FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. -- The smell of exhaust from the heavy equipment transporters, or M915s, filled the early morning air as training transportation Soldiers prepared to showcase their skills for Brig. Gen. Stephen Farmen, chief of transportation and Transportation School commandant, and Command Sgt. Maj. Allen Offord, Transportation Corps regimental command sergeant major, during their visit to Fort Leonard Wood Friday.
The Soldiers were part of Company B, 58th Transportation Bn., 3rd Chemical Brigade, in the Advanced Individual Training Motor Transport Operator Course. They beamed with pride as they displayed their mastery of operator level tasks they learned during the seven weeks of training.
The display included vehicle backing, maneuvering, and parking the M915 at Training Area 228.
"I really enjoyed the course and being able to drive with the general," said Pvt. Aaron Gribble, a Soldier in Company B.
Gribble was selected by his instructors to navigate the course based on his performance during the past seven weeks.
During his visit, Farmen also viewed some of the latest technology in motor vehicle operations at the Reconfigurable Vehicle Tactical Trainer. Here, Soldiers from Company B had just completed a virtual Combat Logistics Patrol set in the mountains of Afghanistan, where Soldiers navigated a convoy of vehicles through simulated digital villages. Soldiers were challenged with a series of tasks that included reacting to contact, navigating from point to point while mounted, and conducting convoy operations.
Varon Martinez, senior technical trainer, and Lt. Col. Paul Struck, 58th Transportation Bn. commander, gave Farmen a tour of the facility and walked him through the training that all Soldiers with a military occupational specialty of 88M, or motor transport operator, receive at Fort Leonard Wood.
Meanwhile, Offord and Command Sgt. Maj. David Terry, 58th Transportation Bn. command sergeant major, viewed a squad of Company B Soldiers conducting Load Handling System training.
As the sun set, the equipment powered down and the dust settled at TA 228, the Soldiers of the 58th Transportation Battalion held their heads high. For them, Farmen and Offord's presence was more than a visit -- it was a rite of passage.
Soldiers from Company A, 58th Transportation Bn. also felt a sense of accomplishment as they received their diplomas from Farmen at a graduation ceremony Friday, and became certified transporters. The pride was evident in their faces as these Soldiers were tasked with the mission to "Set the Standard," now and always.
(Editor's Note: Klein is the assistant S-3 for 58th Transportation Battalion.)
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