FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. -- More than 250 Soldiers from the 1394th Transportation Brigade (TB), Camp Pendleton, Calif., with the assistance from the Deployment Support Command (DSC), the 75th Training Brigade, and the U.S. Coast Guard conducted the first TRANSWARRIOR exercise held at Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif. August 17 -- 31, 2012.
The 14-day exercise executed by the 1394th TB was overseen and evaluated by the DSC, Birmingham, Ala., with additional training and observance by the 75th Training Brigade as needed.
"TRANSWARRIOR is an exercise conducted by the 1394th to provide a range of training on skills and collective missions we are likely to encounter during a mobilization or deployment," said Lt. Col. Curtis (Rock) Henry, 1394th TB Deputy Commander and Executive Agent for TRANSWARRIOR 2012. "It was created to enhance the skill levels and training of the transportation specialists and better prepare them to operate and succeed in Unified Land Operations' environments.
TRANSWARRIOR 2012 is also unique in that it will, for the first time, offer a training platform for the DSC's Transportation Surface Brigade headquarters, which have recently been added to the rotational force pool.
"The exercise will focus on building expertise in the complex systems and individual and collective staff skills that are unique to these missions," Henry added. "We are trying to make sure everything's relevant to real training. We are introducing combat and combat fatigue, but not at the risk of safety. Even if Soldiers are cross-leveled these are still needed skills."
Training Tracks
TRANSWARRIOR 2012 consists of a pre-execution phase, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command skills training, the culminating training event, and a final phase consisting of the Soldiers Readiness Process, After Action Review, and recovery.
Beginning on day one of the exercise, all Soldiers participated in an 8-day multi-track program, designed to create experts in the many varied key skills required by DSC.
One of the tracks focuses on leadership training emphasizing the mission command and theater-specific leadership challenges.
"It's important to train the staff sections also because sometimes we as leaders we are more focused on our Soldiers training and not always realize it's important to increase our skills," Henry said. "We can never do enough training and leaders can never receive enough training."
Two of the five tracks include specialized program and equipment training. During these tracks Soldiers are licensed to operate one of several vehicles including High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, Light Medium Tactical Vehicles, forklifts, and Rough Terrain Container Handlers.
"This training is definitely informative," said Pfc. James Slawson of San Bernardino, Calif., a cargo specialist with the 1180th Port Management Team, El Monte, Calif., a unit under the 1397th Deployment Distribution Support Battalion, Vallejo, Calif. which directly reports to the 1394th TB.
"I'm catching up and doing a lot of hands-on things with some of the systems I will be working with when I deploy," he added.
Another track covering information about commercial carrier transportation and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) training was taught by members of the U.S. Coast Guard Container Inspection Training and Assistance Team (CITAT).
"TRANSWARRIOR is a fair representation of a real world mission," said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Andrew Cooke, CITAT instructor during the TRANSWARRIOR 2012 exercise. "We are vested in the Army and helping it to do its job."
In 1994, the Coast Guard initiated the Container Inspection Program to inspect and regulate maritime shipments of containerized hazardous materials. In order to set a uniform standard of inspection practices and train new inspectors, the CITAT was formed shortly after.
"Our mission is a two-prong approach. The first is properly packing, marking, labeling, and segregating the insides of a shipped container," Cooke said. "The second is ensuring containers make movement on time, getting where they need to be when they are needed."
Today, CITAT provides Coast Guard Sectors and port partners with a multitude of services including: Container Inspection training, Explosive Load Out training, Multi-Agency Strike Force Operations support, Industry Outreach and Education seminars, Inspection supplies (forms and seals), HAZMAT transportation advice and assistance and DOD movement inspection support.
"Knowing and properly tagging of HAZMAT items will help because 90% of the issues because most errors come from improper documenting shipping papers," he added. "People don't think about it, but there are a lot of things considered to be HAZMAT items. For example, small bottles of hand sanitizer, shaving cream, and even after shave are just to name a few."
The final track, designed for staff noncommissioned officers consist of courses in unit prevention, line of duty investigations, Regional Level Application Software, and training in other administrative skills.
While TRANSWARRIOR 2012 is a pilot exercise, virtually all staffed and resourced using DSC assets and personnel, possible plans for TRANSWARRIOR 2013 and beyond, include personnel from the Training Divisions taking a more active role in running this exercise.
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