TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa. -- Eleven United States Coast Guard (USCG) reservists from across the Pacific Northwest recently spent two weeks here for a training mission significant for both the depot and the unit.
"We don't get down to the component level during day-to-day operations, which is why we're here," said Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Shmihluk. "All of our guys are IT (information technology) field technicians, so for us this is a great way to practice those seldom used skills and educate ourselves as to how things work at the depot level."
The visit also marked the first time a USCG unit has come to Tobyhanna for training.
The Sailors, from USCG Base Seattle -- C4IT (Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Information Technology) Department, were taught troubleshooting theory and were introduced to component-level repair of various communications systems. The department provides technical support for all Coast Guard electronic systems operated in the Pacific Northwest and maintains a wide variety of electronics equipment on small boats, shore units and patrol boats through a maintenance contract.
The department is comprised of reservists from five states -- Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona and Alaska -- most of which have to travel a great distance for training, so the trade-off was to either convene in Seattle for a standard annual training (AT) iteration or travel to Tobyhanna for a new AT mission. Shmihluk said the support from their chain of command encouraged them to take advantage of the training opportunity here.
"When our leadership heard we had the chance to come to Tobyhanna they got behind us right away and urged us to take as many things back home to share the knowledge," he said, adding that their visit will serve as a template for future training missions to Tobyhanna and other depots.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Paul Bostwick said there was no shortage of volunteers lined up for the trip.
"A lot of times, putting something together like this is like pulling teeth. I didn't have that problem this time around," he said. "I told my guys, 'We're going to Tobyhanna,' and we actually had to turn people back.
"The guys were really psyched about the opportunity because they don't often get to see this level of granularity. I've seen a lot of light bulbs go off and wheels spinning the last two weeks."
Week one consisted of electronics troubleshooting and theory simulation classes while week two focused on hands-on learning, creating opportunities for the reservists to work with unfamiliar systems.
"I've gotten to use some machines I have never seen before," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Vince Castaldi. "As a field tech I'll probably never use an oscilloscope, but learning half-stepping and going from input to output is usable in many scenarios."
Mark Butler, training instructor in the depot's Resource Management Directorate, led the System Troubleshooting Course and commended the reservists on their effort, citing their interest in the material, support for one another, diligence in carrying out tasks and initiative to complete additional exercises to refine their skills.
While expectations were varied prior to making the trek to Northeastern Pennsylvania, one thing was unanimously appreciated throughout the unit's stay.
"The accommodations here are incredible," said Petty Officer 1st Class Phil Cyphers, adding that support staff around the depot led to an exceptional experience. "Our time at Tobyhanna has been well spent and a lot of that is thanks to the great instructors you have here."
Bostwick agreed that depot personnel were instrumental in conducting such a successful course.
"Tobyhanna compares very favorably to other places we've gone for training. There are some things that you do here that far exceed what the Navy is doing," he said. "Flexibility was key to making everything come together."
Despite only two weeks of training, Shmihluk said there are many takeaways from the unit's time here including an appreciation for component-level repair and what a depot can do.
"I think our guys will have more pride for what they're a part of after seeing operations at this level," said Shmihluk. "They're going to walk away with more knowledge and ideas about how they can carry out their duties more effectively.
"We would come back in a heartbeat."
Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for C4ISR systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna's Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C4ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.
Tobyhanna's unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our Joint Warfighters.
About 3,200 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command's mission is to research, develop, acquire, field and sustain communications, command, control computer, intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors capabilities for the Armed Forces.
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