An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IN THE NEWS

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS | Aug. 8, 2017

Maneuvering on the Road to Awesome

By Catherine Lowrey 88th Regional Support Command

Ever wonder where units get the massive vehicles for huge convoys and generators needed for extended field training involving hundreds of troops and where it all goes after the training ends?

The 86th Training Division’s Combat Support Training Exercise and the Army Medical Command Global Medic Exercise, currently conducting training at Fort McCoy, received their equipment from the 88th Regional Support Command's Fort McCoy Draw Yard, earlier this week.

The Draw Yard is a concept designed and created by the 88th RSC. To be exact, it is a set of common military equipment (mostly vehicles and generators), available at Fort McCoy for Exercise and Transient Training unit use. The Draw Yard is located near Equipment Concentration Site – 67 on Fort McCoy, but operates independently.

“The ultimate goal is to shorten the (Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration) period of the initial issue of the equipment from the Fort McCoy Draw Yard which will help maximize the training time of each exercise,” said Capt. Michael Zinnecker, the incoming Fort McCoy Draw Yard officer-in-charge for the 88th RSC.

After the units complete their training exercises, the equipment gets turned back in to the Draw Yard and stored and maintained at Fort McCoy for use by other units and even other services and organizations.

In addition to issuing equipment for use, the Draw Yard and ECS – 67 team up each year to provide real-world support opportunities ensuring the readiness of our Total Joint Force Team by gaining and enhancing proficiency in their technical skill sets with Operation Platinum Support.

More than 300 service members conducted real-world hands-on training with the 88th RSC last year as part of Operation Platinum Support. The goal of OPS is to allow Army Reserve Soldiers in low-density supply and maintenance specialties to perform and gain proficiency in their technical skills while acting in direct support to the numerous exercises taking place on Fort McCoy. Soldiers turn wrenches not just pages in a training manual.

In a rapidly changing fighting environment, readiness is paramount. Training both individual Soldiers and producing effective and cohesive combat units is critical to our Nations security. The 88th RSC’s continuous focus on finding new ways to meet these training needs ensures Soldiers have not only the equipment they need, but the knowledge of how to effectively maintain and maneuver that equipment in a combat situation.

By the completion of Operation Platinum Support, supply and maintenance Soldiers processed and inventoried thousands of pieces of equipment and completed more than 100 service and repair work orders. This year looks to be an even larger success.

“We are getting better every day. We have met what our customer has been looking for and as we get our full complement of equipment we can only meet their needs better,” said Capt. John Tempski, officer-in-charge for the Fort McCoy Draw Yard, 88th RSC.

The Fort McCoy Team, along with the 88th Regional Support Command’s Draw Yard and ECS-67 are dedicated to ensuring America’s Army Reserve is trained, equipped, and combat-ready to meet the needs of the Operational Army and the Joint Force.