FORT McCOY, Wis. -- The Army Reserve's 418th and 511th Trailer Transfer Point Detachments from Michigan City, Ind., combine forces for the Warrior Exercise (WAREX) 86-14-02 here, March 22 through April 11.
"We've been augmenting each other on training missions, and we've had no issues with intermixing our units," said 1st Lt. Christophe Eli, 511th commander from Valparaiso, Ind. "Our working relationship has been really well."
During this exercise, large quantities of supplies and equipment are utilized. The same can be said about many contingency operations overseas. These two units shed light on the inner-workings of how equipment is organized and distributed.
"Our function as a TTP is to receive cargo at a midway point, and store and transfer it to other units to push the cargo to front-lying units," said Eli.
Both units throughout the exercise work on their functional tasks to expand skill levels. While mastering their military occupation abilities, they make sure not to neglect their common warrior tasks while acquiring new ones along the way.
"We've got to apply old knowledge and receive new things to enhance what we already know," said Spec. Darius Cox, a 418th TTP petroleum supply specialist from Fort Worth, Texas. "I've gotten to do things that I've never done before, like the Vertical Battle Space 2.0 (VBS2) and the convey simulator. I've gained new marksmanship skills that I can apply on my next firing range."
Each unit, alongside the other, continued to grow in operation skill and tactics, according to Division West observer-coach/trainers that worked with them during the duration of the training exercise.
"They've been building on what they've learned, and overall from where they started, they have definitely progressed," said Capt. Clinton Hopkins, a 479th Field Artillery O-C/T from Omaha, Neb. "They've shown us through every phase of training that they've retained what we've shared and that they will continue to build upon it back at home station."
With the exercise coming to a close, a few Soldiers reflected back on the benefits of training with the division trainers.
"Our O-Cs had great input," said Cox. "They basically got our brains working on different ways to see things and then applying what we've learned."
"They made sure the Soldiers knew their roles," said Sgt. 1st Class Trenice Jenkins, 511th noncommissioned officer-in-charge and Windy City native. "The O-C/Ts made sure the Soldiers knew there is no such thing as a dumb question."
In the end, the TTP units not only attained new levels of skill and knowledge, but a greater appetite for more.
"I wish we could have more of this," said Eli. "More field training, more training with MOSs, and more training with other units."
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