Photo By Staff Sgt. Michael Crawford | Sgt. Nicholas Glandy, a fuel supply specialist from Macon, Miss. with the 894th...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Whether civilian or military, Army or Marine, vehicles won’t budge without fuel – more than could ever fit in a set of tankers. If only there were a place where service members could farm their fuel.
Don’t worry – the 894th Quartermaster Company is already on it.
The 2014 Quartermaster Liquid Logistics Exercise (QLLEX), operationally controlled by the 633rd Quartermaster Battalion here, is designed to challenge and develop battalion and group decision-making skills.
“The battalions have to plan their annual training with units from outside their regular peacetime chain of command, and be able to execute their mission while being assigned to a location that can be hundreds or in some cases thousands of miles from the group headquarters,” said Lt. Col. Richard Sayre, executive officer of the 475th Quartermaster Group.
Last year, 1st Lt. Kerlin Janvier, a native of Jackson, Miss., with the 894th QM Co., participated in QLLEX, focusing on mobile fueling instead of a fuel farm. The operational shift has provided for a new set of challenging opportunities, both for planning and execution.
The fuel farms, which incorporate 50,000-gallon bags of fuel, need a large operation area to receive and distribute the 100,000 gallons of fuel to be used by six other units, including Marines, for the exercise. Farm operations, compared to mobile operations, also require different equipment and skill sets, replacing armored, tactical vehicles with forklifts and bulldozers.
Sgt. Jeremy Henderson, a native of Gulfport, Miss., and fuel specialist with the 894th QM Co., said QLLEX provides the opportunity to train new Soldiers who have never had real-world experience. Here, Soldiers learn to start from scratch.
To help provide the space necessary for the farm, Marines from Bulk Fuel B Company, 6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, from Wilmington, Del., are lending their skills and equipment to prepare the environment necessary for a fuel farm.
“The Marines have been extremely helpful,” said Capt. Robert Schmidt, commander of the 894th QM Co. based in Jackson, Miss. “Their willingness to help everyone accomplish their missions makes everything easier. This exercise is all about communication between different groups.”
“QLLEX is a great opportunity, bigger than any individual company,” said Schmidt, a native of New Orleans, La. “It helps show what everyone brings to the fight and highlights how Army Reserve Soldiers add value to the Army.”
| Date Taken: | 06.09.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.09.2014 15:47 |
| Story ID: | 132577 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Hometown: | GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Hometown: | JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Hometown: | MACON, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Hometown: | NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, US |
| Hometown: | WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, US |
| Web Views: | 357 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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