The exercise, which began Sept. 4 and concludes Sept. 24, is a new annual training opportunity for U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers and increases support for Theater Logistics Support Center-Europe. 175th SMC Soldiers trained on the ADR certification process with members of the MAK. ADR, or the Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road, is an international agreement that specifies the requirements for vehicles transporting hazardous materials, which includes many military vehicles.

“For this mission, [the 175th,] we are actually here to support the vehicles coming from state-side, coming over to Europe and getting them ADR certified,” said U.S. Army Master Sgt. Robert Legette, first sergeant of the 175th SMC.

The 175th SMC partnered with 7th Mission Support Command, the U.S. Army Reserve presence in Europe, the Maintenance Activity Kaiserslautern, Theater Logistics Support Center-Europe, to accomplish their mission.

“One of the things that stood out the most is the training that we received were the inspections,” said U.S. Army Pfc. David Pineda, a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the 175th SMC.
“Back home we don’t have the inspections that go on here,” said Pineda. “So most of the equipment that they’re sending on deployment comes here first, and then they send it out after the inspections are done.”

Legette said that annual training opportunities like Operation Forward Wrench are critical to U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers, as it allows them to become more proficient and tactical in their mission.

“Units coming here to support this mission is critical because it is pretty much a real live situation,” said Legette.

By the end of their second week of the exercise, the 175th SMC put in over 564 hours of direct labor and completed 23 work orders.

In addition to the ADR certification training, Soldiers from the 175th SMC assisted the MAK with troubleshooting faulty environmental control units, trained on industrial equipment that they normally do not have access to and assisted with the restoration of a jeep for museum display.

U.S. Army Spc. Teondre Sumter repaired four environmental control units saving the U.S. Army the cost of replacement parts and equipment, earning him an Army Achievement Medal.

“In general, the mission went extremely well, we did what we came to do,” said Capt. Matthew Burton, commander of the 175th SMC. “Showing that we could get over here with short notice and integrate into the Maintenance Activity Kaiserslautern and produce.”

The 7th Mission Support Command is the Army Reserve presence in Europe, comprised of 26 units across Germany and Italy. For more information or stories from the 7th MSC follow us on Facebook @7THMSC.