Soldiers with the 87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, recently finished a two-week field-training exercise that was designed to help prepare them for any upcoming mission.

The “Base Warriors” brought training back to the basics ahead of their upcoming rotation to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.

The “basics” included key-warrior practices, such as properly laying wire around the entire training area and using guards and guard towers to heighten security, creating a sand table to use during convoy briefs, using the challenge-and-password method to enter the training site and implementing noise-and-light discipline at night.

Maj. Anthony Marante, the officer in charge of support operations for 87th CSSB, served as the main overseer of the training exercise, called Warrior Focus.

He said while soldiers conducted field-training procedures, the battalion staff officers also trained on properly planning missions.
“To start the exercise off, I discussed the military decision-making process with the battalion staff,” he said. “This helps everyone gain a better grasp on everything. Then I had them do a mission analysis for our upcoming support at JRTC.”

The staff adjusted the logistical battlefield procedures they soon will use at Fort Polk.

“We can practice in [garrison] all the time by setting everything up time and time again,” said 2nd Lt. Stephanie Keyes, a platoon leader with the 24th Ordnance Company, 87th CSSB. “But it wasn’t until we got out here where we really started to find the holes and the breakdowns in our battle drills. Seeing this allows us to fix potential issues before we go to JRTC.”

The 24th Ordnance and 135th Quartermaster companies were the main units in the field supporting Warrior Focus. The 24th Ordnance typically handles ammunition so soldiers trained on setting up a supply point and had the opportunity to rehearse convoy operations.

“Everyone understands their role and where they are supposed to go,” Keys said. “We can now move and operate quickly and efficiently. This gave us a great opportunity to learn and train with convoy operations.”

The 135th Quartermaster Company supported Warrior Focus by supplying fuel for the operation, along with some convoy operations.

The soldiers conducted 24-hour missions, which allowed them to become more versatile.

“Training both day and night allows me to be prepared to accomplish any mission on any given day,” said Spc. Tyrone Seabron, a petroleum specialist in 135th QM Company. “This field problem is helping us to better understand how to make a mission successful.”