Operation Platinum Wrench

Photo By Sgt. William Washburn | Sergeant Dorothy Reedy, wheeled vehicle mechanic, 377th Support Maintenance Company, fills out a fuel log book during Operation Platinum Wrench at Fort McCoy, Wis., May 11, 2021.  

FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES

05.11.2021

Story by Sgt. William Washburn 

88th Readiness Division

FORT McCOY, Wis. – Operation Platinum Wrench is a unique opportunity for the U.S. Army Reserve. Platinum Wrench provides in-depth training sessions here for mechanics so they can stay current on their skills on a variety of vehicles and Army equipment.

There are several ways to get units and personnel enrolled in this training within a few months. Operation Platinum Wrench is able to host classes for two to roughly 50 Soldiers.

For many low-density military occupational specialties, training can be hard to come by. Operation Platinum Wrench provides mechanics in the 88th Readiness Division area of operations the opportunity to train on their skills.

“It's a really good experience overall. We got to do our actual jobs and learn a lot from the civilians out here and they are a big help and it's a good refresher for us,” said Spc. Xavier Morales of the 377th Support Maintenance Company.

Operation Platinum Wrench is an all-encompassing class for the Reserve Soldiers. Not only do they train on different types of equipment, they train on the entire system when it comes to maintenance.
“We are maintenance clerks and track all of the equipment in the motor pool and order parts when they are needed,” said Spc. Lianna Lee, Automated Logistical Specialists , 377th Support Maintenance Company. “It's nice to brush up on our jobs and how to make sure we know how to order parts, track man hours, and process parts when they come in.”
“It’s four wins. It’s U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers coming to a U.S. Army Reserve base, training on U.S. Army equipment, to fulfill U.S. Army requirements. So it’s a win-win-win across the board,” said Jason Johnson, a civilian liaison for Platinum Wrench.

The mechanics taking part in this training will get hands-on experience with military vehicles while being trained by civilian contractors.
Getting enrolled in Operation Platinum Wrench is easy to do. There are many ways to get your unit’s mechanics into this training. There is a Microsoft Teams page under Operation Platinum Wrench where you can find all of their contact information. Platinum Wrench also have a tri-fold pamphlet that will be available throughout the 88th Readiness Division footprint in the near future.

At a minimum it takes roughly 90 days to get Soldiers enrolled in Operation Platinum Wrench. However, with COVID-19 it might take a bit more time to get into the class. Since there was minimal training last year, the trainers are expecting a large influx this year. For larger class sizes the bays can get cramped but there are a multitude of options to free up space. If there are Soldiers who need training on refrigerants the mechanics have the availability to move those Soldiers out to make room.
“The beauty of it is we have other offerings like LST, logistics sustainment training, so if units have people who need refrigerant training or vehicle air conditioning training, inspector course, we can get them into that,” said Capt. Jessica Dekan, the officer in charge of Platinum Wrench at the Fort McCoy Draw Yard.

This unique opportunity for U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers provides an in-depth training program for mechanics across the 88th Readiness Division, can accommodate up to 50 Soldiers as well has a wide variety of training opportunities not available in many areas. To find a class date for Operation Platinum Wrench contact Maj. Jason Sabish at [e-mail] or Cpt. Jessica Dekan at [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 05.11.2021
• Date Posted: 06.17.2021 10:37
• Story ID: 399161
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US