Operation Puget Thunder "rocks" Seattle - Operation Puget Thunder military training exercise

The rumblings heard and felt around the Port of Tacoma and Fort Lewis, Wash., recently weren't aftershocks from the February Seattle earthquake, they were being made by the Army Reserve's heavy equipment that was in the area as part of the Operation Puget Thunder. About 1,500 soldiers from around the country for the two-week long training exercise coordinated by the Army Reserve's 70th Regional Support Command (RSC) based in Fort Lawton just outside of Seattle.

The exercise involved the mobilization and deployment of Army equipment and troops to a fictional overseas country. In actuality the soldiers were deploying to the Army's Yakima Training Center about 100 miles east of Seattle.

During one of the first phases of the exercise, members of the Army Reserve's 2122nd Garrison Support Unit based at Fort Lewis performed soldier readiness processing for more than 600 of the Army Reservists in the area for training. They reviewed the personnel records, medical and dental records, etc. and ensured the files were up to date and completed accurately.

"This was hard work and long hours, but provided an important service for the soldiers," according to Master Sgt. Richard Bartell of the 2122nd public affairs office. "The soldiers who went through are better prepared for future deployments and the soldiers of the 2122nd are also better prepared."

While soldier readiness processing was wrapping up, operations were well underway at the Port of Tacoma. The Army Reserve 1395th Transportation Terminal Brigade took over port operations. A total of 139 vehicles were being loaded onto a fast sealift ship belonging to the Military Airlift Command as well as onto landing craft operated by the Army Reserve 175th Transportation Company.

"We gather information about each vehicle that's loaded onto the ship to ensure when it's off-loaded it goes to the right unit," said Spec. Marivic Dangio, a management coordinator for the Army Reserve 647th Transportation Detachment (Cargo Documentation) based in Tacoma.

"We've done this before, but normally only during annual training," continued Dangio whose participation in Puget Thunder was limited to the unit's drill weekend.

One of the many interesting aspects about Operation Puget Thunder was the way the exercise was developed and funded. Normally, a training exercise of this scale has a two-year planning cycle and costs upwards of $3 million according to Maj. Eric Rydbom, unit training officer for the 70th. This exercise was planned in nine months and cost much less than other similar exercises.

"We modeled this exercise after Operation Caribbean Thunder conducted by the 65th RSC in Puerto Rico," said Rydbom. "We focused on using the internal assets of the 70th RSC and scheduled this in conjunction with a normal drill weekend."

"There was tremendous coordination and cooperation with the active component as well as with the other services involved. This was great training for all the soldiers especially from the multi-component standpoint. Our goal was to provide good training that was also fun."

Puget Thunder involved not only Army Reservists but also active Army units, along with Navy Reserve, Army National Guard and Coast Guard personnel.

As equipment was being loaded onto ships and landing craft bound for Solo Point, soldiers from the 671st Engineer Company based in Portland, Ore., were constructing a temporary bridge across Sequalechew Lake on Fort Lewis.

Each piece of the bridge was driven to the lake on the back of a 1-1/2 ton truck. Each truck carefully backed up to the lake and then released the bridge piece. As each piece hit the water, it would unfold to its full-size. Soldiers in small boats were on-hand to quickly latch onto the bridge piece and then push it into place away from the unloading zone. Piece by piece was dropped into the water and then moved aside where the other pieces were floating nearby. As the sections were attached the bridge began to take shape. Once all the pieces were linked together, the boats were used to slowly swing the bridge around into position. End ramps were folded out and attached to huge stakes hammered into the shore. Soldiers quickly walked the length of the bridge snapping side railings into place.

"Awesome," is how Spec. Summer Bernier, a 19-year-old medic with the 671st summed up seeing the bridge being built. "I've only been with this unit for three months and it's great to be out here watching them in action."

