8TH Ordnance Company Gains Experience at Blue Grass Army Depot

By Mr. Mark D Henry (AMC)August 16, 2018

COL Kurz Welcomes 8th Ordnanc
1 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Blue Grass Army Depot Commander Col. Joseph Kurz (R) welcomes Ft. Bragg's 8th Ordnance Company Platoon Leader 2nd Lt. John Savage (middle) and Platoon Sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Haley Green to BGAD's Mobilized Ordnance Specific Training (MOST) in Richm... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
8th Ordnance Platoon at Blue Grass Army Depot
2 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Ft. Bragg 8th Ordnance Company Platoon members @ BGAD MOST* Training (L-R): Spc. Zachery Rivera, Sgt. Jaterrance Williams, Staff Sgt. Lawrance Ross, Sgt. Eduardo Catalan, Spc. Gladys Victorio, Spc. Damian Davis, Pvt. Carlie Jo Blakely, Sgt. Marlin Ne... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
8th Ordnance Platoon at Blue Grass Army Depot
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8th Ordnance Platoon at Blue Grass Army Depot
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8th Ordnance Platoon at Blue Grass Army Depot
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8th Ordnance Platoon at Blue Grass Army Depot
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8th Ordnance Platoon at Blue Grass Army Depot
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8th Ordnance Platoon at Blue Grass Army Depot
8 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – While Spc. Zachery Rivera (foreground), 8th Ordnance Company Platoon member out of Ft. Bragg, performs WPM training at Blue Grass Army Depot, Commander Col. Joseph Kurz (center) discusses the hands-on training and readiness benefits of the Depot's Mo... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
8th Ordnance Platoon at Blue Grass Army Depot
9 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt 1st Class Haley Green (center) reviews the hands-on training and readiness benefits learned by the 8th Ordnance Company Platoon with BGAD Commander Col. Joseph Kurz. Cadre Officer 2nd Lt. John Savage (left) and the 14 member Platoon out of Ft. B... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
8th Ordnance Platoon at Blue Grass Army Depot
10 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Akylah Chamblis receives PLS (Palletized Load System) Operator Training on the M1075A1 from the installation's Military Affairs NCOIC, Staff Sgt. Jarred Turner, during the 8th Ordnance Company's two-week training at Blue Grass Army Depot from 9 ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
8th Ordnance Platoon at Blue Grass Army Depot
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8th Ordnance Platoon at Blue Grass Army Depot
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8th Ordnance Platoon at Blue Grass Army Depot
13 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BGAD Explosives Operator Paul Dickhaus provides instructions to Sgt. Marlin Nesbit and Pfc. Krystal Delagarza (R) during Open Burn training. The two were part of a Platoon from the 8th Ordnance Company out of Ft. Bragg that spent two weeks on the Ar... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
8th Ordnance Platoon at Blue Grass Army Depot
14 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – After withdrawing to a defined safety zone, (L-R) Spc. Gladys Victorio, Pvt. Carlie Jo Blakely and Staff Sgt. Lawrance Ross experience the fruits of their labor during Open Burn training. The three Platoon members of the 8th Ordnance Company out of ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BLUE GRASS ARMY DEPOT, RICHMOND, Kentucky -- For two weeks in mid-July, a 14-Soldier Platoon from the 8th Ordnance Company, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, took advantage of a unique, high-quality hands-on training program at Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD) in Richmond, Kentucky.

Originally developed in conjunction with the Defense Ammunition Center (DAC) in McAlester, Oklahoma, MOST (Mobilized Specific Ordnance Training) was designed to help ordnance units meet specific munitions training objectives prior to deployment that may otherwise not be available at home or mobilization stations.

Working alongside seasoned professional civilian munitions handlers and explosive operators, the Soldiers of the 8th Ordnance Company added real-world experience to their skill sets by learning and performing a variety of critical operations, including everything from demilitarization operations and material handling to maintenance operations, vehicle operator training, inventory and more.

"The reality is that there are limited opportunities to conduct hands-on training with live rounds," says Platoon Leader 2nd Lt. John Savage. "Our Soldiers are well trained, but being actively involved at an Army Depot in helping provide ammo to our Warfighters brings a different perspective and focus."

A key benefit of the BGAD MOST program is the required rotation of tasks by the Soldiers, providing a wide range of experience with multiple tasks over a short period of time.

"Our troops have loved being at BGAD," reports Sgt. 1st Class Haley Green. "The focus was training…and nothing else…which is not always easy to achieve at home station. That focus helped keep everyone interested and learning things you just can't pick up in a classroom or training room."

"It was a win-win-win situation to have Soldiers from the 8th Ordnance on the Depot," says BGAD Commander Colonel Joseph Kurz. "Our workforce knows who our customers are, and take pride and ownership in providing direct training support to our active duty soldiers. The experience and knowledge gained by the 8th Soldiers goes directly to our Readiness priority and better support for our Joint Warfighters."

More information on Ordnance training at BGAD is available by calling 859-779-6649.

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