Photo By Capt. Chad Carlson | The 740th Transportation Company, South Dakota Army National Guard, transports...... read more read more
A South Dakota Army National Guard unit transported shipping containers of retrograde ammunition from California to depots in Nevada and Utah as part of Operation Patriot Bandoleer during their annual training in March.
Soldiers of the Milbank-based 740th Transportation Company, and its detachment in Aberdeen, supported U.S. Army munitions readiness requirements while enhancing knowledge and skills throughout the operation.
“Operation Patriot Bandoleer provided a real world operation and tangible mission for our Soldiers,” said Capt. Terry Berndt, 740th company commander. “Supporting the retrograde mission was invaluable to training our unit and Soldiers.”
OPB is a multi-component logistic event that supports the Army pre-positioned stocks program, involving the movement of thousands of tons of munitions and war reserve material.
Collectively, Guard units from seven states moved 483 containers, primarily from the Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO), California, to six different depots and arsenals across the nation.
The 740th hauled 60 of the containers from MOTCO to the Hawthorne Army Depot, Nevada, and Tooele Army Depot, Utah, experiencing numerous variables and challenges on the way.
“From the mountainous terrain and winter weather conditions at Donner Pass (northern Sierra Nevada) to bumper-to-bumper traffic in California, our operators saw just about every driving scenario imaginable,” Berndt said. “When you combine the varying conditions with the long hours, long distances and realistic cargo, OPB was a tremendous training opportunity for us.”
Aside from road time, OPB provided hands-on training ranging from logistical planning and loading operations to maintenance support and command and control.
“Missions like OPB provide tremendous training for our transportation units, providing leaders an opportunity to plan and Soldiers an opportunity to execute METL-focused missions in support of a national exercise,” said Lt. Col. Tim Schlotterback, battalion commander of the 152nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, SDARNG. “The 740th demonstrated outstanding performance and achievements at OPB.”
Upon completing their OPB mission, the 740th stopped at Camp Guernsey, Wyoming, on their way home where the unit conducted tactical training lanes where mission essential tasks ranging from tactical convoys to performing field maintenance where evaluated.
By the time the 740th arrived back home, they had logged more than 300,000 combined miles on their M-915 semi-tractor trailers.
“The professionalism and exceptional work ethic of the Soldier's in the 740th is a great reflection on the unit, battalion and South Dakota Army National Guard,” Schlotterback said. “I look forward to both truck companies (740th and 1742nd TC) having the opportunity to participate in this exercise in the future.”
| Date Taken: | 05.03.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 05.04.2018 11:11 |
| Story ID: | 275747 |
| Location: | MILBANK, SOUTH DAKOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 113 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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