Fort Campbell, KY – Soldiers can receive orders for any operation at any time. Soldiers assigned to the 541st Transportation Company, 101st Division Sustainment Support Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Sustainment Brigade, were recently instructed to pack their gear and report to their company area for further instructions.
Not knowing exactly what was happening, they followed orders and obliged. Their gear was packed into shipping containers and loaded onto vehicles, then prepared for movement to an undisclosed location.
![Soldiers from the 584th Support Maintenance Company, 129th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, prepare to sling load a water buffalo to a CH-47 Chinook helicopter Sept. 3 at Fort Campbell, Ky. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Leejay Lockhart, 101st Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs) Soldiers from the 584th Support Maintenance Company, 129th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, prepare to sling load a water buffalo to a CH-47 Chinook helicopter Sept. 3 at Fort Campbell, Ky. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Leejay Lockhart, 101st Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs)](https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/101st-Airborne-Division-Soldiers-exceed-expectations-during-Base-Defense-Exercise-5-480x270.jpg)
“This training affects overall readiness by showing that Soldiers can prove to us they’re completely ready for any situation at any time,” Sgt. Nicholas Gademer, 541st Transportation Company, 101st Division Sustainment Support Battalion, “They are ready to go over and defend this country and show its’ pride.”
They arrived to their motor pool at Fort Campbell, KY, in the early morning, January 21st, where their vehicles were already staged and prepared for movement. They conducted standard preventative checks and maintenance on their vehicles and began movement to their respective training site.
The weather may not have been ideal to conduct a field training exercise for some, but it was not surprising weather for the Soldiers, considering the time of year and region.
![Sgt. Michael Brown, a maintenance and recovery section leader for the 584th Support Maintenance Company, 129th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, reviews sling load procedures during a training exercise Sept. 3 at Fort Campbell, Ky. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Leejay Lockhart, 101st Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs) Sgt. Michael Brown, a maintenance and recovery section leader for the 584th Support Maintenance Company, 129th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, reviews sling load procedures during a training exercise Sept. 3 at Fort Campbell, Ky. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Leejay Lockhart, 101st Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs)](https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/101st-Airborne-Division-Soldiers-exceed-expectations-during-Base-Defense-Exercise-1-480x270.jpg)
“Overall the weather, could be better,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jerel Johnson platoon sergeant, 541st Transportation Company. “However, we’re out here to train as we fight because you never know what situation we might we might have to be in. So, being out here during this time of year bring a realism to training to better prepare our Soldiers for the unexpected.”
Without hesitation, Soldiers immediately began to set up their temporary field site which included sleeping tents, a tactical operations center and concertina wire, which is designed to keep enemies out of their forward operating base.
“The Soldiers continue to perform beyond standard during this training exercise,” Johnson said with a smile on his face while taking pride in his Soldiers and leadership abilities. “They enable the unit to achieve both its wartime and peacetime mission as a whole, enabling Sustainment Brigade to continue to lead in all operations.”
The Soldiers completed their missions with pride and proved to their leaders that they are prepared for anything at any given time.
“Whenever it comes to training, it’s very important to ensure that you train as you fight,” said Johnson. “Take advantage of every training opportunity given because it can truly shape a Soldier to become a phenomenal leader.”