Photo By Sgt. Spencer Case | Pv2 Craig Kell and Spc. Jason Paul Devenberg, both graduates of Pocatello High School...... read more read more
Soldiers of a Pocatello, Idaho based Army Reserve unit formally kicked off their year-long tour in Iraq with a transfer of authority ceremony.
On the windy morning of May 19, about a quarter of the nearly 170 troops in the 1016th Quartermaster Company stood at attention in a dusty field to hear their leaders speak. The rest were already engaged in tasks they inherited from their predecessors, the 58th Quartermaster Company from Fort Lee, Va.
After the formalities had ended, Col. Victor MacCagnan, the commander of the 16th Corps Support Group, 1016th's higher headquarters, brought the troops into a semi-circle to give them advice. He told the newcomers to keep a sustainable pace throughout the deployment. "It's not a sprint; it's a marathon," he said.
Many Soldiers in the Reserve unit saw the event as a milestone of its own. Before any of the troops had put their boots on the ground in Iraq, each had to spend three weeks training as a truck driver at Fort McClellan, Ala., so the unit would be prepared for a transportation mission. The unit's mobilization training at Fort Bliss, Texas and later Kuwait was extended so troops could learn to operate heavy equipment transport system vehicles once in theater for moving tanks and other equipment.
"We started training for this mission in August of "05," said Capt. Christopher Warner, commander of the 1016th Qm. Co., 'so I know for a lot of people, including myself, it's been a relief to just get here and do missions as opposed to training for stuff."
Pvt. Craig Kell concurred. Kell left for Basic Training at Fort Jackson, S.C., shortly after high school graduation. He had just returned home from his training as a mechanic when he had to leave again for the transportation training. When the 1016th started their mobilization training in February, Kell once again said goodbye to his family.
Kell said he knew that deployment was a probability when he joined and hopes that the experience will help him grow personally.
"I feel like I'll get a better understanding of myself - what I can do, what I can't do - and the feeling that I helped people get a better life," Kell said.
About half of the Soldiers in the 1016th are organic to the unit. The remainder either volunteered for the deployment or they were reassigned from units throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho and other places. More than 40 in the company have deployed previously to Iraq.
The mission, like the unit itself, is diverse. In addition to transporting equipment to troops throughout Iraq, the troops are responsible for supervising refuel points at Camps Cedar II and Adder and miscellaneous details such as guarding Iraqi workers on base and performing guard tower duty.
"Basically, it's like we've got four little mini units that we've got to keep track of," said Warner. Despite the challenges, Warner expressed confidence in his troops.
"I firmly believe that regardless of what kind of mission we're given - and we know it's very possible it could change from the mission we're doing now and probably will - that we can take on, and complete successfully, any mission given to us."
| Date Taken: | 06.22.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 06.22.2006 11:55 |
| Story ID: | 6924 |
| Location: | IQ |
| Web Views: | 771 |
| Downloads: | 70 |
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