Soldiers of the 574th Quartermaster Support Company, 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 16th Sust. Brigade spent some time becoming familiar with the warehouse operation at the Supply Activity Europe Army Depot from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2 in Kaiserslautern.
Many of the 574th QMSC Soldiers are water and fuel specialists so the training provided a great opportunity for them to become proficient in skills that they had little experience in.
“The training at SAE allowed the company not only to focus on specific individual and collective (Mission Essential Task List) tasks, it allowed Soldiers to gain experience in the same type of warehouses they will be working in next year,” said Capt. Marshal Hammel, the 574th QMSC commander and a native of Las Vegas.
The training focus was to familiarize the 574th QMSC Soldiers on how the warehouses in Kaiserslautern operate to provide theater level, general and direct support and distribution services to U.S. Army units throughout the European theater.
This is similar to the mission they will be conducting during their upcoming deployment, which will include providing contracting officer representative responsibilities and auditing for six different warehouses including a regional Supply Support Activity, Central Issue Facility and warehouses for the Interceptor Body Armor.
“I think this training is relevant and real. This is what we are going to be doing,” said Sgt. Daniel Flores, a native of Hollywood, Calif., and a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the 574th QMSC. “This type of training supports our mission during
deployment.”
While the trip to Kaiserslautern may have only lasted a week, the training will prove to be invaluable to the Soldiers as they implement some of the lessons learned at the Kaiserslautern Army Depot during their future endeavors.
“It’s been good training because this is a whole new Military Occupational Specialty for me,” said Pfc. Tania Rocha, a native of Woodlake, Calif., and a water treatment specialist with the 574th QMSC. “Now I’ll know what is going on in the warehouses during our deployment and know what to look for when we do our audits.”