Photo By Sgt. Marco Gutierrez | U.S. Army Sgt. Carlos Ortiz, left, and Spc. Eleanor Dunes, both cargo specialists...... read more read more
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – The thought of being in a dark, confined space can be a scary thought to some. Even worse is the thought of being in a dark, confined spaced that is flooding with water.
Soldiers from the 743rd Seaport Operations Company out of Boston, Mass. and the 390th Seaport Operations Company out of Ceiba, Puerto Rico, experienced this exact scenario during a watercraft damage-control exercise Aug. 1 at the maritime intermodal training facility at Join Base Langley-Eustis.
Staff Sgt. Robert Toms, an instructor from the 780th Maritime Intermodal Training Division, said the purpose of the training is to maintain a vessel’s watertight integrity in case something happens to an Army watercraft.
“If this was real life, it would be scary,” said Pvt. George Rivera a cargo specialist with the 390th SPOC. “I was even a bit nervous during the exercise.”
As a group of five soldiers step down in to the damage control tank, which resembles a compartment of a sea vessel, the room soon starts to fill with water from different locations at an alarming rate. The soldiers then quickly get to work trying to stop the water with material normally found on sea vessels.
“It’s an interesting experience having the water fill the compartment and having to work as a team to stop the water,” said Spc. James Biggs, a cargo specialist with the 743rd SPOC.
Spc. Eli Ortiz, a cargo specialist with the 390th SPOC, said he was nervous and scared at the same time, because if this happened in real life, he fears some Soldiers could become desperate to try to stop the water.
The hardest part of the training was maintaining patience and being calm, said George. Pfc. Zhelyzko Zamanchev, a cargo specialist with the 743rd SPOC.
Biggs added that another interesting part about the training is finding out who will step up to be the leader, because it’s not always the highest ranking or the loudest voice, It has to be the soldier with the best solution to stop the water.
“The best part of the training is the teamwork,” Biggs said. “Someone stepping up and becoming the leader while other follow directions to get the mission completed.”
As the teams settle down from the initial chaos, the communication improves and the team starts working as one. Zamanchev said while in the training, it feels like every soldier has a purpose; they have to know what they are doing, they try to do it fast and well, and you work as a team.
“The experience is kind of stressful,” said Sgt. 1st Class Luis Gonzales, a cargo load non-commissioned officer with the 390th SPOC. “Having to work in an enclosed space, you have to work fast and have to be careful of your surrounding.”
This training is new for many soldiers who have the “cargo specialist” Military Occupational Specialty.
“This is a new experience for most of us since this is training we don’t have back home.” Gonzales said.
Biggs said that because soldiers with his MOS sometimes find themselves in the bellies of sea vessels, this training will help them if the cargo hold ever got damaged or started to flood.
Toms added that the training is designed mainly for watercraft specialists and watercraft engineers, but it is important for cargo specialists to know since they will be on-board sea vessels and will know how to help in case of an emergency.
As the exercise at the damage control tank comes to an end and soldiers emerge from the tank soaking wet with big smiles on their faces, it’s clear that the training was both fun and useful. As the 743rd SPOC and 390th SPOC continue with their Extended Combat Training here, they will be ready to take on any new challenge and to learn everything that the instructors here can offer.
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 08.03.2013 12:33 |
| Story ID: | 111303 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 110 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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