1st MSC hosts mobilization readiness exercise
1st MSC hosts mobilization readiness exercise
Camp Santiago, Salinas: Soldiers of the 1st Mission Support Command's Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment hosted a mobilization readiness exercise at Camp Santiago, P.R., 14-27 March.
During the event, HHD Soldiers completed readiness checks for over 1,000 Soldiers. Events such as this are commonly held annually to ensure that commanders can maintain their unit readiness.
"We try to do this as the units get closer to their available year in order to have them improve their overall readiness and mobilization posture in the event they get selected (for mobilization) down the road", said Gerardo Rodriguez, mobilization officer for the 1st MSC.
Rodriguez said MRXs help units maintain readiness for deployments but they also serve the individual Soldier.
"As part of the MRX ... there are different stations and one of them, one of the most important, is medical. A Soldier is completely checked and whatever cannot be fixed at this location ... the Soldier can go to a private (medical) provider and get that situation fixed and that helps them with their overall readiness",he said.
Soldiers rotate through eleven different stations in total where they are checked in by HHD Soldiers and efficiently move through the station. While the process has been refined over the years at times people still tend to get impatient.
Staff Sgt. Anaselly Ramos, logistics noncommissioned officer with the mobilization team, know the experience can be stressful but to help keep the level of frustration down she leads groups of Soldiers through stations when she sees openings. While each group of Soldiers is instructed to follow the schedule given to them for the MRX, Ramos' method keeps things moving along too.
Keeping track of the entire flow of Soldier traffic is a system called the mobilization plan data viewer.
"It shows all the stations and actually it runs the SRP (MRX) completely", said Spc. Hector Rodriguez, from Bayamon.
"It's tracking each Soldier by station ... you can see how many have completed (the stations) and how many have not",added Rodriguez, who is assigned to the 311th Quartermaster Company.
While the process can be tedious for the Soldiers going from station to station, one Soldier working at the medical readiness station found the MRX to be an opportunity to challenge herself by practicing her public speaking skills.
Spc. Jenniffer Gonzalez Diaz, a traffic management coordinator, who's primary language is Spanish, began giving the medical station briefings to many groups of Soldiers. Gonzalez admits that speaking English is not one of her strengths but her determination brought her recognition among her peers and even the Commanding General of the 1st MSC Brig. Gen. Fernando Fernandez.
"They gave me the opportunity to participate in this activity so I can ... help them in the system with the Soldiers, and I practiced a lot my English",said Gonzalez.
As a member of the the 390th Seaport Company, in Ceiba, Gonzalez recognizes the importance of refining her English language skills. When given the opportunity to refine her abilities when she signed up for the Army, Gonzalez participated in English language courses.
"I improved my English, I practiced my English when I took the class but I knew a little bit of the language because we are Puerto Rico and we are bilingual so we took classes when we started in (grade) school", said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez knows this isn't the only challenge she'll have to overcome in her military career, which is why she stays motivated and maintains a positive attitude.
"The important thing for me is to show people that you are trying, don't get upset, don't get mad if someone corrects you because they are helping you",she said. "If you don't know, ask, so you can learn ... the stuff you learn nobody can take away."
1st MSC hosts mobilization readiness exercise
1st MSC hosts mobilization readiness exercise
Camp Santiago, Salinas: Soldiers of the 1st Mission Support Command's Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment hosted a mobilization readiness exercise at Camp Santiago, P.R., 14-27 March.
During the event, HHD Soldiers completed readiness checks for over 1,000 Soldiers. Events such as this are commonly held annually to ensure that commanders can maintain their unit readiness.
"We try to do this as the units get closer to their available year in order to have them improve their overall readiness and mobilization posture in the event they get selected (for mobilization) down the road", said Gerardo Rodriguez, mobilization officer for the 1st MSC.
Rodriguez said MRXs help units maintain readiness for deployments but they also serve the individual Soldier.
"As part of the MRX ... there are different stations and one of them, one of the most important, is medical. A Soldier is completely checked and whatever cannot be fixed at this location ... the Soldier can go to a private (medical) provider and get that situation fixed and that helps them with their overall readiness",he said.
Soldiers rotate through eleven different stations in total where they are checked in by HHD Soldiers and efficiently move through the station. While the process has been refined over the years at times people still tend to get impatient.
Staff Sgt. Anaselly Ramos, logistics noncommissioned officer with the mobilization team, know the experience can be stressful but to help keep the level of frustration down she leads groups of Soldiers through stations when she sees openings. While each group of Soldiers is instructed to follow the schedule given to them for the MRX, Ramos' method keeps things moving along too.
Keeping track of the entire flow of Soldier traffic is a system called the mobilization plan data viewer.
"It shows all the stations and actually it runs the SRP (MRX) completely", said Spc. Hector Rodriguez, from Bayamon.
"It's tracking each Soldier by station ... you can see how many have completed (the stations) and how many have not",added Rodriguez, who is assigned to the 311th Quartermaster Company.
While the process can be tedious for the Soldiers going from station to station, one Soldier working at the medical readiness station found the MRX to be an opportunity to challenge herself by practicing her public speaking skills.
Spc. Jenniffer Gonzalez Diaz, a traffic management coordinator, who's primary language is Spanish, began giving the medical station briefings to many groups of Soldiers. Gonzalez admits that speaking English is not one of her strengths but her determination brought her recognition among her peers and even the Commanding General of the 1st MSC Brig. Gen. Fernando Fernandez.
"They gave me the opportunity to participate in this activity so I can ... help them in the system with the Soldiers, and I practiced a lot my English",said Gonzalez.
As a member of the the 390th Seaport Company, in Ceiba, Gonzalez recognizes the importance of refining her English language skills. When given the opportunity to refine her abilities when she signed up for the Army, Gonzalez participated in English language courses.
"I improved my English, I practiced my English when I took the class but I knew a little bit of the language because we are Puerto Rico and we are bilingual so we took classes when we started in (grade) school", said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez knows this isn't the only challenge she'll have to overcome in her military career, which is why she stays motivated and maintains a positive attitude.
"The important thing for me is to show people that you are trying, don't get upset, don't get mad if someone corrects you because they are helping you",she said. "If you don't know, ask, so you can learn ... the stuff you learn nobody can take away."