Sgt. William Wright, B Company, 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, explains the primary use and functions of a pair of thermals to members of the Convoy Security Platoon on March 22 at the Joint Readiness Training Center at For...

Soldiers from the Convoy Security Platoon, 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, prepare their vehicles and weapons systems before leaving on a mission March 22 at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La. The platoon'...

FORT POLK, La. -- When many people think about security within the Army, the jobs of military police, infantryman, cavalry scout or field artilleryman may come to mind. That is not the case in the Convoy Security Platoon of 210th Brigade Support Battalion (Provi-ders), 2nd Brigade Combat Team.

The CSP consists of some 34 Soldiers representing various support military occupational specialties from across the Provider Battalion.

Within their ranks are mechanics as well as petroleum supply, water treatment, transportation, automated logistics and communication specialists.

Sgt. Adjuinadlo Coleman, a transportation specialist who has been with the CSP since June 2011, said he volunteered to join the Rattlesnakes, as they call themselves.

"CSP is very important. I've been deployed as a transportation specialist, and I know how dangerous it can be to transport goods," he said.

The CSP not only supports the 210th BSB, but the entire 2nd BCT, Coleman said.

The Rattlesnakes are the first-line defense for all of the 210th BSB's convoys, from moving fuel, ammunition, food, engine parts and anything else Soldiers may need to stay in the fight.

CSP provides fire power, direction and speed to a sometimes slow-moving convoy. The Rattlesnakes use up-armored Hum-vees with mounted .50 caliber and 7.62 mm machine guns.

The Rattlesnakes got some much-needed and realistic training while the brigade was deployed to the Joint Readiness Training Center, at Fort Polk, La. Because of the intense nature of the training, they were constantly on standby, having to be ready to move out at any given notice.

Some of their missions required the CSP Soldiers to begin their movements as early as 3 a.m. and stay out for up to 15 hours. Not only did the Rattlesnakes provide a safe route while on the roads, they had to set up a perimeter and allow the goods to be unloaded and passed off to receiving units.

According to Coleman, a lot of the team members are less experienced Soldiers who received training they need to be successful in a hostile environment.

"A lot of us veterans make sure some of the younger, inexperienced Soldiers stay focused and remember what we came here to do," he said. "I like being on CSP, knowing my job is important and making sure the convoy gets where it needs to be to deliver the goods that Soldiers need."

Sgt. William Wright, the second squad leader of CSP, is in charge of three gun trucks. Wright also volunteered to be a Rattlesnake.

Wright said the CSP maneuvers within the convoys, leads the convoys and checks for anything that can go wrong, such as enemy gun fire or roadside bombs.

All of the Rattlesnakes have other responsibilities they must perform while on Fort Drum, but while deployed to JRTC, they were together for the duration.

"This is probably the closest thing you can get to being deployed -- the pressure, the pace and the changes you have to adapt to can be just as hard as being (deployed)," he said.

According to Wright, the training JRTC offered to the Soldiers was extremely valuable. Wright has deployed to Iraq, and he said he knows how dangerous a job this can be.

"It takes a special breed to get into a gun truck. It's a lot of pressure, and you are expected to take care of the convoy," he said. "We are the sheepdogs in the flock; whatever the brigade needs, the BSB provides it, and we make sure it gets there."