New York Guard strengthens capabilities during Operation Sustain Thunder

CORTLANDT MANOR, N.Y. - New York Army National Guard Soldiers from the 369th Division Sustainment Brigade qualified on machine guns, mastered sling-load operations and moved military vehicles by highway and cargo aircraft during their annual Operation Sustain Thunder training.

The two-week exercise moved troops and heavy trucks from home armories across New York to Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, testing the brigade's ability to mobilize on short notice and sustain the Troy-based 42nd Infantry "Rainbow" Division in combat.

The multi-state movement combined long-distance road convoys with strategic airlift missions conducted with the New York Air National Guard's 105th Airlift Wing, based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh. Aircrews flew six C-17 Globemaster III missions to transport heavy trucks and support teams.

"It was an incredibly proud moment seeing 18 months of planning culminate in moving 1,200 Soldiers and over 275 vehicles from New York down to Fort A.P. Hill," said Lt. Col. David Myones, who directed airfield operations. "Working with C-17 cargo planes shows why teaming up with the Air Force is so vital."

The joint airlifts gave flight planners critical hands-on experience preparing military vehicles to meet strict airlift requirements.

"Moving Army trucks by air takes far more planning than just driving to the runway," said Warrant Officer 1 Robert Bassett, a brigade mobility warrant officer. "Every vehicle must meet strict size and weight limits."

Technical inspections require meticulous preparation before vehicles can board, including verifying fuel levels, accounting for hazardous materials such as vehicle batteries and calculating where vehicles will be positioned inside the cargo hold, Bassett said.

Forty tactical trucks were organized into four travel groups along a 486-mile route across five states. Coordinating hundreds of heavy military vehicles across crowded public highways required minute-by-minute tracking by the brigade's movement control cell.

Col. Bryon L. Linnehan, commander of the 369th Division Sustainment Brigade, said the August exercise proved the brigade can rapidly mobilize, protect itself and sustain fighting units across great distances.

"By moving troops by air and road with our Air National Guard partners, we sent a clear message that the 369th is ready to support the 42nd Infantry Division anywhere in the world," he said.

Machine Gun Training

Ten vehicle crews from the 369th Division Sustainment Brigade qualified on the M240B machine gun during live-fire training designed to prepare supply and transport troops to defend their convoys under fire as part of Operation Sustain Thunder. The qualifications marked the end of a 12-month training program.

Soldiers progressed through marksmanship and crew-training stages, culminating with Table VI crew qualification, the Army's live-fire qualification in which gunners engaged pop-up targets by day and night while riding in moving cargo trucks, said Sgt. 1st Class Enrico Noel, a senior master gunner and the range coordinator.

The training underscored the need for logistics units to defend themselves against threats while supporting combat operations.

"Gunnery builds crew-level lethality and reinforces the mindset supply troops need to protect themselves in hostile areas," Noel said. "Gunnery is not just about pulling a trigger; it builds real discipline, timing and trust inside the cab."

Pop-up silhouette targets appeared at varying distances along the tree line, forcing vehicle crews to identify threats, estimate range and deliver accurate suppressive fire within seconds. During the live-fire exercises, truck drivers navigated unpaved range roads while turret gunners scanned for targets, identified threats and shouted firing commands over radio headsets.

For junior enlisted Soldiers behind the weapons, the fast-moving course developed poise under realistic combat stress.

"It was intense, but it proved how crucial clear communication is inside the truck," said Spc. Nicholas Rios, a vehicle gunner who earned his qualification. "Everyone has to stay calm, trust each other and do their part at the right second."

Sling-Load Training

Thirty Soldiers with the 369th Division Sustainment Brigade teamed up with Army aviators to practice moving mobile field kitchens and rations by helicopter during Operation Sustain Thunder. The exercise, conducted with aircrews from B Company, 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment, focused on rigging and airlifting rolling vehicles and bulk supplies into simulated remote battle zones.

Equipment suspended beneath transport helicopters included mobile assault kitchens, containerized food units and pallets of field rations, replicating the delivery of hot meals to an isolated infantry company in contested territory.

Rigging tactical equipment beneath hovering helicopters required exacting technical precision. Ground crews spent days calculating vehicle weights, inspecting heavy-duty nylon straps and metal connection rings, and rehearsing ground safety procedures before working with live aircraft.

"This operation required deliberate planning and close synchronization across multiple teams," said Staff Sgt. Ethan Li, the brigade's sling-load noncommissioned officer in charge. "The value of training with aviation is that it expands our supply delivery options."

"On a modern battlefield, road networks can be blocked, damaged or ambushed," Li said. "Moving supplies by air gives commanders another way to place mobile kitchens and critical supplies exactly where troops need them most."

Culinary specialists from the 1501st Quartermaster Company, a dedicated field feeding company, worked with flight crews to prepare heavy kitchen trailers and supply pallets for rapid air movement.

The training demonstrated how logistics units must be prepared to maneuver and sustain forces in hostile combat conditions, said Capt. David Martin, commander of the 1501st Quartermaster Company.

"It allowed them to witness the full capabilities of our assault kitchens and demonstrated exactly how we adapt on the battlefield to sustain the warfighter," Martin said.