Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Chanelcherie DeMello | Capt. Bret W. Vandevoort (center), 957th Transportation Detachment (Movement Control...... read more read more
The 957th Transportation Detachment (Movement Control Team), 650th Regional Support Group, returns home from Operation Cold Steel II, but not before setting the standard during their participation in the Gate 3 event at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, from Feb. 20-Mar. 4, and the Gate 4 event at Fort Knox, Kentucky, from Feb. 4-Mar. 28.
The Gate 3 and 4 gunnery phases include convoy protection platforms training whereby a team of three including driver, vehicle commander, and gunner enhance skills learned from preliminary gunnery phases and advance to mounted gunnery operations and convoy live-fire procedures.
The 957th MCT demonstrated they are more than capable, combat-ready, and lethal by succeeding each level and becoming the first unit in the entire U.S. Army Reserve to achieve a 100 percent first-time “Go” rating during the final Gate 4 event.
“We set the standard high for the units that were going to the event after us,” said Capt. Bret W. Vandevoort, 957th MCT commander. “I know that not all the units that attended were able to finish at our level, and because of that we are quite proud of our unit.”
The intent of OCS to increase unit confidence and lethality is imperative to Ready Force X units like the 957th MCT. Capt. Vandevoort is confident his unit has aimed, fired, and hit the mark.
“Being an RFX unit means we have increased responsibilities and expectations on us to be ready,” said Vandevoort. “The intent was met from all levels within the unit, everything from the individual Soldier qualifying on their M240B, all the way up to the convoy commander providing direction to each vehicle during the live fire event. Earning the OCS II qualification confirmed that our overall readiness is much higher than the average Army Reserve unit.”
The 957th MCT took every opportunity to maximize time during battle assemblies to plan and train prior to OCS to ensure their success of each qualification level leading up to OCS II.
“There was a lot of planning and training events prior to Operation Cold Steel II,” said Vandevoort. “A good portion of our training throughout the year was focused on individual Soldier skills. Everything from getting Soldiers licensed on vehicles, weapons familiarization, and even driving around the Nevada desert late into the evening so Soldiers can be confident with their night vision goggles was necessary if we wanted to succeed in the final OCS II event at Fort Knox. Each training event led to the next level. One little mistake could have easily disqualified one of our teams at any point from completing OCS II.”
Teamwork and trust went a long way for all four of their three-man teams that participated.
“Bringing all the training together into one event is huge. Just like a sports team showing up for a big game, you’re relying on each Soldier to do their specific task in order to win, or as in this case qualify,” said Vandevoort. “Although we won’t always be firing a crew-served weapon from a moving vehicle at every training event, our confidence and ability to work as a whole unit will definitely be shown and evident in future events or deployments.”
As OCS II is scheduled to continue through August, today’s OCS numbers are on the rise as 4,805 Army Reserve Soldiers have been trained with an 87% qualification rate and 3.4 million rounds expended.
The constant that the U.S. Army Reserve is the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal Federal reserve force in the history of the Nation is fortified because of dedicated Soldiers, Leaders, and units like the 957th MCT.
“The 957th MCT has fully embraced what it means for a logistical unit in the USAR to become lethal,” said Col. Rodney J. Fischer, 650th RSG commander. “The 957th MCT leadership together with our First Army partners developed a plan to get ready and executed it with a high level of motivation and discipline. They are a great example for all other USAR units.”
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 05.03.2018 17:49 |
| Story ID: | 275643 |
| Location: | SLOAN , NEVADA, US |
| Hometown: | LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, US |
| Web Views: | 426 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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