POLEX 2001: Indiana Reservists brave tarantulas, storms during AT - Training - Brief Article

FORT BLISS, Texas-High temperatures, sand storms, and tarantulas were prevalent for an Indiana-based Army Reserve unit at McGregor Range Camp here.

Members of the 380th Quartermaster Company (Petroleum Pipeline and Terminal Operations, PP&TO), from Evansville, Indiana, moved more than one million gallons of water during the unit's Annual Training held in the desert outside of El Paso, Texas.

Members of the 380th recently participated in the Inland Petroleum Distribution System (IPDS) portion of the Petroleum, Oil and Lubricant Exercise, or POLEX.

POLEX is an annual exercise at various locations around the nation. At Ft. Bliss, it starts with engineer units performing environmental studies in the training areas and installing the pipeline and equipment. Petroleum units rotate throughout the summer, practicing their skills. At the end of the exercise, the last petroleum unit drains the water into an oxidation pond and engineer units return and disassemble the equipment.

They performed their jobs well according to their commander.

Capt. Robert Reisz said, "it says something about the troops that they performed so well given the working conditions they perform under." Reisz, from Evansville, Ind., is the company commander for the 380th.

Daytime temperatures approached 100 degrees in the desert. The heat "was definitely a challenge," said Reisz

The terminal crews of the 380th have a lot of young troops being led by young troops.

"We had about 51 soldiers three years ago and started an aggressive recruiting drive. We have 139 soldiers now," said Reisz. Corporals, instead of sergeants, lead the terminal crews, some with only two to three years in the military.

Corporals like Brooke Cummings, who was a specialist for two months, then promoted to corporal eight months ago, now leads a crew of six. So does Cpl. Julie Baumgart, a 23-year-old with a college degree, who has applied for a direct commission. Cummings, from Madisonville, Ky., and Baumgart, from Mount Carmel, Ill., are petroleum specialists with the 380th.

"This gives them a lot of experience early," said Reisz, "and will make them better leaders later on."

The system of pumps, valves and pipeline the Evansville unit works with is identical to the system developed a few years ago to pump petroleum, so the crews get actual handson experience. That experience includes moving 'product' and operating and making repairs to lines and equipment.

During the last two-weeks of June 2001, Army Active and Reserve Component Petroleum units transported more than 7,000,000 gallons of JP-8 from Defense Fuel Supply Points (DFSPs) and a refinery during POLEX 2001.

Units were able to exercise their ability to not only transport fuel over long distances, but also to their staff areas. These trucks traveled from 20 to over 200 miles per day, five days a week.

All drivers and assistant drivers received Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) training at their reserve site prior to the exercise. In addition to this training, some personnel learned loading and unloading operations at a commercial terminal and several units received training in rail movement of petroleum transportation assets.

POLEX involved DFSPs from Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Washington, and California.

More than 800 loads were transported across the continental United States without incident.

(Sgt. 1st Class Johnson is with the U.S. Army Reserve Command Public Affairs Office, Atlanta, Ga.)

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