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| Sgt. Nicholas Chapman, a watercraft operator from the 467th Transportation Company out of Tacoma, Wash. trains MOTCO firefighter Jason Madariaga to operate a fireboat. Madariaga is one of several firefighters Chapman is training so they can earn their Coast Guard certification and better fight fires aboard ships in the bay. |
03.01.2018
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Matt Scotten
Personnel Force Innovation
CONCORD, Calif. – When people think of the San Francisco Bay Area, several things come to mind, including cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge, the 49ers, Full House, Rice-a-Roni and more. What many people do not know is that the Bay Area is also home to a military installation responsible for providing terminal and distribution services in support of deploying and redeploying forces in the California Area of Responsibility.
Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO) sits right on the bay, nestled among tall, green mountains just east of Oakland and San Francisco. Shipments of ammunition arrive at the installation to be shipped to troops abroad, or brought inland via the railhead located on the installation. To address the inherent safety concerns related to transporting ammunition, the installation has two federal fire stations right on the base. However, installation leaders are always working to make their firefighting capabilities more robust.
The 834th Transportation Battalion, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC), has activated two U.S. Army Reserve watercraft operators and outfitted a fireboat for use in fighting potential fires on the water. This is a critical asset when ships operate in the bay to deliver or receive ammunitions or other supplies to and from MOTCO. The Soldiers are responsible for teaching the installation’s experienced firemen to pilot a watercraft so they can earn their Coast Guard certification. The Soldiers were brought on active duty orders through the Personnel Force Innovation program to complete the mission.
Sgt. Gabriel Espinosa, an Elma, Wash. native and reservist from the 4th Battalion, 414th Regiment, 104th Training Division, has been on the ground for about a year and a half as the watercraft engineer for the fireboat and has enjoyed the new environment and challenge. “I never thought it would be possible to get this much experience in the Army Reserve. I hope to stay for the full three years we are allowed. When I move on, I know I’ll miss it. It’s rewarding getting to train guys who have never been on a boat before.”
“These Soldiers have been on the forefront of getting the boat program up and running. Their work here has been absolutely crucial,” said Jason Roberts, administrative officer, 834th Transportation Battalion, who coordinated the Soldiers’ orders via PFI. “Without those two guys to train our firefighters on the boats, this program couldn’t have worked as well as it has.”
Firemen on the installation are constantly watchful of fires aboard ships as they come in to the installation. However, without the fireboat, firemen would be forced to fight ship fires from the shore, obviously limiting their ability to safeguard ships, passengers, and cargo. The ability to deploy a fireboat manned by trained firefighters will greatly increase the installation’s ability to respond if a fire occurred in the bay.
“We are one of only two military ocean terminals in the government’s inventory. We specialize in the large volume shipment of ammunition all over the world,” said Lt. Col. James Wiley, commander, 834th Transportation Battalion, SDDC. “The PFI program gave us the chance to find the expertise we really needed both on the deck side, as well as the engineer side of watercraft operations. It’s really expanded our capability. Without them, we would have been forced to look into a training curriculum contracted through the civilian sector.”
MOTOC’s out-of-the-box approach not only saves money and boosts their capability, the Soldiers benefit as well. Their benefit comes in the form of hands-on experience, and a lot of it. As Reserve Soldiers, it would be difficult to get this much time working in their chosen fields, restricted to opportunities during monthly drill weekends and annual training exercises. While on orders at MOTCO, they typically take four firefighters out on the water every day. The goal may be to teach firefighters to operate a fireboat, but the Soldiers also get an opportunity to learn about firefighting in the process.
Sgt. Nicholas Chapman, a watercraft operator from the 467th Transportation Company out of Tacoma, Wash., said, “I always wanted to be a firefighter. Here, I have the opportunity to operate the only fireboat on the West Coast. This has been an awesome experience. Not only did I have the chance to teach firefighters to operate the boat, I’ve learned a lot from them, as well, and they are some of the best in the business.”
Chapman said he has loved his time at MOTCO so much that he is exploring opportunities to transition to permanent active duty once his tour at Concord is over.
Once enough firefighters have earned their Coast Guard certification, these Soldiers will return to their Reserve units having gained unique and valuable skills and experiences they can share with their peers. In the meantime, the bay is their training ground, their office is a boat, and Military Ocean Terminal Concord is a safer place for their efforts.
