‘Mustangs’ hold TRUCK RODEO competition
Sgt. Paul Thomas grades Spc. Alfonso Herrera and Spc. Kevin Mauga as they back an LMTV up to a trailer during the truck rodeo competition. photos by Sgt. Patrick Doran,3rd IBCT, 1st AD Public Affairs:
Sgt. Patrick Doran,3rd IBCT, 1st AD Public Affairs:
Ready, set, go!” yelled a Soldier standing in the distance, and two Soldiers snapped into action grabbing their tools and running to an Light Multi-Terrain Vehicle parked nearby.
These Soldiers are with the 125th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division and they have just started their first station in a truck rodeo competition designed to train and test their basic truck driver knowledge.
During the competition the Soldiers were tested at four stations on how to conduct preventative maintenance checks and services, load, cross-load, and unload a flat rack using a load handling system, navigate an obstacle course, and vehicle recovery procedures. At each event they had thirty minutes to complete the task but in the spirit of competition whoever had the fastest time was the winner.
Sgt. Paul Streeter said, “It’s good, it gives the Soldiers something to test their skills instead of just going around the motor pool and doing regular PMCS and stuff, this gives them something to work for.”
So many times especially in the sustainment units, we focus on convoy security, more of a tactical type of training using gun trucks and things like that,” said Capt. Charles York, Company A, 125th BSB commander. “Here what we really wanted to do was get back to the basics, how to PMCS your truck properly, how to back up a trailer without hitting things, how to properly cage breaks, things that are operator level task.
Sgt. Paul Thomas grades Spc. Alfonso Herrera as he hooks up a trailer to a Light Multi-Terrain Vehicle. photos by Sgt. Patrick Doran, 3rd IBCT, 1st AD Public Affairs.
“They got a fun event out of this, we got the family readiness group involved serving food for the Soldiers,” continued York, “It is a competition and we just hope they get something out of it.”
In the end, Spc. Jesus Mancilla and Spc. Richard McGuire of Company F, 125th BSB, the forward support company for 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry, took home the trophy and proved they had what it takes to be the best truck driver’s in the battalion.
Short URL: http://fbmonitor.com/?p=18731
