Army Reserve brings fuel and clean water

Photo By Sgt. William Battle | FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Pvt. Rachel Hammond of the 319th Quartermaster Battalion from Mansfield, Ohio, prepares a fuel sample for mini flash point testing to calculate the lowest temperature at which the vapors of the material will ignite, given an ignition source. The various types of fuel used by the military have different flash points and this test would be used to determine the type of fuel if it is sample from an unknown source. By determining the flash point of fuel and other chemicals, guidelines can also be written for safe and proper storage of the materials. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. William Battle, 372nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)  

FORT A.P. HILL, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES

06.21.2016

Story by Sgt. Anshu Pandeya 

372nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

FORT A.P. HILL, Va. – As Quartermaster Liquid Logistics Exercise 2016 approaches its end, the two-week training exercise has largely been a success.
Army Reserve Soldiers worked with counterparts in the Air Force and Defense Logistics Agency Energy Americas to provide water purification and petroleum support to different military installations.
The 475th Quartermaster Group, based in Farrell, Pennsylvania, had nearly 3,200 Army Reserve Soldiers at different sites throughout the nation including Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Gordon, Georgia; Fort Lewis, Washington; and Fort Huachuca, Arizona; and here, the main hub of operations with nearly 700 Soldiers.
“This is the exclusive exercise for the United States Army for the petroleum community,” said Lt. Col. Michael McCaskey, 475th support operations officer and executive officer for the exercise. “We store, distribute, test and deliver to real-life customers.”
“We also do water purification, storage and distribution so we can provide pure and potable water for the Soldiers on their missions as well as provide water for bath and laundry assistance,” said McCaskey.
The exercise didn't proceed without its difficulties as severe storms forced troops to evacuate their cantonment at Archer Camp, Fort A.P. Hill, to hard structures at Wilcox Camp, another area on post. Nine Soldiers were injured due to the storms. They were treated and released from local hospitals. They are being monitored and doing well.
“It was a very good test for us because it doesn't always happen at every exercise, and I'm very proud of my staff and also all the other sections, as well as the battalions on the communication,” stated McCaskey.
“We had some glitches, setbacks and situations to work through,” said Sgt. Maj. Larry Houston, support operations sergeant major with the 475th. “We worked through them. We did what we had to do, but as long as Soldiers are trained, that's the important part.”
“It was a good experience,” said Pfc. Didier Vanegas, a truck driver with the 348th Transportation Company based in Buckeye, Arizona. “I stayed flexible and accomplished a lot of missions.”
Vanegas, a Phoenix native, said he also worked security at the entry checkpoint and was a driver for the combat lifesaver's emergency vehicle.
McCaskey had nothing but praise for the Soldiers and encouraged them to take the training to heart and learn from any mistakes made during the exercise.
“I feel confident in the current practices and the training that they received out here,” said McCaskey. “They'll be an asset to whoever they get deployed with in the future.”

• Date Taken: 06.21.2016
• Date Posted: 06.22.2016 22:46
• Story ID: 202180
• Location: FORT A.P. HILL, VIRGINIA, US
• Hometown: BUCKEYE, ARIZONA, US
• Hometown: FARRELL, PENNSYLVANIA, US
• Hometown: HOUSTON, TEXAS, US
• Hometown: PHOENIX, ARIZONA, US