Massachusetts Soldiers in the mission for the long haul

By Sgt. Yvonne C. Vairma, 361st PAOCAugust 5, 2009

Massachusetts Soldiers in the mission for the long haul
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Nicholas D.A. Sobolew (lower left), 304th Transportation Company heavy motor transport operator ratchets a strap tighter with the assistance of Spc. Jason J. Smith (Upper right), an infantryman with the 304th. The two Soldiers are securing a sh... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Massachusetts Soldiers in the mission for the long haul
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. David F. Stone, a Cargo specialist with the 302nd Transportation Company from Fort Eustis, Va., operates a 10-ton All Terrain Lifting Army System under the supervision of Sgt. Richard W. Hill, a heavy motor transport operator with the 302nd duri... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Massachusetts Soldiers in the mission for the long haul
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

During the month of July this year, long lines of U.S. Army tractor-trailers winded through approximately 200 miles of Kentucky and Indiana countryside. Behind the wheels of these long-haul trips are Army Reserve Soldiers of the 304th Transportation Company from Springfield, Mass., and the cargo they haul is of great value to the U.S. military.

Operation Golden Cargo 2009, as their mission is called, is the latest in a series of annual training operations sponsored by the Joint Munitions Command and executed by members of the United States Army Reserve, Marine Corps and Navy. Loaded onto 40-foot trailers, munitions of all sizes and sorts are hauled from Blue Grass Army Depot and eventually end up at Crane Army Ammunition Plant in Crane, Ind. Likewise, munitions from Crane are transferred to BGAD, one of the nation's critical military storage facilities. This year's exercise organizer is the 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC) headquartered in Coraopolis, Pa.

While performing this critical service for the Department of Defense and JMC, Soldiers of the 304th are also gaining experience rarely available to them during monthly battle assemblies.

"It's been valuable for the convoy training," said Spc. Andrew R. Peterson, 304th heavy motor transport operator. For inexperienced Soldiers, it's an opportunity to get behind the wheel and practice, he explained.

"For a lot of them, this will be their first lengthy mission," said Lt. Col. John W. Aarsen, 207th Regional Support Group deputy commander, after visiting the Soldiers at BGAD. "I think they're learning, and it looks like they're having fun."

According to Peterson, work days for the 304th are long, starting out with early morning vehicle inspections. The trailers must then be loaded with cargo and secured with straps and tarps before the Soldiers are given a safety briefing and sent on their way.

"On a personal level, I've learned some about paperwork and convoy operations," Peterson said. Peterson, who works in the civilian sector as a driver of municipal vehicles such as dump trucks and snowplows, said that his Golden Cargo experience taught him the process of how to turn convoys into reality, from start to finish.