Golden thunder: Active, reserve and national guard unite for joint exercise - Training - United States Army in South Dakota/Wyoming - Brief Article

RAPID CITY, S.D.--It was a massing of troops as more than 6,500 soldiers converged on the Custer State Park here and in Camp Guernsey, Wyoming, for exercise Golden Thunder. The joint exercise included active, Reserve and National Guard soldiers from 17 separate states and 75 units.

The increasing trend of active, reserve and guard soldiers training together reinforces the concept of The Army.

"There are no Reserves," said Gen. John W. Hendrix, commander of U.S. Forces Command, during a tour of the units at Golden Thunder. "Our reserve forces are deploying in day-to-day operations all over the world," he said.

Twenty-one Army Reserve units provided a variety of support roles including chemical, engineer, postal, chaplain and transportation for the National Guard maneuver forces.

The 472nd Chemical Battalion, from Chicago, participated in several missions at both the South Dakota and Wyoming locations. Four decontamination and eight smoke missions were performed at Custer State Park by the battalion and its subordinate units.

"It was a good opportunity to train with a variety of units," said Lt. Col. William Humphries. Humphries, from Indianapolis, is the 472nd battalion commander.

Spc. Michael Beer, a member of the 378th Chemical Company agreed. "We had really good missions," he said. "There was always something going on." Beer, from Leroy, Ill., is a chemical and smoke specialist. The 378th is a reserve unit from Urbana, Ill.

The 52nd Engineer Battalion, headquartered at Ft. Carson, Colo., performed road improvements, repaired bridges and made improvements to the Boy Scout camp at Custer State Park. The 52nd is a tri-component battalion, with the headquarters and 'A' companies active component units from Ft. Carson, 'B' company is an Oregon National Guard unit, and 'C' company is an Army Reserve unit from Albuquerque, N.M.

At Camp Guernsey, the 342nd and the 323rd Chemical Companies stayed busy with their missions, and with a visit from VTPs.

Lt. Gen. Thomas J. Plewes, Chief of the Army Reserve, briefly visited each Army Reserve unit at Camp Guernsey and Custer State Park.

The 342nd, from Chicago, provided smoke coverage during "Super Day", a Multiple Launch Rocket System field artillery live fire exercise. The weather didn't cooperate, with 30 mile per hour winds causing a quicker dispersion that what was hoped for.

The 323rd, from Sioux Falls, S.D., performed several smoke missions, as well as setting up a thorough decontamination station for vehicles and personnel. A Wyoming National Guard engineer unit provided the vehicles and soldiers for decontamination.

Spc. Chris Christianson said of the decontamination station, "it was a good experience for the new guys." Christianson, from Sioux Falls, is a chemical and smoke specialist with the 323rd.

Chemical platoon leader Sgt. First Class Robert Rieger agreed. "We usually do operational decon. This went real well," he said. Rieger, from Sioux Falls, added, "the young troops learned a lot."

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

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