As Soldiers scrambled in the heat of the California desert sun to draw vehicles and equipment from the Preposition Equipment yard at the National Training Center, they were unaware of the record they were about to break.
The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum, N.Y., hit the NTC with full force Sept. 23, when they broke the record for the most vehicles drawn in a single day. Seven hundred and seventeen pieces of equipment were distributed to six battalions of the brigade.
“Before we came here, the most vehicles drawn in a single day was 616,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert Haseman. “That was actually done by our sister brigade, 1st Brigade Combat Team … who just came through the NTC. We beat them by 101.”
Haseman, senior automotive technician with Support Battalion, 2/10th Mtn. Div., said it is important to get Soldiers to the draw yard promptly.
“We drew the vehicles on Sunday, and the training and missions really kicked off on Monday,” Haseman said. “It is really important that you use that day to get as many pieces of equipment out as you can, because you lose about 80 percent of your personnel the following days.”
Knowing what to expect from those who run the yard makes the process easier to follow.
“When we came here, the Civilians gave a really good brief on what they expected of us,” Haseman said.
Haseman added that leadership for the maintenance technicians made sure Soldiers and their leadership did the right thing by following all the steps in a certain order.
Each piece of equipment that is drawn from the yard goes through a rigorous screening process before it is driven from the lot. Vehicles are first assigned to companies that need them. A preventive maintenance inspection on each vehicle is conducted by a licensed driver and the paperwork is reviewed by maintenance personnel.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Eric Randle, senior maintenance technician for 2/10th Mtn. Div., knows it is imperative to have a plan and a substantial group of Soldiers to help.
“Having a solid plan – as far as the inspection of equipment goes – and having personnel available is needed,” Randle said. “The whole brigade helped out. It was because of the surge of personnel to be able to come down and go through the process that actually got the equipment out of the yard.”