Not long after the floating bridge was in place, landing craft began approaching the Solo Point ramp on the shore of Puget Sound carrying the vehicles loaded at the Port of Tacoma. One by one, the landing craft approached the shore and lowered their loading ramps. Humvees, ambulances and other vehicles were driven off the boats and up to a staging area just above the shoreline.

But the boats being unloaded weren't the only activity in the area. Members of the Coast Guard and Navy Reserve were using small boats to act as protesters and harass and attempt to interrupt the military operation. To counter and attempt to control them, members of the Coast Guard Port Security Unit were on hand to deal with the "protesters". Using fast moving skiffs, the Coast Guard would quickly intercept the protesters to keep them from interfering with the off-loading operation.

Without incident, all the vehicles disembarked from the landing craft and fell in place for the convoy to Seqaulechew Lake where it successfully crossed the newly constructed floating bridge.

The next phases of the operation took place at the Yakima Training Center.

Here soldiers from the Army Reserve 396th Casualty Support Hospital, the 357th Chemical Company, and the 671st Engineer Company were gainfully engaged in the exercise.

The 671st was tasked again with constructing a temporary bridge. This time it was a steel girder bridge across a ravine was the first time this unit had undertaken this type of construction project in a field setting. It was hard, heavy labor dependent upon careful coordination and teamwork by the soldiers. Each girder had to be placed into position by hand, sometimes requiring at least six soldiers to carry just one piece.

"This is what the Army pays us to do, build these bridges," said Staff Sgt. Daniel Boucher of the 671st. "Besides, it's fun."

Slowly but surely the bridge began to span the ravine. The plan was to have a convoy of vehicles cross the ravine. However, this was not to be. The unit ran into trouble securing the bridge because of the different grades on each side of the ravine. While the engineers worked to solve the problem, the convoy was routed around the ravine to prevent any delay of the exercise scenarios.

"There was no need for us to 'insert' many additional training obstacles into the exercise," explained Rydbom. "Enough 'real-world' problems (like the trouble with the girder bridge) arose that challenged the soldiers and presented them with additional training experience."

"These types of problems are inherent to field training and it's valuable for the soldiers to work through these so they are better prepared for any future deployments," continued Rydbom.

Once the convoy was 1143 moving, things began to happen quickly. Soldiers from the 357th Chemical Company were positioned along the route to ambush them. Loud bangs echoed across the training area as smoke bombs were detonated, engulfing the convoy vehicles in yellow smoke. This was done to simulate a chemical attack.

The soldiers in the convoy stopped and hurriedly donned their gas masks before quickly continuing on their way.

The next stop for the convoy was the decontamination hospital that had been assembled by the soldiers for the 396th Casualty Hospital.

As each truck from the convoy pulled into the hospital site it was met by medics in full MOP gear. A quick assessment was done of each "victim" and then they were moved to the appropriate decontamination tent.

Slowly and methodically the hospital staff worked together to remove the decontaminated clothes and gear from each patient. Then the medics simulated scrubbing each soldier down to remove any lingering chemical agents. Procedures were carefully followed, and more experienced hospital unit members watched closely and offered assistance and guidance as needed.

Capt. Ann Lucas, a nurse with the 396th, explained the value of training to her unit.

"We're a TIER 1 unit, (meaning the unit would be one of the first activated if needed to support wartime operations,) so there is always a great possibility we'll be deployed. Working in the field provides priceless experience and helps us understand. even better how we fit into the big picture," said Lucas.

In the after action report, Col. Anthony Olenczuk, deputy chief of staff of operations for the 70th, summarized the overall success of the exercise.

"Puget Thunder gave unit commanders the chance to participate in realistic scenarios that focused primarily on mobilization issues and METL tasks they would rarely have the possibility of addressing in the standard training cycle."

"The exercise allowed the 70th RSC and subordinate units the opportunity to assess preparedness of units to mobilize in order to focus future assistance resources," con-cluded Olenczuk.

(Mr. Johnson is with the U.S. Army Reserve Command Public Affairs Office, Fort McPherson, Ga.)

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