August 18, 2016 –
The CSTX is a joint and multinational exercise designed to assist military units with planning, preparing, supervising, and executing pre-mobilization collective training. The 477th Transportation Company, a U.S. Army Reserve unit based out of Marysville, Washington, is supporting nearly 7,000 service members of various occupational specialties who are actively participating in the 21-day training event this year.
Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps service members rallied from points across the country to put their war-fighting skills to the test in field conditions that closely replicate a real combat environment. As a cargo operations and land transportation unit, Soldiers in the 477th Trans. Co. were some of the first to arrive at Ft. McCoy to begin their training before the start of the exercise.
“For our mission, our unit is conducting and operating a central receiving and shipping point – also known as a CRSP yard,” said Cpl. Chris Ottoman, a transportation management coordinator for the unit. “All equipment and vehicles shipped out for the exercise come through us.”
CRSP yard operations consist of material and cargo handling, tactical vehicle and rolling stock mechanical repair operations, as well as the management and tracking of all movement from both inbound and outbound equipment at the training location.
Soldiers from Soldiers in the 477th Trans. Co. also use cranes, forklifts and other heavy duty vehicles to relocate containers already placed at Forward Operating Bases and Tactical Training Bases.
In addition to field training, Ottoman and his fellow Soldiers worked on classroom training throughout the exercise two hone their Soldier and leadership skills. The more experienced Soldiers gathered up and taught the less experienced Soldiers things such as troop leadership procedures, combat lifesaver skills, field radio operations, counter intelligence, virtual convoy training and improvised explosive device awareness training.
“It’s been an awesome experience,” said Spc. Brandon Moser, a cargo specialist and 2012 Marysville-Pilchuck High School graduate.
“We’ve been able to go out on missions and conduct combat and unit training throughout the exercise – giving us a sense of what we could expect during deployment or while in a combat zone.”
When Moser and his unit are not deployed or conducting annual training, each Soldier reports for battle assembly one weekend a month at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Marysville, Washington where everyone does movement and convoy operations or travels to training sites such as Joint Base Lewis-McChord or the Yakima Training Center for drivers training and weapons qualification.
The 477th Trans. Co. along with the 364th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and the 483rd Quartermaster Company often work together during battle training assemblies and even more so during local community events. Since the unit’s relocation to the Marysville headquarters in 2012, Soldiers from these units have participated in or hosted events such as Easter egg hunts, the annual Arlington Fly-in Air Show, Marysville Touch-A-Truck event and Seattle’s Tough Mudder – a military style endurance obstacle course that has become nationally popular with civilians and warriors alike.
The 477th will be complete their annual training later this month. In the end, Army Reserve Soldiers shall be equipped with a vast amount of knowledge and experience in their war-fighting skills.
By Spc. Aaron J. L. Piega, Unit Public Affairs Rep. 477th Transportation Company, 364th ESC