Photo By Sgt. Michael Ito | Capt. Jessica Karlin, Inpector-Instructor for Engineer Company A, 6th Engineer Support...... read more read more
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MOUNT HOPE, W.Va. - Looking at the trees gently swaying in the wind atop the rolling hills of Appalachia, you would never know that something big is happening. But competing with the sound of the local birds’ chirps is the sound of picks swinging and heavy equipment moving tons of earth.
The construction noises are coming from the progress being made on the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve here. The reserve is the site of an Innovative Readiness Training event that pairs all branches of the military with projects that will benefit the local community, said Capt. Jessica Karlin, Inspector-Instructor for Engineer Company A, 6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group.
IRT is a government program that pairs military units with civil projects around the country that provide both a service for the community and allow the military to train on vital tasks to maintain operational readiness.
“IRT is a great opportunity…,” said Karlin. “The West Virginia IRT brings together engineers from across the Department of Defense to accomplish a common goal and provides several years of training opportunities.”
The project here is being completed by the Air National Guard, Navy Reserve, Army Reserve, Army National Guard and Marine Corps Reserve working side-by-side with civilian contractors.
“During our annual training, our Marine Corps Reserve engineers get to learn from and capitalize on the licensed and degree engineers the Navy and Air Force have on staff,” Karlin continued. “We are able to amplify our knowledge in vertical and horizontal construction, standard bridging and project management with the integrated construction teams.”
The Marines of Engineer Company A are working on a myriad of projects, including the deconstruction of a sawmill, construction of platforms and obstacles for an airsoft simulated-firing course, a bridge spanning a large creek and a helicopter pad on the top of the hill, said Sgt. Brandon Coffin, operations chief for Engineer Company A, a Reserve unit based in Springfield, Ore.
One of the benefits to the IRT is that it allows for innovative solutions to complex problems, said Capt. Daniel Kovatch, Marine Forces Reserve IRT program manager.
“The service members working on the project were recently asked to construct a footbridge,” Kovatch said. “Instead of purchasing materials, the joint service team was able to salvage materials from the sawmill they were deconstructing and engineer them into a usable product that will serve the Boy Scouts of America in a meaningful way. This initiative and outside of the box thinking led to not only a useful product to the end-user, but a cost-saving and environmentally friendly solution to a challenging task.”
The company, being comprised of mainly engineering military occupational specialties, used the event as their annual training for the year.
“Most of the projects the Marines are working on utilize skills they learned in the school house,” said Coffin. “There are some great opportunities here where Marines get to cross-train in areas like welding and operating heavy equipment. Because of the nature of the equipment, it’s not often that they get this kind of exposure to their MOS.”
Along with training on equipment and refreshing work skills, the non-commissioned officers are learning valuable leadership skills by acting as project managers for the various efforts around the reserve, said Karlin.
“Working with the other services makes us better,” adds Coffin. “A lot of the Seabees have their degrees in engineering, so interacting with them helps our guys out with that perspective.”
The joint environment can be a little bit confusing at first, said Lance Cpl. Billy Ray, an engineering equipment operator with Company A. Each service has different standards and different workflows.
“The Seabees taught me new tricks and different ways I can do my job more effectively,” said Ray. “The knowledge that they brought made my training that much better since I’ve been here. They’ve helped me learn from my mistakes.”
Although Company A and the service members serving with them may not see the completion of the Scout Reserve, they are quick to recognize the progress that they’ve made and the lessons they’ve learned.
“This was a great opportunity for us,” Coffin said. “Because most of these Marines are Reservists, and because of our location, we don’t get to train like this very often. This is great to get the Marines some Department of Defense-approved time on the heavy equipment.”
Ray, who operates seven different types of heavy equipment for Company A, some up to 30-feet long, said that because of certain restrictions the unit has to overcome, he doesn’t get to practice the operational piece of his MOS.
“When I go to drill, I do a lot of preventative maintenance on our equipment,” he said. “But beyond operating forklifts for the supply guys, the 61 hours that I logged here is the most training I’ve accomplished since the school house. It was an amazing experience and I hope I get to do a lot more missions like this one.”
This IRT project began in 2011 and will continue into 2013. Marines from both Engineer Company A and 6th Engineer Support Battalion will be returning for annual training next year.
| Date Taken: | 07.17.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 07.20.2012 15:35 |
| Story ID: | 91903 |
| Location: | MOUNT HOPE, WEST VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 465 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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