836th Transportation Battalion uses simulation exercises to enhance training
SIMEX is especially important for transportation battalions like the 836th which have a high volume of container traffic, but infrequent ship loading operations.
These exercises provide battalion personnel with realistic, challenging and low-cost training on its mission and its individual and collective tasks that make up the Unit's mission essential task list.
Intense and in-depth planning by the Plans and Exercises Division is the key to training success.
First, a likely and beneficial scenario is developed.
Then the Terminal Operations and Cargo Management Divisions must create either a database of approximately 400 records per seaport, or tailor and correct an existing database.
For the most recent SIMEX, held from Sept. 18 to 22, the 836th used over 800 records, and the Terminal Operations Division created a 5 by 8 inch card for each record and put the equipment description on it.
The Cargo Management Division then printed a barcode label for each record and affixed them to the cards. These cards represent actual pieces of cargo such as trucks, vans or helicopters.
In the September SIMEX, the scenario was simultaneous operations on mainland Japan at two separate seaports.
This parallels the 836th's wartime mission, and involved the battalion's military, Department of the Army civilian and master labor contract personnel.
MLCs are "local national" indirect hire employees who work for the U.S. Government.
This is a realistic scenario because the unit's MLCs would participate in wartime terminal operations on mainland Japan, and their expertise and experience are vital to the successful mission accomplishment of the battalion.
Mike Jordan, an MLC from the cargo management division, described the exercise as, "giving all MLCs a chance to experience first-hand what types of knowledge and training are necessary to accomplish a mission at a remote site.
The realism made it feel like I was actually at an operational site."
Jordan also said, "I believe that all personnel could benefit from this type of training to increase their working efficiency."
The exercise took place in three phases.
Phase one (preparation) was conducted from Aug. 7 to Sept. 15. During this phase, the battalion conducted weekly coordination meetings, division training, individual and collective task development, and transition to war tasks found in the battalion deployment support team standard operating procedure.
The transition to war tasks were conducted from Sept. 11 to 15 after the battalion commander issued a "prepare to deploy" order to the Division chiefs.
On Sept. 15, the ICODES equipment, Worldwide Port System equipment, Scanners, and DST Supplies were "shipped" from Yokohama North Dock to Hiro, Japan. All of this computerized equipment is used by transporters for cargo documentation and In-Transit-Visibility.
All team members deploying to Hiro had orders with fund cites completed for them and Deployment Packets to train the battalion's Resource Management and Personnel and Administration Divisions.
Phase two, the execution phase, was conducted from Sept. 18 to 22. In this phase, the DSTs conducted terminal operations tasks directly from the battalion DST SOP.
This phase incorporated a majority of the training.
The third phase (evaluation) consisted of daily "Hot Wash" after action reviews and a final AAR on Day 5 of the SIMEX that involved all participants.
This phase also involved the completion of the battalion DST SOP. Throughout the SIMEX, the Division Chiefs made comments to the existing Draft DST SOP.
These comments were applied to the draft SOP, and a thorough battalion DST SOP was produced.
This SOP details all actions for our battalion DSTs from the Preparation Phase to the Post Operations Phase. Planning for SIMEX 01-01, scheduled for March 5 - 9, 2001, began immediately.
Next March's SIMEX will be a train-up and Rock Drill for the battalion's mission in Tandem Thrust 01, scheduled for next year in Australia.
Lt. Col. Kathi L. Kreklow, 836th commander, said, "this type of creativity in training will pay huge dividends during contingencies and major exercises, like Tandem Thrust in the spring."
During the five day SIMEX, the battalion "loaded two vessels" at two different seaports.
On Day 1 of the SIMEX, the first imaginary vessel arrived at Yokohama North Dock to load a total of 460 pieces of unit equipment and general cargo.
The vessel came from Tacoma, and already had some equipment on-board.
The equipment to be loaded was simulated with color-coded 5 by 8 inch cards, and each had a description of the equipment and a barcode label to be scanned.
The cards were "staged," scanned, and "loaded" onto the vessel. The DST members followed the procedures in the battalion deployment support team SOP, and corrected errors that were intentionally placed in the records.
