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NEWS | April 16, 2021

Loading up: Marine instructors teach U.S. Soldiers railway operations

By Staff Sgt. Joshua Magbanua 633d Air Base Wing Public Affairs

Soldiers from the 678th and 679th Movement Control Teams, along with Soldiers from the 757th Expeditionary Railway Center, conducted railway operations training at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, April 11, 2021.

The Soldiers learned to enhance their railway loading skills from instructors who came from Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow. Learning objectives of the day included rail load-out, rail safety, tie-downs and movement planning.

“The main thing [we are trying to accomplish] is knowing what right looks like,” said U.S. Army Master Sgt. Brian Hakey, 757th ERC railway operations non-commissioned officer. “There are a lot of new people in the unit, so this has been their first exposure to rail. We are giving them the operational aspect and seeing all the different components and equipping them with the knowledge to become better advisors to the commands.”

“[Military railway] is probably one of the best kept secrets out there,” he continued. “Not too many people know that the military owns and operates railroads. It’s very low key.”

The training began with instructors teaching the Soldiers how to operate a railroad switching device, then refreshed their knowledge on how to inspect the rail and train cars in preparation for loading.
Then, the Soldiers learned how to tie down rail spanners, properly spot vehicles and afterward tied down those vehicles.

Hakey stressed the importance of the Department of Defense railway mission, saying that although many Americans—even within the military—are unaware this mission exists, trains are still the fastest and most efficient way to conduct mass logistics movements over land.

“We can move the same amount of cargo on one rail car that would take four trucks to do, and we can move up to 100 rail cars with two Soldiers.” Hakey said. “The amount of assets that it takes to move units and equipment is greatly reduced when you utilize rail, and our ability to move cargo at greater distances definitely helps us with readiness as a fighting force.”

Hakey expressed great pride in the military railway mission, describing his team as a small but mighty corps.

“The pride in this unit is probably the greatest in the nation,” Hakey said. “I can’t be more proud of my Soldiers and the job they do. They understand that they are very big players in a very big operation. There’s a lot on their shoulders.”