Ordnance Soldiers return from Afghanistan

By Keith Desbois, Combined Arms Support Command Public AffairsJune 25, 2012

Ordnance Soldiers return from Afghanistan
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Chief Warrant Officer 3 Dwayne Gatrell, team leader, explains the importance of the Maintenance Training Team's mission to Afghanistan to family members and Soldiers during the redeployment ceremony. The team consisted of nine instructors from the U.... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Ordnance Soldiers return from Afghanistan
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. 1st Class Chandrapaul Lallbachan is reunited with his family after serving five months in Afghanistan, where he instructed Soldiers on vehicle recovery techniques. His wife Samtir Devi, and daughters Sarah Rose and Diana Pearl, were some of the ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEE, Va. - Nine Soldiers assigned to the 16th Ordnance Battalion, 59th Ordnance Brigade, returned home June 25, to family and friends after a five month assignment in Afghanistan.

The Soldiers, all instructors with the U.S. Army Ordnance School's Wheeled Vehicle Recovery Specialist Course, volunteered to train fellow Soldiers in current recovery operation techniques in a tactical environment.

"The criticality of the mission this team accomplished is beyond words," said Lt. Col. Steven N. Carozza, 16th Ordnance Battalion commander. "Having served in Afghanistan, I know that the recovery operations training these instructors provided directly impacted the ability of the Soldiers and units to safely and effectively accomplish their mission."

During their deployment, the team trained 295 students over 22 classes in vehicle recovery. To accomplish this, the Soldiers provided more than 1,700 hours of continuous training. They were also responsible for creating a realistic training range and maintaining training assets worth more than $2 million.

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