One such error was an "M923 75-ton Crane." This one was a little obvious, but it forced the DST members to check each piece of equipment and verify the information.
Kentaro Satsuka from the Cargo Management Division commented that "the
SIMEX concept provides excellent training for DST operations in Japan and at other overseas locations."
A pre-stow plan was completed with the original database, adjusted, and then updated as the ship was being "loaded."
Shinichi Ohtani from the Terminal Operations Division was the only ICODES Operator for the Yokohama site, and he stayed quite busy by conducting double duty as the Marine Cargo Specialist for the DST.
"The training was realistic and challenging, I really enjoyed it," said Ohtani.
The battalion MLCs provided a bulk of the manpower for the DST, and displayed their expertise by conducting a flawless operation.
Keiko Nishimura from the import branch of the cargo management division said, "the SIMEX was a very good experience because I was able to cross-train on WPS Export functions in a realistic environment. I was also able to get hands-on training setting up and taking down the WPS Carryaway System."
Once the vessel was "uploaded," the vessel papers (final stow plan, customs documentation, cargo manifest, and dangerous goods manifest) were prepared and "delivered" to the Ship's Captain, and then the vessel was underway, bound for Pusan.
In all, operations at Yokohama took three days to complete, demonstrating the efficiency and competence of the battalion DST.
Tom Brewer, DST commander for the Yokohama operation, summarized the SIMEX by saying, "this is an opportunity to train on the key planning tools and documentation systems which we use in deployment situations. It also gives us a chance to evaluate our level of training and the strengths and weaknesses of our automated systems."
On Day 2, the other DST "arrived" in Hiro, Japan to conduct in-stream ammunition operations. They conducted a meeting with the 83rd Ordnance Battalion and the Stevedore Contractor in Kure, Japan to plan the operations.
That morning, the WPS Carryaway System and the ICODES System were "received" and set up. That afternoon, the DST began "staging" the containerized and breakbulk ammunition at Ohban Pier in Hiro, preparing to begin upload operations the following day.
A total of 350 pieces were planned for the Hiro operations. The battalion individual mobilization augmentee officers, Maj. Sherrilyn O'Neal and Maj. Tanya Garrett were the DST Commanders for the Hiro operation.
This was their first time conducting DST operations, and they performed well and learned a lot.
The vessel "arrived" at anchorage that night (Day 2), and operations began the following morning.
The DST operated out of the Navy's Expeditionary Van (Navy version of the Deployable Port Operations Center) provided by the Military Sealift Command - Far East.
This is a 20' Container that provides the DST with all of the capabilities it needs to perform its mission (climate control, power with multiple outlets, telephone lines, map boards, etc…).
This gave the DST realistic conditions in which to conduct their operations. At this location also, a majority of the DST personnel were MLCs, and the operation was completed flawlessly and efficiently.
The "vessel" was uploaded in two days, the vessel papers were delivered to the ship's captain, and the vessel departed for Chinhae.
Maj. Gen. Kenneth Privratsky, Commander of the Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC), attended and evaluated the SIMEX.
He went to each location and received an informal briefing from the DST commanders. He talked to the team members as they conducted their mission and saw first-hand the value of the training being conducted.
He offered excellent guidance for future SIMEXs and was pleased with the efforts of all battalion DST members.
The SIMEX Training Program is an effective and practical concept that is applicable to all Active Duty and Reserve Component MTMC Battalions, according to Kreklow.
A SIMEX Packet, which includes the Operations Order, Master Scenario Events List (MSEL), Battalion DST SOP, After Action Review and DST Tracking Charts was forwarded to Headquarters MTMC for dissemination throughout the command.
The largest cost associated with the SIMEX were the Barcode Labels (used for the equipment) and the other related office supplies.
Kreklow summarized the SIMEX by saying, "it is an excellent, cost-efficient means of training all personnel in the command."
This concept reinforces the training guidance from the MTMC commander and Col. John H. Bordwell, Jr., Commander, 599th Transportation Group, that "training does not equal travel." (FROM 599TH TRANSPORTATION GROUP PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
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