ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. — Operation Patriot Press is currently taking place and will conclude in mid-August.
OPP is an annual logistics exercise conducted by the Joint Munitions Command. This initiative, established by the Army Materiel Command, is designed to promote readiness by providing practical, hands-on training for Soldiers and allows them to meet Army requirements while ensuring mission essential task requirements for Army active duty, Army Reserve, National Guard and various other service branches.
“OPP is a valuable training opportunity driving military preparedness, equipping Soldiers with the skills necessary to support national defense objectives,” said Seth Dismore, who is the chief of logistics planning for JMC. “OPP will continue playing a crucial role in enhancing the Army’s logistical capabilities and operational effectiveness.”
OPP emphasizes sustainment and logistical readiness, including tasks such as transportation, maintenance, and medical support, allowing units to refine their operational skills while contributing to JMC’s strategic objectives. Soldiers engage in crucial real-world exercises, including ammunition movement, depot operations, and asset realignment, ensuring they are prepared for real-world missions.
In 2024, OPP saw participation from 14 company level units executing 15 JMC missions, and this year, a similar number of units will take part.
OPP exercises not only enhance logistical readiness but also foster collaboration between different military components. Strengthening relationships among active-duty forces, National Guard and Army Reserve units, and the civilian workforce remains a key focus, ensuring seamless integration during critical missions. Additionally, OPP contributes to distribution efficiency and flexibility across JMC’s organic industrial base, optimizing the movement of essential military supplies.
By participating in OPP, Soldiers gain valuable experience in supply chain management, transportation logistics, and operational coordination. The initiative also offers a unique opportunity for National Gurad and Army Reserve units to strengthen total force integration, working directly alongside active-duty counterparts and the civilian workforce.
Ninety-three Soldiers with the South Dakota National Guard’s 740th Transportation Company recently concluded OPP-25.
The 740th TC conducted an asset realignment mission. Members of the battery drove roughly 192,000 miles roundtrip. Using 41 trucks, they moved 66 twenty-foot equivalent units from the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in Oklahoma to the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky.
“These missions afforded us many opportunities to travel through congested areas, some with rough roads, and hard-to-find lodging. It was a great way for younger Soldiers to read maps, lead convoys, and learn the importance of following directions outside of Google maps,” said Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Buttke of the 740th TC. “With that amount of time on the road, drivers get a lot more confident in their ability to handle the trucks, understand when things go wrong, and learn braking abilities.
“Soldiers learn to respect intervals between trucks, to be more understanding or aware of their surroundings with civilian traffic, and the missions helps them build confidence in their ability,” Buttke added. “While on the road, there were many training opportunities for our maintenance section as well. We utilized channels to get a couple of different parts from nearby field maintenance shops along the way. It also proved to give us multiple things to fix which is a natural result of traveling nearly 5,000 miles per truck in 11 days of movement.”
Other units who are taking part in OPP-25 and supporting JMC missions include:
• The 781st and 1670th Transportation Company, Army National Guard (Alabama)
• The 1177th Transportation Company, Army National Guard (Georgia)
• The 1644th Transportation Company, Army National Guard (Illinois)
• The 1229th Transportation Company, Army National Guard (Maryland)
• The 18th Field Artillery Brigade, Army (North Carolina)
• The 1484th and 1486th Transportation Company, Army National Guard (Ohio)
• The 415th Engineer Facility Detachment, Army Reserve (Tennessee)
• The 118th Transportation Company, Army National Guard (Utah)
• The 63rd Ordnance Company, Army (Washington)
• The 261st and 811th Ordnance Company, Army Reserve (West Virginia)
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