WEIDEN-IN-DER-OBERPFALZ, Germany - The 21st Theater Sustainment Command's 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion "Warhammers" spent two weeks from Aug. 19 to Sept. 2 conducting battalion-wide field training while occupying Bundeswehr training areas and local private land outside of Weiden.
The intent of the training was to conduct full spectrum operations. To do this the Soldiers defended their areas, supported themselves logistically and supported other units, all simultaneously. Meeting these goals required lanes covering convoy logistics patrols, platoon defense, movement to contact, night land navigation and decontamination of vehicles and equipment. The lanes were set up and run by each company in the battalion based on specialties developed over the past year.
One of the objectives was to subsist in the field without external support. The unit supplied its own rations, ammunition, maintenance, material handling, transportation, security, fuel, power and even produced and transported its own drinking water. The drinking water was pulled from a local river outside the village of Hutten, where the 574th Quartermaster Support Company's water platoon operated in a local farmer's field, producing more than 45,000 gallons of drinking water.
"It was very good tactical training for me and my platoon. I especially liked being located on our site in Hutten. It gave us a good location to purify water and to perform battle drills and field training," said Pvt. 1st Class Erin Wilkinson, a native of Redding, Calif., who works as a water treatment specialist for the 574th QMSC.
"Professionally, I learned a lot about being a water treatment specialist in a field environment. For example, we were actually producing the water that the battalion needed instead of just going through the steps of purification. It helped me gain worthwhile experience about my job," said Wilkinson.
Soldiers across the battalion were able to work their jobs and cross train on others in a field environment. Many Soldiers noted that they had not been able to do their jobs when deployed, and this was the first time they had operated in a field and not a forward operating base environment. The training also reinforced skills and gave confidence to those who had never deployed.
"It was a great experience allowing me to learn, repair and teach Soldiers about the family of generators within the battalion. I had a great time pulling numerous recovery missions. It was better training then I have had in years," said Spc. Ryan Fuchuck, a native of Roscoe, Ill., who works as a track mechanic for the 5th Maintenance Company and who is also cross trained on all of the 5th Maint. Co.'s equipment.
One of the focuses of training was chemical attack. The decontamination platoons of the 12th Chemical Company operated lanes that trained the battalion over seven days to operate in chemical protective gear and decontaminate a platoon's worth of vehicles at a time.
It was great cross-training for someone who hasn't gone through decontamination before. For chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear - it was good exposure to get everyone into Mission Oriented Protective Posture gear, said Sgt. Jesse Cajas, a native of San Angelo, Texas, who works as a decontamination squad leader with the 12th Chem. Co.
The battalion's perimeter was surrounded by more than 4 kilometers of triple strand wire, trip flares and listening posts. Over a three night period, the Soldiers tested their readiness against probing attacks. As a final test, the battalion was covered in a cloud of gray haze as Soldiers donned their chemical masks and defended the perimeter at the same time.
"The Soldiers learned very quickly how to establish defensive positions and determine sectors of fire. Squad leaders were outstanding at teaching Soldiers these principles and in commanding their actions during battle. I feel privileged that I had the opportunity to train future leaders on how to use these almost lost skills," said Sgt. 1st Class Anibal Colon, a native of Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, who works as a movement manager coordinator for the 1st Inland Cargo Transfer Company.
The Soldiers enjoyed their time in the field, but it was the culminating event - the exercise banquet - which will be permanently burned into their memories.
"The Army is about tradition, training and taking care of Soldiers. We have steered away from some of the traditions, which made us great. Many young Soldiers have never experienced the camaraderie and bonding in a field banquet, and we remedied that," said Lt. Col. Reed Hudgins, a native of Reisterstown, Md., and the 18th CSSB commander.
The banquet featured awards, promotions, skits and the first ever Warhammer award. The Warhammer is the symbol of the unit and was awarded to the platoon with the highest number of points earned in the training lanes. The point count came within a half of a point so the Warhammer award was presented to a platoon from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 12th Chem. Co. and a platoon from the 574th QMSC.
"The banquet was a great way to end the battalion FTX. It provided a relaxed environment where Soldiers could gather and enjoy good food and entertainment while reflecting on the past two weeks. This experience was probably a first for many young Soldiers and will most likely stay with them for the rest of their careers," said Capt. Terrence Flanagan, a native of Glastonbury, Conn., who works as the rear detachment commander for 41st Transportation Company.
With skits, a grog bowl and a roast pig, whose head was brought out by a chemical detection reconnaissance robot, the Soldiers reveled in all they had accomplished.
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