FORT SILL, Okla. (April 10, 2014) -- Groups of military vehicles rolled through Lawton April 1, as 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery Soldiers made a 50-mile trek to Altus.
The training was in preparation for an upcoming two-day, 600-mile convoy to Fort Bliss, Texas, for a three-week field training exercise.
"This exercise was a great chance for our Soldiers and leaders to publish an operations order, make necessary changes and rehearse the plan down to the section and crew level. Our Soldiers benefited by understanding the capabilities of their vehicles while operating at a speed greater than what we're familiar, one that we can't replicate on our installation," said Lt. Col. William Burnett, 2-4th FA commander.
Divided into four groups, 64 vehicles completed the trek. Each battery and company within the battalion led a serial headed by a convoy commander who maintained communication during the operation. Check points were called up throughout the route to ensure accountability of all vehicles.
A serial consisted of high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles, family of medium tactical vehicles, M984 recovery trucks, fuel trucks and M151 maintenance contact trucks.
Soldiers performed preventive maintenance checks and services before, during and after the convoy to identify any issues with the vehicles. They understood the importance of maintenance and the seriousness of the training.
"I thought everything was very well planned, everyone knew where we were going and what we were supposed to be doing," said Sgt. La Pham, B Battery's recon sergeant.
Prior planning and coordination was essential to achieve success during the operation.
First Lt. Eric Horvath, battalion lead planner for the Fort Bliss exercise, used the Altus run to prepare for the longer jaunt to Fort Bliss. He gained route clearance from Fort Sill to Altus from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation then coordinated a turn-around point with an Altus business owner and the Altus Police Department.
Including maintenance time for each serial, the trip took about four hours to complete. The operation allowed each battery and company to make necessary corrections to their individual convoy. Soldiers also got an idea for what it will be like to take a longer drive.
Burnett said the operation was "incredibly valuable and a necessary step to achieve success in the battalion's future operations."
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