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NEWS | July 18, 2017

“Road Runners” work with Army Reserve to support Saber Guardian 17

By Courtesy Story 16th Sustainment Brigade

The 515th Transportation Company “Road Runners” from Baumholder, Germany teamed up with the U.S. Army Reserve 325th Transportation Company out of Taunton, Massachusetts to provide bulk and retail fuel support to combat and sustainment forces during United States Army Europe’s premier summer exercise, Saber Guardian 17.

The two fuel distribution units are spread across seven locations in four countries as they work towards the common goal of keeping equipment, from generators to M1 Abrams tanks, operating across the vast training areas.

The 325th TC arrived to Europe in March as part of the rotational sustainment package brought over the Atlantic Ocean to provide mission command of Atlantic Resolve under the 497th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. The U.S. Army Reserve company from 325th TC came ready to pick up the bulk fuel distribution mission throughout Atlantic Resolve, which 515th TC has been supporting over the past three years.

For Saber Guardian 17, the two units convoyed together from Baumholder to dispersed locations across the Balkan region mid-June to prepare for the 25,000 multinational service members converging in the area for the exercise. The mission began as fuel support at convoy support centers (CSC) to assist units on their road marches south, and continued through exercise execution. The 515th TC and 325th TC thus far have distributed over 175,000 gallons of bulk fuel across the Saber Guardian 17 area of operations.

“Working hand in hand with 325th has been a great learning experience for us as we begin to hand over the mission to them here in Eastern Europe,” said 1st Lt. Samuel Adams, a platoon leader with 515th Transportation Company. “Their maturity and willingness to learn has made this an excellent opportunity to work with one of our sister units in the Army Reserve.”

Adams said this was an opportunity to for the unit to demonstrate the five pillars for “Strong Europe.”

“In line with the USAREUR CGs Five Pillars of a Strong Europe, this exercise has given us an opportunity to work with our Reserve partners while supporting the regionally allocated forces and allied countries,” Adams said.

The extensive fuel mission has also received assistance from another rotational sustainment unit from the 101st Sustainment Brigade out of Fort Campbell, the 227th Composite Supply Company, who established a fuel system supply point in Cincu, Romania. The system has the capacity to store 150,000 gallons of fuel, and allows units to get bulk quantities of fuel on the spot. This capability is beneficial to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division training in the local area.

Additionally, the 227th CSC is able to verify the quality of fuel distributed across the battlefield through filter effectiveness tests utilizing the Petroleum Quality Analysis System-Enhanced. This mobile testing laboratory and certification device ensures a high level of readiness among tanks and aviation assets training in the exercise.

While the FSSP keeps units nearby moving, 515th TC and 325th TC must put their M1088 trucks with M969 5,000 gallon fuel tanker systems on the road to support forces spread throughout the rest of Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. At the CSCs in Sibiu, Romania and Ruse, Bulgaria the active/reserve duo is providing bulk fuel support to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment as they convoy 325 vehicles south from Vilseck, Germany for Dragoon Guardian 17.

“The experience 515th has operating in Europe has been extremely helpful to our Soldiers as we fully assume the bulk fuel distribution mission in Europe during our nine months here,” said 1st Lt. Mark Limauro, Detachment Commander of the 325th Transportation Company. “Our truck drivers will be the most experienced in the Army Reserve once our time in Europe is up.”