BGAD, Golden Cargo mission starts with command visit

By Sgt. Yvonne C. Vairma, 361st PAOCAugust 4, 2009

Army Ammunition Specialists get hands-on training during Golden Cargo
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Anthony Rigdon, an ammunitions specialist with the 802nd Ordinance Co., out of Gainesville, Ga., loads ammunition onto a truck from the 304th Transportation Co. of Springfield, Mass., under the supervision of Staff Sgt. Sasha E. Haaf, 802nd Ordn... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Army Reserve Soldiers participate in Golden Cargo, Blue Grass Army Depot begins with command visit
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Anthony Rigdon, an ammunitions specialist with the 802nd Ordinance Co., out of Gainesville, Ga., loads ammunition onto the bed of a truck from the 304th Transportation Co. of Springfield, Mass. The two units are participating in Operation Golden... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

United States Army Reserve Soldiers participating in Operation Golden Cargo 2009 received a visit July 14, from Col. Larry L. Fuller, commander, 38th Regional Support Command, Charleston, W.Va. Golden Cargo 2009 is the latest in a series of annual training operations sponsored by the Joint Munitions Command and executed by members of the U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy. Fuller visited members of the 321st Ordnance Battalion, Charleston, W.Va. The 321st is functioning as an ammunition planning cell responsible for overseeing the units participating in Operation Golden Cargo at Blue Grass Army Depot. The units include the 802nd Ordnance Company, Gainesville, Ga., 304th Transportation Company, Springfield, Mass., and the 302nd Transportation Company, Fort Eustis, Va. The Soldiers, specializing in transportation and ordnance, are providing the Department of Defense a much needed service in re-positioning vital munitions while receiving hands-on training. "Operation Golden Cargo provides us one of the few real ammunition training opportunities," Fuller said. "It assists the depots in movement of ammunition between depots with a reduced funding amount because we are using Army equipment and Soldiers. We can also re-warehouse anything that needs moving within the depot." While at BGAD, Fuller also checked in on Soldiers of the 811th Ordnance Co. from Rainelle, W.Va. Although not participating in Operation Golden Cargo, these Soldiers are conducting Mobilization Ordnance Specific Training in preparation for future deployment. Throughout both Operation Golden Cargo and the MOST training, Army Reserve Soldiers are working side by side with the expertise of BGAD's Department of the Army civilian workforce. "They provide us a lot of freedom in planning and executing our mission while still providing depot oversight for security and accountability," Fuller said of the Soldiers' civilian counterparts.