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BROWNWOOD, Texas - When disaster strikes, the members of
Joint Task Force 136 (Maneuver Enhancement Brigade) answer
the call with lifesaving capabilities, such as
decontamination, search and extraction, and medical triage.
With 500-700 troops working around the clock for days at a
time, they need support. Within this National Guard element,
the 636th Brigade Support Battalion stands ready to provide
the fuel, maintenance, water and food necessary to keep
these Guardsmen working as long as necessary.
For the
week of Nov. 15-21, 2014 ... the Marshall-based battalion with
elements in Dallas-Fort Worth came together at Camp Bowie in
Brownwood, Texas, to ensure JTF-136 (MEB) completed its
Homeland Response Force training. This training, which
provides specialized military capabilities to civilian
authorities in the event of disaster, is part of the
Department of Defense's consequence management enterprise
designed to save lives and mitigate suffering and damage.
The BSB is an invaluable element to the success of that
effort.
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Texas National Guard Soldiers with B Company,
636th Brigade Support Battalion troubleshoot a maintenance problem
during annual training at Camp Bowie in Brownwood, Texas, Nov. 19,
2014. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Melinda G. West)
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“My job is important,” said Pvt. Samuel
Birdine, a water production specialist with A Company, 636th
BSB. “Good water is important; without good water the
Soldiers will get sick and not get their jobs done. It is
important that I know what I am doing to give them good
water.”
Keeping the troops hydrated and fed is
instrumental to mission success. As such, the BSB is usually
among the first elements to arrive for training exercises.
Food Service NCOIC Sgt. 1st Class Robert Miller and his
cooks set up a containerized kitchen and fed the entirety of
JTF-136 (MEB), composed of 10 company-level units from
across Texas totaling more than 500 Soldiers and Airmen.
Their days began at 3:30 a.m. and ended at 10:00 p.m. They
served two hot meals a day and provided hot beverages to
keep up morale and provide warmth during the northern Texas
winter. They braced the cold as they prepared these meals,
not in a dining facility, but under an outdoor awning.
“I am having fun, learning, and enjoy this,” said Pvt.
William Escobar, a food service specialist with HHC, 636th
BSB. “At school we used recipe cards, I haven't seen one
here.”
When asked about his future plans in the
military, he said, “I am going to run a kitchen like this.”
The battalion's A Company kept the brigade's vehicles
rolling with four fuel points supporting the 175 military
vehicles and generators throughout Camp Bowie.
Meanwhile, B Company provided maintenance and recovery
support for the same equipment, completing five work orders
and 46 hours of maintenance during the weeklong annual
training period.
They provided troubleshooting and
maintenance support to the brigade's Deployable Rapid
Assembly Shelter generators, which provide HVAC and power,
so that the stability of the brigade's headquarters element
remained constant and there were no interruptions to the
brigade battle rhythm. Fulfilling this mission is fulfilling
the battalion motto and standard of “We Support, We
Deliver.”
“Our soldiers are mentored and trained to
step up,” said 1st Lt. Austin Carter, the B Company
executive officer. “I see on a daily basis young Soldiers
displaying integrity and leadership that is normally
associated with a long career.”
Headquarters and
Headquarters Company of 636th BSB provided command and
control to the battalion personnel at Camp Bowie. Staff
officers, led by Maj. Carlos Garcia, managed daily
operations for everything from available fuel to requests
for more fruit in the mess hall.
Sgt. 1st Class Heath
Campbell from HHC, 636th BSB, defined his mission to support
as, “Heck yes, we do that!”
Providing support was the
main effort for the Soldiers of the BSB, but they also
performed individual weapon qualification, field sanitation
training, and set up static displays for an Employer Support
to the Guard and Reserves (ESGR) event. Fifteen employers
and partners attended the tour, which included a helicopter
ride, demonstration by the troops and a military Meal,
Ready-to-Eat lunch.
“My Soldier is there when I open
and is there after I leave,” said Mike Tyler, a civilian
employer from Dallas-Fort Worth who toured the site with his
employee, Sgt. Mark Atkins. “His dependability and work
ethic is not found in others I have hired without military
experience. I couldn't ask for a better employee.”
The support provided by the BSB enables mission-success for
the brigade and ensures the service members of this National
Guard organization are prepared for anything that comes
their way.
“Napoleon believed that fast efficient
supply trains were crucial to vanquishing the enemy on the
battlefield,” said Lt. Col. John C. Crawson, commander for
the 636th BSB. “Today my battalion uses these principles to
provide quality support to not only JTF-136 (MEB) but to the
citizens of Texas if called upon.”
By U.S. Army 1st Lt. Melinda G. West
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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