The Utah National Guard’s 118th Transportation Company accomplished a real-world mission with the help of Tooele Army Depot.
For the second straight year, leaders of the 118th and the Depot struck a strategic partnership that is a win-win for both parties. Over the course of five days in early June, the Guard unit from Spanish Fork, Utah trained roughly 45 soldiers by moving inert material across Depot.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better mission for a transportation company. Getting real world practice, hauling real material to locations on the road and giving our truck drivers experience loading, strapping, moving, and driving.” said Sgt. 1ST Class Dennis Shumway, 2nd platoon sergeant
The Soldiers rewarehoused inert munitions from off-site storage to storage on Depot. The 118th rehoused 4.5 million pounds of material during the operation. A total of 169 truckloads were used to accomplish this, saving the Depot $37,890 in labor. The 118th benefited from a real-world mission that supports Warfighter readiness. The Mission served as crucial training for new soldiers to experience time on the road hauling material for the Depot.
“(This is) Exactly what we would be doing if we were deployed somewhere. We’d be hauling ammunition or supplies or gear that would be asked of us,” said Shumway.
After completing a successful mission for the Depot in 2020, leaders from both the 118th and TEAD saw how important the mission was for getting the soldiers experience, while helping TEAD accomplish its mission.
“Using the transportation company in Utah, we are already here and we have the equipment, assets, and manpower to come and help the Depot when needed. We can help them accomplish their mission and they have helped us accomplish ours,” said Shumway.
The Depot and the 118th would like this training to take place annually, and both organizations are working to make that happen.
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