March 22, 2016 –
MORELAND CITY, N.C. - The 511th Engineer Dive Detachment used their special skillset to partner with the 81st Regional Support Command (RSC) and its Area Maintenance Support Activity (AMSA) 128. The AMSA provided support to the crew as they performed work at the pier located at the reserve center, home to the 824th Transportation Company (Heavy Watercraft).
An active duty engineer detachment dove into an opportunity to assist the Soldiers and Civilians at the Morehead City Reserve Center in March, while gaining valuable preparation for an upcoming deployment.
The 511th Engineer Dive Detachment used their special skillset to partner with the 81st Regional Support Command (RSC) and its Area Maintenance Support Activity (AMSA) 128. The AMSA provided support to the crew as they performed work at the pier located at the reserve center, home to the 824th Transportation Company (Heavy Watercraft).
The water training was invaluable for the landlocked dive detachment.
“We have to leave the flagpole and travel away from the base due to the unique nature of our mission,” said master diver Sgt. 1st Class Micah Sherrod. We have to find locations to support our requirements. The result is that every training mission is a real world mission. The guys get to use their full suite of equipment and to develop their Mission essential tasks.
The divers practiced salvage diving and swift water training, and underwater cutting during the three week training. Supervisors evaluated the divers’ skills using pneumatic jacks and oxygen arc welders to remove concrete pilings from the dock area.
“I think it’s great. Sometimes you go long periods without getting your hands on certain pieces of equipment , so this is an excellent opportunity, especially for the lower enlisted to get hands-on experience, to get checked off,” said Salvage diver Sergeant Kyle Bradley.
Removing these obstruction will enhance the movement of watercraft in a prime location next to the pier. The unit removed a dozen pilings, opening up an opportunity to moor different types of Army ships. The process of removing the ten-thousand pound pilings took about eight hours a piece. Once the pilings were cut, divers attached the pilings to load straps and a crane operator from the AMSA removed them from the water.
The Soldiers honed skills and practiced on equipment they will use downrange. The high silt, strong current and debris in the Calico Creek provide realistic training opportunities for the 511th divers. The very low visibility makes it difficult for the divers to see what they are working on, so preparation and practice is imperative to have a successful mission.
“The guys have to be briefed through drawings and tapping their experience in a pitch black environment,” Sherrod said. “That’s the hardest part but it prepares us because pretty much every thing we do here, we have to be capable of doing in theater, in similar conditions. This just makes us that much more proficient.”
An added benefit for the Soldiers is the physical conditioning they are getting. This prepares the Soldiers for the potentially grueling workload they may be called on during contingency operations.
“The BR87 is very heavy. We have flotation devices to counter the weight, but you are constantly having to handle it while it vibrates you so it’s a constant workout, you really feel like you’ve accomplished something when you remove an object,” said Bradley. “The pilings we are removing here also have a lot of pinch points with the wire that is in it. When you use a flat tip bits, it gets stuck a lot.”
The partnership is possible in part due to the Troop Construction Program, a self-help program that allows the Reserve to use the skill set of Soldiers to accomplish missions instead of contracting the labor out to a civilian companies. The benefits are considerable cost savings and improved readiness.
The project in Morehead City will save the Army about $68,000 after expenses, while preparing the 511th to serve the units in theater.
"If not for this project, the work would have continued as an unfunded requirement and eventually we would have to divert money from other much-needed requirements,” 81st RSC Director of Public Works Colonel Sean McDonald said. Having the engineers come in and perform this work allowed us to enhance capabilities for the watercraft missions sooner and cheaper. With tightening maintenance budgets and increasing requirements, Troop Construction projects allow us to stretch our dollars."
A benefit to the community is that the work enhances the ability for the Reserve unit to operate, and the reserve unit provides support to the community by assisting in security and search and rescue operations.
The unit initially developed a relationship with the 824th Transportation Company and m, the watercraft unit attached to the AMSA, when the unit transported the Soldiers and their equipment to a training exercise at a Navy facility in the Bahamas. They developed a great rapport and appreciate the chance to assist the Army Reserve.
“The support we’ve received from the AMSA shop has been phenomenal,” said Sherrod. “They really take care of their equipment. We have had constant support with materials. They have the crane on site, and that’s a huge to have the lift support right here on station. They’ve done everything possible to support us. It has made our job a lot easier. It’s truly one team, one fight!”