto a field of blowing grass 50 miles to the South, their fellow riggers prepare the drop zone for their arrival.
Soldiers moved V-shaped markers into place, and positioned medical personnel, while the drop zone safety officer continuously checked wind velocity.
“I am responsible for ensuring a medical plan is in place for any injured jumpers, staying in constant contact with the incoming aircraft during the operation, as well as determining if a drop can happen,” said Bonifay, Fla., native Sgt. 1st Class Brian W. Steverson, the drop zone safety officer and jumpmaster assigned to the 421st.
As the loads of equipment impact the earth and the large parachutes slowly deflate, soldiers drove to gather the supplies before the next drop 10 minutes later.
Paratroopers circling above the drop zone stood and readied their gear as they echoed commands and followed the directions of the onboard jumpmasters.
On the command “Go” the soldiers jumped feet first through the plane’s door with feet and knees together.
Soldiers glided to the ground, quickly gathered their parachutes and moved through brush and grass to a centrally located cargo truck. Once the soldiers were accounted for, they mounted the vehicle and began their journey from Camp Santiago to Muñiz Air National Guard Base across the island to repack parachutes, configure equipment and prepare for the next day’s airdrop operations.
| Date Taken: | 07.29.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 07.29.2013 11:01 |
| Story ID: | 110987 |
| Location: | SAN JUAN, PR |
| Web Views: | 431 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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