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NEWS | Aug. 18, 2016

US Army Reserve Soldiers train and support National Guard

By 1st Lt. Troy Preston 340th Quartermaster Company



FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

08.20.2016

Story by 1st Lt. Troy Preston

211th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment 

FORT HOOD, Texas - Soldiers of the 340th Quartermaster Company, based out of Fort Sam Houston, Texas, conduct their annual training at Fort Hood, Texas from Aug. 6 – 26, 2016. The focus for this training was supporting the National Guard through laundry and shower services during their Exportable Combat Training Capability rotation.

Among these Soldiers is Sgt. David Chapa, who has been in the U.S. Army Reserve since 2000. Sgt. Chapa is one that believes the Soldiers come first, and that training is a critical piece of readiness. “It’s all about the learning curve. My way is to be there every step and ensure that my Soldiers learn and build upon what they know,” says Chapa.

The instruction provided by the 340th leadership is shown in the work performed by its Soldiers. They are able to process 3,500 Soldiers worth of laundry and gear with a turnaround time of 24-48 hours, from drop off to pickup. “The job that we do and the mission here is unique and one that most of the Army does not know about,” commented Capt. Andrew Graham, Commander of the 340th QM.

The unit was split into 2 rotations, and according to Graham, Sgt. Chapa was a critical piece of the first rotation. Chapa was the command team’s go to guy when they encountered issues. Always one to step up, Sgt. Chapa made sure that the Soldiers around knew what to do if the situation arose again.

Juggling between his Soldiers and fellow NCOs, Chapa is a source of guidance for many. “Not only do I train Soldiers, but I guide the NCOs as well,” stated Chapa as he helped a fellow NCO solve a workflow problem. Because of the efforts of Soldiers and NCOs like Sgt. Chapa, the 340th QM is a well-trained, well maintained, and extremely disciplined unit ready to do their job no matter what.