Capt. Seth Musgrove looks over dispatches in his command post at Camp Shelby, Miss., last week. Musgrove, the commander of Ontario’s Oregon Army National Guard unit, said his outfit is focused and ready as it starts a long training stint at Camp Shelby.
Camp Shelby, Miss. — David Glassock said he will never forget the way residents of eastern Oregon and Ontario rallied to say goodbye to his Guard unit a couple of weeks ago.
“It (the send-off) was the best in the state. The community support was excellent. We had people along the entire route. It was nice. It made me feel like we were being supported,” he said.
“While still early in the training session, Musgrove said his company is doing well. Still, he said he understands the sacrifice his Guardsmen make to be away from loved ones.
Glassock joined more than 450 members of eastern Oregon’s 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team as it flew to Camp Shelby Miss., recently for training to prepare for a deployment to Iraq later this fall.
The 3rd Battalion consists of Guard outfits from Hood River, The Dalles, Hermiston, Pendleton, La Grande, Baker City and Ontario. The unit received notification in April regarding a deployment to Iraq.
While Glassock, a Hillsboro resident and a sergeant with the Ontario’s Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, said he was impressed with the send-off from eastern Oregon residents, he also noted the encouragement his unit collected from local people.
“Every time we went somewhere (in Ontario) everyone said ‘thank you,’ ” Glassock said. “I’ve not experienced that kind of ‘Hey, good job’ since the (first) Gulf War.”
The farewells showered on the 3rd Battalion — including Glassock’s unit — marked the beginning of a new phase of training for the entire battalion.
Now at Camp Shelby, the 3rd Battalion join similar-sized units from Montana and Idaho to put the finishing touches on an intensive preparation program. The training regime began in June and included a three-week-plus stint on the high desert south of Boise in August.
One new difficulty Guardsmen from Charlie Company face is the unique climate of Mississippi, according to the unit commander, Capt. Seth Musgrove. “I think the biggest challenge right now is getting acclimated to the weather. Especially the humidity,” Musgrove said.
“I think the biggest challenge right now is getting acclimated to the weather. Especially the humidity,” Musgrove said.
For a group accustomed to the weather in western Oregon or the high desert climate in the eastern part of the Beaver state, the unique conditions in Mississippi proved to be a minor shock. Musgrove said, however, his group is learning to overcome the local environment.
“It (the weather) is not a factor in terms of performance. It is just one of those things you deal with,” Musgrove said.
Charlie Company, along with other units in the 3rd Battalion, will conduct a series of training exercises while at Camp Shelby. Guardsmen will be instructed on various weapons systems, become familiar with the U.S. Army’s main means of transportation in Iraq — the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored vehicle — Iraqi language training and conduct convoy escort training. The convoy escort instruction is critical, Musgrove said.
“In my mind that is the biggest piece (to training) as well as working through all the sub-tasks associated with convoy security,” he said.
“It is tough being away from family. And family is always in the back of a Guardsman’s mind. I think it is healthy to think about it. But you’ve got to be mindful it does not consume your thought process. You know, we still have a job to do,” he said.
Story by Pat Caldwell - embedded with the 3/116 CAV
Special to the Argus Observer
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