Photo By Joseph Siemandel | A Stryker Fighting Vehicle on display at the Washington Army National Guard’s...... read more read more
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En route to the Yakima Training Center, National Guard units are bound to break down, even with the newest equipment. That’s where the professionals that work at the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site come in.
“For the past 50 years, MATES has provided exceptional maintenance support to the Washington Army National Guard so the units, and the members can accomplish their mission,” said Chief Warrant Officer Five Michael Davisson, state maintenance manager.
Originally called the Field Area Training and Equipment Site, the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site opened its doors at the Yakima Firing Center in Sept. 1968 with just eight employees. As the need for full-time maintenance professionals grew, so did the demand for a new building.
On April 9, 1976, Maj. Gen. Howard McGee, the adjutant general and state senator Sid Morrison cut the ribbon on the new Mobilization and Training Equipment Site. Now known as “A” wing, the 35,000-square-foot building cost $900,000.
“The building has grown, and changed but the mission and the professionalism hasn’t,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Bruce Ecclestone.
Ecclestone was hired as a mechanic in 1992 and worked at the facility till moving to his current position as the state sergeant major in 2017.
“You see, in the way the building is maintained, the cleanliness, there is a lot of pride here,” said Ecclestone.
The building has undergone many additions and updates since 1976, including a major addition that was completed in 2002.
“We had to change with the Guard; we upgraded the facility when we got the M1 Abrams,” Davisson said. “Then, we upgraded our technology systems as needed, now we are equipped to maintain the Strykers for the 81st Brigade.”
For all the accomplishments in maintenance, the relationship with the community is even more important. In 2013, MATES employees, working with the neighboring facilities adopted a family for the holiday season, providing food and gifts to those in need. In 2017, employees decided to help out a whole lot more, fillingl 100 boxes with food for holiday meals, each box weighing between 35 and 40 lbs.
“MATES cares, we care about each other, we care about the soldiers, we care about the community, we care about the Washington National Guard and we care about the mission of our organization,” said Ecclestone. “When you care, it shows.”
| Date Taken: | 10.01.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 10.02.2018 14:20 |
| Story ID: | 295150 |
| Location: | YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 626 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Washington National Guard's MATES supports units for 50 years, by Joseph Siemandel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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