EMPORIA, Va. –
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Emporia-based 1710th Transportation Company, 1030th Transportation Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group conducted a two-week line haul mission in support of the Army Materiel Command for their annual training May 30 - June 15, 2024.
During the mission, the unit transported cargo between the Crane Army Ammunition Activity in Crane, Kentucky, the Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond, Kentucky and the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in McAlester, Oklahoma. In total, the unit used 26 vehicles operated and maintained by 67 Soldiers for the transportation missions, covering more than 4,500 miles.
The purpose of the line haul mission was to transport Class V cargo in support of Army Materiel Command intra-depot transportation operations,” said Capt. Darius Hawkins, the 1710th’s commander. “Intra-depot operations are a vital component of the Army’s supply chain. Intra-depot operations ensure the efficiency and optimization of operations and facilitates strategic positioning objectives.”
The convoy conducted several missions back and forth between Oklahoma and Kentucky, using Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, as a central hub.
The real-world mission proved beneficial for the unit as a whole as well as the unit’s Soldiers, according to Hawkins.
“Real world missions allow Soldiers to gain valuable experience in their military occupation specialty,” Hawkins said. “During this mission we conducted individual and Mission Essential Task training, allowing us to become proficient in tasks critical to mission success wherever we deploy.”
After embarking from their home armory in Emporia, the 1710th encountered different challenges along their travels, but Hawkins said prior training and preparation helped them overcome any hurdles.
“Every mission has challenges and this mission was no different,” he said. “We faced two common challenges: inclement weather and maintenance issues. We overcame these challenges by incorporating risk management into planning and prioritizing individual and collective training prior to the mission. Identifying weather hazards and conducting realistic training prior to the mission allowed us to develop and implement controls that ultimately minimize the risk weather posed and maximize our units’ capabilities.”
Overall, despite the challenges, the 1710th was able to conduct their missions successfully.
“The 1710th TC performed remarkably well,” said Hawkins. “We executed the mission and ultimately succeeded by safely transporting all Class V TEU’s to each of the three depots. Job well done; mission accomplished!”
Read more about the 1030th Transportation Battalion at https://ngpa.us/2589.