FORT MOORE, Ga. – The civilian workforce at Fort Moore and the Maneuver Center of Excellence has started painting vehicles from desert tan to woodland camouflage in support of the U.S. Army’s reintegration of training for large-scale combat operations.
Maj. Gen. Curtis Buzzard, Maneuver Center of Excellence commanding general, directed the initiative to send tactical vehicles, such as the M3A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, to the Logistics Readiness Center for a fresh coat of paint. For high-level maintenance actions such as vehicle paint, Soldiers rely on the services and expertise of the civilian workforce.
“The G4 shop is the coordinating staff for all logistics and maintenance actions,” explained John Campbell, deputy director, G4. “Painting a vehicle to woodland camouflage is a maintenance action,” Campbell said.
The G4 coordinates with the LRC for the use of their paint booth and available timeslots with units that are sending vehicles for new paint. The G4 also secures funding for the vehicles to be painted.
The chemical compounds contained in the type of paint used for military vehicles is called chemical agent resistant coating, and it makes the vehicle-paint process highly controlled requiring special handling and resources, said Thad Kelly, installation materiel maintenance officer. LRC is the only facility at Fort Moore equipped for the operation. CARC paint is applied to military vehicles to protect service members from chemical and biological attacks.
The 5th Squadron, 15th Cavalry Regiment, 194th Armored Brigade, was one of the first training units to receive a vehicle complete with the three-color camouflage.
"The entire process took five days from when we drove the Bradley into the bay," said Sgt. Luis Rizo, instructor with Charlie Troop, 5th Squadron, 15th Cavalry Regiment. The vehicle is now back in the program of instruction and is being used to train students as part of Cavalry Scout one-station unit training.
In addition to the technical expertise, Kelly believes the LRC employees provide much welcomed moral support to the Soldiers of Fort Moore, since the LRC is made up of mostly "Soldiers for life."
Sheka Williams, a retired Chief Warrant Officer, who now serves as Maintenance Shop A supervisor, oversees the paint process. She makes a daily effort to explain the importance of her shop’s work and contribution to the greater mission to the members of her team.
"What I try to do in (my) position is to provide meaning and purpose to the work that we do," said Williams. Williams believes knowing the importance of their work and the service they provide to Soldiers is the motivating factor that makes her team successful.
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