Iowa National Guard maintains the fleet for Allied Spirit VI

By Sgt. Karen SampsonMarch 15, 2017

Surveying the Engine
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Ashley Forrester, a Soldier and Supply Sergeant from Iowa National Guard's 3355th Component Rebuild Company, Camp Dodge, Iowa, cross-trains as a light wheeled mechanic at the Consolidated Maintenance Facility (CMA), Hohenfels, Germany March 9. I... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engine Repair
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from Iowa National Guard's 3355th Component Rebuild Company, Camp Dodge, Iowa, repair an engine recently lifted from an M113 Armored Personnel Carrier, March 9. These Soldiers are conducting annual training and augmenting the maintenance tea... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Iowa National Guard
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Iowa National Guard's 3355th Component Rebuild Company, Camp Dodge, Iowa, unit patch. These Soldiers are conducting annual training and augmenting the maintenance teams of the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment and the Consolidated Maintenance Acti... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Getting the Right Tools
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pvt. 2nd Class Jacob Corey, Soldier from the Iowa National Guard's 3655th Component Rebuild Company, Camp Dodge, Iowa, is gathers tools to fix an M113 Armored Personnel Carrier, March 9. These Soldiers are conducting annual training and augmenting th... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

HOHENFELS, Germany -- Allied Spirit VI is underway here. To prepare for this rotation, the Iowa National Guard's 3655th Component Rebuild Company are augmented to the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment and the JMRC Consolidated Maintenance Activity at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center to provide vehicle maintenance support.

ASVI is a multinational training exercise requiring a heavy amount of military vehicles for ground maneuver and reconnaissance operations; this puts the soldiers from Camp Dodge, Iowa right in their wheelhouse while on annual training (AT) for the month of March.

Seeming at home in the 1st Battalion,4th Infantry Regiment's maintenance bay, the enthusiastic team hovers over a power plant, in layman's term the engine, as it is lifted from an M113 Armored Personnel Carrier.

"Repairing an M113 APC doesn't come around often," said Staff Sgt. Joshua Kincaid, Technical Inspector and noncommissioned officer in charge (NCOIC). "It's an unusual opportunity for our Soldiers; especially the Soldiers fresh from Basic Training."

Pvt. 2nd Class Jacob Corey, the unit's newest recruit learned about his unit's AT plans two days before leaving Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He had one drill before attending this AT, said Kincaid.

Now, he is in Germany focused on maintenance of the M113's fuel injectors.

"One thing is certain; we buckle down and get things done," said Corey proudly. "This unit creates a fun, safe environment."

As supervisor, Kincaid scans a rugged convertible laptop called a Maintenance Support Device-Version 3 (MSD-V3.0) describing technical data for each diagnostic. The power plant, as if on life support in an intensive care unit, is wired into the MSD-V3.0 as the attentive team makes proper adjustments.

"We are making rack adjustments on the power plant," added Kincaid. "The crew we have working on it, I am confident it will be back on its tracks, rolling out to the field in two days."

The Soldiers from 1-4's Apache Company are welcoming the assistance and the high spirits of the tight-knit team.

"It's great to have the Iowa Guardsmen's support, they are eager to work," Staff Sgt. Eduardo Espinosa, Apache Company's Shop Foreman said. "This unit is showing our Soldiers how to repair and maintain the M113 APC."

The Iowa National Guardsmen's assistance is integral to operations at JMRC, said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Angela Nicholas-Davis, Automotive Maintenance Technical Advisor and Officer in Charge of the CMA.

"They are a finely tuned team and are an asset to our manpower at the CMA," said Nicholas-Davis.

The camaraderie among this team is thicker than motor oil. Their confidence in their work rings louder than the beats of the compressor echoing in the maintenance bay.

"It's nice being with the team and work on our skill sets together," said Spc. Jose Guzman, Soldier for 3655th CRC and Light Wheel Mechanic. "It's a different experience being in Germany."

The team is also conducting preventive maintenance checks and services for all of JMRC's HUMVEE fleet prior to rotation.

Exercise Allied Spirit VI is a U.S. Army Europe-directed, 7th Army Training Command-conducted multinational exercise designed to prepare forces in Europe to operate together by exercising tactical and technical capabilities and testing secure communications among NATO Allies and partners.

Related Links:

USAREUR Army.mil

Iowa National Guard

7th Army Training Command

Official JMRC Facebook Page