By JOSEPH SIEMANDEL
DVIDS
In preparation for another busy annual training, leaders from the 1041st
Transportation Company drove more than 3,000 miles in six days across
eight states.
“This is easily one of the longest CONUS (Continental United States)
convoy movements any Washington National Guard unit has conducted in
recent history or maybe ever,” said Capt. Luis Torres, commander, 1041st
Transportation Company.
This year, the unit will leverage its annual training to help prepare for
its mobilization support force tasking assigned to the unit as part of
its federal mission. This mission requires units from across the nation
that would help stand up and run mobilization sites throughout the
continental United States.
Staff Sgt. Bryan Calvillo, Sergeant 1st Class Nathan Brogan and Torres
hit the road driving from Washington through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming,
Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and Utah as part of the reconnaissance. They
visited various military installations and armories to coordinate rest
and maintenance support locations for the upcoming annual training. This
July, soldiers will convoy in their tactical vehicles more than 4,000
miles to and from Fort Riley to validate the unit’s primary and
alternate routes and its ability to rapidly conduct an interstate
deployment.
“The soldiers love what they do, and they love to drive. That’s one of
the reasons they chose to be 88Ms,” said Torres. “This will stress test
the unit and our ability to be ready.”
Rest and maintenance sites are key strategic locations that will allow
soldiers to take a break and conduct vehicle upkeep. This reconnaissance
mission was a key component of planning and leverages the unit’s
ability to coordinate interstate cooperation and collaboration as they
travel thousands of miles across the western half of the United States.
Soldiers will travel far enough that you could do a round trip from
North to South of the US or easily from coast to coast.
During the last few years, the unit has enjoyed out-of-the-box thinking
and deliberate planning to ensure realistic and challenging training
that is enjoyable to the soldiers. In recent years, the 1041st
Transportation Company has supported large scale exercises to include
the nationwide Moves to Camp Roberts, Cal. and Maple Resolve in
Wainwright Alberta, Canada. The last two years, they traveled to Fort
Harrison, MT. and Dugway Proving Grounds, UT. These types of annual
trainings have helped increase recruitment and retention in the company
as well as set the bar when it comes to transportation training.
“Last year’s trip to Dugway Proving Grounds was roughly 2,000 miles roundtrip, and we are looking forward to doubling that and
continuing the movements,” said Torres. “We are looking forward to this
year as well.”
The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service in a division of the U.S. Department of Defense.