FORT RILEY, Kan. -- It was rainy and dreary, but Soldiers of the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment, Kansas Army National Guard from Kansas City, Kansas, persevered through their training at Camp Funston's rail yard May 17. The unit was loading Bradley Fighting Vehicles in preparation for a large rail movement throughout the day.
The unit was at Fort Riley May 13 to 20.
"We conducted rail load and tie-down procedure training 6 April," said Capt. Barry Gomes, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion 137th Inf. Reg., KSARNG. "This training was necessary for us to conduct rail load and tie-down. The training went well and prepared us to complete rail load."
Inside a classroom, Soldiers received training in working on the rail yard and using safety precautions.
"I've had this training twice," said Sgt. Jon Hale. "It depends on if you'll actually be working on the rail or not. Safety is always a factor, and they make sure everyone knows their place and what they're doing and that everyone is being safe. I don't think I've ever seen anyone have an accident. The focus is always on safety. The civilians we're working with here are very diligent on safety."
Outside on the tracks of Camp Funston, Soldiers used the knowledge they gained in the classroom training to guide vehicles and tie them down for the movement.
"I had 64 Soldiers assigned to me who loaded and tied down 215 vehicles and military shipping containers, CONNEX for movement to Fort Hood, Texas, where we will conduct annual training with 155 ABCT (155th Armored Brigade Combat Team) from Mississippi National Guard," Gomes said. "We completed loading by 18 May 2016 and are finishing up with tie down and inspection procedures."
Capt. Andrew Tapley, Headquarters, KSARNG, was there to help with the training.
"It's deadly out there," Tapley said. "If the smallest thing drops on your foot it can break it. It's one of the most dangerous jobs there is."
Tapley explained the training is for perishable skills and while it's rare to use them, it's important to stay up to date on it.
Soldiers of the unit train at Fort Riley 10 times a year. Gomes said over the last several months they have conducted M1 Abrams gunnery, M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle gunnery, mortar live fire, infantry squad fire, hand grenade range, M136 AT4 rocket launcher range and several other maneuver and battalion headquarter training tasks.
Social Sharing