Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Clinton Wood | U.S. Army Reserve Spc. Taylor Massart assigned to the 395th Ordnance Company, 103rd...... read more read more
FORT McCOY, Wis. -- A U.S. Army Reserve Ordnance Company chose the Ammunition Supply Point here as the site for part of its Annual Training’s collective training March 29 through April 1, 2022. This platoon training guided the Soldiers assigned to the 395th Ordnance Company, 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, 79th Theater Sustainment Command, Neenah, Wis., on several Mission Essential Tasks. They included, establish an ammunition storage area, employ general ammunition and explosives safety, challenge persons entering your area, perform surveillance without the aid of electronic devices, evaluate a casualty and react to indirect fire.
This training will assist this company of more than 100 Soldiers in its pre-mobilization training in Fort Hood, Texas, in May. It will deploy to the operational area of U.S. Central Command following this approximately month-long training.
Company Commander, Capt. Kevin Eaton, said the annual training, which was from March 20 until April 2, assisted his Soldiers in their ability to complete their Military Occupational Specialty skill sets, especially during their upcoming deployment. “The unit also focused on junior enlisted and noncommissioned officer development. By putting junior enlisted Soldiers and newer NCOs in more leadership roles, this helps us grow better and prepares the unit as a hole,” Eaton said.
Sgt. Justin Mianecki, the company’s operations noncommissioned officer in charge, said that the company is comprised of several younger junior enlisted Soldiers. “So, we are kind of starting from scratch by teaching them the basics and refining the skills of the older Soldiers, he said. “They’re learning quickly on the fly.”
Pfc. Erik Alfsen, an ammunition supply specialist who deployed with the company to Qatar and Kuwait in 2020, noted that this training was minimal compared to what the company will undergo at Fort Hood, which is a Mission Training Center. “Even though it is minimal, any kind of training they can get is good training,” he said. “We know what we need to work on.”
The company “worked on” a variety of individual training tasks before the collective training. It included, drivers training, conducting convoy operations, qualifying with their assigned weapons, and Virtual Battlespace 3. Most of this training was in typical March weather in Wisconsin, including rain, gusty winds, and near freezing temperatures.
Eaton said that if a unit provides quality training, “the Soldiers will be engaged and not mind the environment.”
The Soldiers in one of the platoons needed to engage their mental proficiency near the end of their collective training rotation.
Staff Sgt. Dalton Puccio, the platoon sergeant, stepped out of a tent that was designated as a bunker. He yelled at the top of his lungs, “Alamo, Alamo,” to simulate indirect fire. Soldiers sprinted from all directions to the tent. Minutes later, the Soldiers hastily formed a 360-degree perimeter defense around the tent lying in the prone position in the tall grass with their carbines pointed downrange.
“They have fully enjoyed being active in doing what they came into the Army to do,” said Eaton. “This (training) just prepared our Soldiers to be able to execute when they arrive at Fort Hood better than if we didn’t give them that time or opportunity.”
And the ASP was the perfect place for the preparation.
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.01.2022 12:18 |
| Story ID: | 417638 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 236 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ordnance company trains at ammunition supply point, by SFC Clinton Wood, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
