CRANE ARMY AMMUNITION ACTIVITY, Ind. (Aug. 6, 2009) -- The hauls were long but the days were even longer for the crew of mechanics and truck drivers of the 401st Transportation Company, a palletized loading system company from Battlecreek, Mich.
"I like the fact I get to switch it up out here and learn how to drive and operate a HEMMIT (heavy expanded mobility tactical truck) palletized loading system," said Pvt. Worthem Spencer, a mechanic with the 401st.
Along with the long hours, there were other natural elements impacting the mission on a day-to-day basis.
The weather, for instance, was a factor. Temperatures hovered in the muggy 80s to 90s early in the mission but later dropped into the cool 70s. Other than fighting fatigue, another concern for the Army Reserve Soldiers and Marines here either flew or crawled into the mission; insects.
"I heard someone got bit by a black widow so we're being really careful when working around the High Ex Mags (earth-covered storage bunkers)," said Spc. Chris Shaffer, a truck driver with the 401st who also trained Spencer on the PLS.
The weather and insects were part of the overall concern for safety, a concern that was prioritized during Golden Cargo as it would be with any military mission.
"Whenever I'm training a new Soldier, I always stress safety and make sure we wear all of our proper gear, to include gloves ... you never know what your hand might touch when reaching into dark spaces," said Shaffer.
The Golden Cargo, three-week exercise prepared the 401st Soldiers and other servicemembers for the safety hazards that they may all face when deployed to the Middle East - instead of black widows, they could face scorpions in the middle of the night.
The Soldiers of the 401st have been a valuable asset to the overall success of the 812th Transportation Battalion by moving ammo between the loading docks to the proper High Explosive Magazines located throughout the 60,000-acre federal weapons station here, said Master Sgt. Joseph Herman, operations sergeant, 812th.
Herman, a former PLS platoon sergeant, stressed that without this unique unit, the regular transportation units making the long hauls would bottleneck at the loading docks.
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