HEIDELBERG, Germany — When Spc. Jeffery Herrera realized the radio in a Humvee was broken, just as his unit was making final preparations to deploy into Turkey, he and group of mechanics worked late into the night to get the communications gear back online so the truck could be loaded aboard a transport ship mission-ready.
And when Sgt. Kevin Shank was made temporary platoon sergeant, he took charge of a maintenance unit like a crusty drill sergeant riding herd over a group of recruits.
It’s little moments like these that helped a small military intelligence company in Europe take top honors in an Army-wide competition vetting the best of the best in maintenance.
“It’s about knowing what’s right and doing what’s right,” said Capt. Charles Barber, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, 1st Military Intelligence Battalion of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade. The Wiesbaden, Germany-based company was named winner of the fiscal year 2002 Army Maintenance Excellence award for small units.
“We have some great soldiers who have dedicated a lot of time and effort to achieve the standards, and they haven’t let that slip,” Barber said.
Those are skills that should serve the unit well in Iraq. The busy 96-man unit is preparing to deploy among the next wave of reinforcements into the simmering combat zone. But first, Barber’s troops will be among those honored at an awards ceremony at the Army’s European headquarters in Heidelberg on Tuesday.
Lt. Gen. Michael L. Dodson, deputy commanding general for Army forces in Europe, will recognize the winners and runners-up in both the USAREUR-level Fiscal Year 2002 Army Award Maintenance Excellence and the Fiscal Year 2003 Supply Excellence competitions during a 1 p.m. ceremony at the Patrick Henry Village Pavilion.
The winning units are:
Maintenance excellence
• Small modified table of organization and equipment unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, 1st Military Intelligence Battalion, 205th Military Intelligence Brigade, V Corps• Medium MTOE: 70th Transportation Company, 28th Transportation Battalion, 37th Transportation Command, 21st Theater Support Command• Large MTOE: 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, Division Artillery, 1st Infantry Division, V Corps• Small table of distribution and allowances unit: Maintenance Activity Vilseck, General Support Center Europe, 21st Theater Support Command• Medium TDA: Maintenance Activity Mannheim, General Support Center Europe, 21st Theater Support Command• Large TDA: Kaiserslautern Industrial Center, General Support Center Europe, 21st Theater Support Command
Supply excellence winners
• Category A, MTOE Level I(B): 69th Transportation Company, 28th Transportation Battalion, 37th Transportation Command, 21st Theater Support Command• Category A, MTOE Level II(A): 95th Military Police Battalion, 37th Transportation Command, 21st Theater Support Command• Category A, MTOE Level II(B): 421st Medical Evacuation Battalion, 30th Medical Brigade, V Corps• Category B, TDA Units Level I: Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 235th Base Support Battalion, 98th Area Support Group• Category C, Direct Support Units Level I: 147th Maintenance Company, 71st Corps Support Battalion, 7th Corps Support Group, 3d Corps Support Command, V Corps• Category C, Direct Support Units Level I(C): 80th Area Support Group• Category C, Direct Support Units Level II(A): 77th Maintenance Company, 18th Corps Support Battalion, 16th Corps Support Group, 3rd Corps Support Command, V Corps• Category C, Direct Support Units Level II(B): 26th Quartermaster Supply Company, 485th Corps Support Battalion, 16th Corps Support Group, 3rd Corps Support Command, V Corps• Category C, Direct Support Units Level II(C): 22nd Area Support Group• Category C, Direct Support Units Level III(A): Company D, 701st Main Support Battalion, Division Support Command, 1st Infantry Division, V Corps• Category C, Direct Support Units Level III(B): Company A, 701st Main Support Battalion, Division Support Command, 1st Infantry Division, V Corps
