Tobyhanna radio team helps Reservists fine tune skills

By Mr. Justin Eimers (CECOM)July 28, 2014

Tobyhanna radio team helps Reservists fine tune skills
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Taylor Steffen repairs a Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) Radio Transmitter at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Steffen is a member of the Communication and Electronics Repair Section of the 322nd Support Maintenance Compa... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Tobyhanna radio team helps Reservists fine tune skills
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – From left, Sgt. Mike Burrell verifies electrical test data sheets with Stacy Klemke, Spc. Daniel Steinbruckner inspects SINCGARS RTs, Darlene Navarra shows Spc. Zachary Dehn how to apply dust covers to Radio Transmitters, and Pamela Eisenhauer inspec... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Tobyhanna radio team helps Reservists fine tune skills
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Scott Benson, Spc. Daniel Steinbruckner and Pfc. Taylor Steffon review packaging information for SINCGARS Radio Transmitters at Tobyhanna Army Depot. They are members of the Communication and Electronics Repair Section of the 322nd Support... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa. -- Eight U.S. Army reservists recently spent two weeks at Tobyhanna working hands-on with depot employees to conduct radio maintenance operations training.

Nicholas Lipcavage, electronics mechanic in the Communications Systems Directorate's SINCGARS (Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System) Branch, said the Soldiers honed their skills in radio testing, troubleshooting and repair.

"With assistance from depot personnel, these Soldiers received valuable training that would otherwise be inaccessible to the unit," he said. They are members of the Communication and Electronics Repair Section of the 322nd Support Maintenance Company (SMC), Arden Hills, Minn.

"The 94Es [Radio and Communications Security Repairers] that came with us have not been able to conduct maintenance on SINCGARS (Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System) because of the lack of resources in our unit's shop," said Staff Sgt. Scott Benson. "Tobyhanna's SINCGARS team fully incorporated our personnel in daily operations, giving us the experience and tools necessary to establish our SINCGARS repair shop."

One mission of the 322nd SMC focuses on providing direct support maintenance and repairs on communications equipment across a wide range of military occupational specialties, many of which can be accommodated for depot training.

"Ninety percent of our unit's military occupational specialties are supported at Tobyhanna," said Sgt. Kurt Erickson. "Coming here gives our unit training opportunities we might not get anywhere else."

Two years ago, Benson visited the depot for several weeks of training at the High Tech Regional Training Site. Following recent reorganization, the unit moved into a new shop and was looking to learn additional skills. Benson requested to bring the unit back to Tobyhanna for additional communications electronics training and highlighted several benefits of coming to the depot.

"The training provided at Tobyhanna gives these Soldiers the opportunity to work in the labs and maintenance facilities of a premier depot," he said. "They also get the chance to learn from technicians that have years of experience and observe the routine processes and shop operations used by the depot that they may be able to transplant into their own operations.

"Thanks to the wide range of training offered here and the great support of depot personnel, we will be able to immediately apply our new skills to our duties back home."

Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Systems across the Department of Defense. About 3,300 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania.