GRAFENWOEHR, Germany - For the second year in a row, Soldiers from the 23rd Ordnance Company, 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB) provided support to US Army Europe (USAREUR) Strong Europe Best Tank Competition, May 7-12.
This event marks the first Europe-wide tank competition in Grafenwoehr Training Area since 1991.
This year, teams included Soldiers from NATO allies like Germany, France, and Poland as well as NATO partners Austria and Ukraine. Rounding out the competitors are Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division's Regionally Allocated Force. With a variety of requirements for each team, it takes a skilled logistical package to ensure the competition moves swiftly.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Charles Fields, 23rd's accountable officer, led the way for the logistical support. As the logistics officer-in-charge, he oversaw all the various sustainment pieces of the competition, from supplying fuel, ensuring communications were working, and most importantly, the storage and issuing of ammunition to the competitors.
Setting up almost one week before the start of the competition, 23rd Ordnance Company Soldiers took charge of an Ammunition Holding Area (AHA) in Grafenwoehr Training Area in order to prepare for the incoming shipments. Sgt. Nilsson Huezo, Ammunition Stock Control Sergeant, and Sgt. Hernan Delgado, Ammunition Sergeant, took charge of managing the two sections of Soldiers working in the area.
Although it was part of a large competition, working out of the AHA proved to be good training for conditions the 23rd Soldiers may experience in an expeditionary environment. The AHA was a pre-built site in the Grafenwoehr Training Area, but the Soldiers still needed to set up basic communications and ensure the area was guarded at all times. Shipments could arrive at any hour of any day, and just working with ammunition from six different nations requires very explicit attention to detail.
"It's really been tiring and there has been a lot of long days," said Pfc. Jacob Robinson, Ammunition Specialist. "But we are actually out here doing our jobs and working with ammo, and getting to work around all these tanks from the different countries is pretty cool."
While participating in the competition, the Ammunition Platoon managed to complete its Objective-T validation in its various ammunition-related Mission Essential Tasks. The team passed in all categories, earning good marks from its evaluators.
"A lot of our Soldiers out here don't really have that much experience actually working with ammo, so it's been good training for them," Huezo said. "It's good to see our younger Soldiers come out and watch them go from not really knowing anything to putting things together for the mission."
By participating in the Strong Europe Tank Challenge, 23rd Soldiers showed their commitment to fostering military partnership and promoting interoperability.
Social Sharing