Reservist Sailors Complete Joint Readiness Exercise

By Capt. Bryan Lewis, Defense Logistics Agency Joint Reserve Force

FORT EUSTIS, Va. (NNS) -- Ninety-four Sailors, seven Marines and more than 80 additional DLA Reservists from the Army and Air Force participated in the fifth annual Joint Reserve Training Readiness Exercise (JRTRX) aboard Ft. Eustis, Va., April 4-10.

The objective of the exercise was to enhance total force readiness while simultaneously completing service-required training and promoting teamwork.

"Our goal is to take every service and put them in a pseudo deployment environment; increase the operations tempo, increase their training, basically put them in an environment that is alien to them," said Lt. Cmdr. Onofrio Margioni, JRF deputy director of training and readiness and JRTRX director.

"The JRTRX mirrors exactly what our Reservists will be doing at the CONUS Replacement Center (CRC) and Navy Individual Augmentee Combat Training (NIACT). The reason why we offer JRTRX is to enhance the training for our troops."

More than 110 Joint Reserve Force (JRF) Reservists are deployed for combat logistic support at any given time. Prior to deployment Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen and Marines attend stateside, theatre-specific trainings in order to prepare for the downrange demands and environment.

Much like CRC and NIACT, which deploying service members must complete prior to heading downrange, the JRTRX provides its attendees with Theater Specific Individual Requirements Training (TSIRT). This includes the Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT), the Engagement Skills Trainer (EST) 2000, the Leadership Reaction Course, weapon familiarization and firing range for M-4 and M-9 qualification, IED identification and reaction, Distribution Service instruction and joint physical training.

"We hit every milestone that we set out with the objective of ensuring our Reservists get a taste, and sometimes a bit more than just a taste, of what they'd be experiencing at CRC and NIACT, including an increase in ops temp that would give a familiarization of what to expect in theatre," Margioni said.

Adding flavor to the "taste" of the simulated deployment was the successful firing of more than 12,000 rounds of ammunition via M4s and M9s. Each Sailor, Soldier and Marine had the opportunity to qualify with the appropriate weapon for his or her rank. Of those who fired a M9, 90 percent qualified, with 72 percent qualifying with the M4. Additionally, Airmen were given the opportunity to complete weapon familiarization fire, and all attendees had a hands-on opportunity to safely aim and fire a weapon. .

Leading the way in qualification on the M9 range was Navy Reserve Rear Adm. Ray English, director, DLA Joint Reserve Force, who reminded participants of the most important aspect of this exercise – taking care of each other.

"Of all the experience and training you gained, the most important thing I hope you've learned and keep with you when you deploy is we take care of each other," English said. "If we take care of each other, everything else will turnout right."

The importance of team that English spoke about was lived out on the Leadership Reaction Course and the Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer. The LRC challenges teams physically and mentally as they attempt to complete obstacles, such as maneuvering a wounded Soldier across a barrier. Much like the reaction course, HEAT recreates the physical sensation of a rollover to train personnel how to respond safely and quickly when exiting a compromised vehicle. The five service members must work as a team to safely egress the flipped vehicle.

The participants were intentionally divided into joint teams during the training to further demonstrate the nature of many deployed environments, especially those DLA members find themselves in.

The JRF's objective is to support the DLA mission worldwide, and it prides is self in being a "high-performing, customer-focused, globally responsive force." To further improve on this skill, members completed instruction on current activities by DLA Distribution. Members from this field activity's headquarters in New Cumberland, Pa., completed multiple hours of instruction for all attendees.

"This is more opportunity to hone your skills, and give you that confidence, so that when you are that DLA representative in theatre, you can do your best to provide that mission success; that difference helping the warfighter be successful," said Celia Adolphi, JRF deputy director. "You have the confidence in your combat skills to make your functional mission easier."

Members had additional opportunities to demonstrate their confidence as this year's event was two days longer than in previous years. The lengthened training schedule was a result of previous years' surveys and allowed for an extra day on the firing ranges, six more hours in the EST 2000, a full day of HEAT and a cookout to relax and celebrate all that the participants accomplished.

Upon completion of the JRTRX, members completed surveys about the training. A common theme amongst the comments was the high quality of the training, and that once again, they wished it was longer.

"In the end this was all about bringing people together and teaching them how to work together," said Margioni. "In the joint world if you can achieve that, you've done your job."