A Transportation Unit Making Moves – 29,000 Miles for You

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1599569485228{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]By Maryland National Guard Public Affairs Office[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1599569795038{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]The Soldiers of the 1229th Transportation Company drove a total distance more than the 25,000-mile circumference of Earth during the Maryland National Guard operations supporting Maryland’s Response to COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of activations, the nearly 70 Soldiers drove more than 29,000 miles in four and half months, delivered nearly 210,000 boxed meals, and executed over 130 missions moving essential supplies throughout Maryland.

“Keeping pace with the marathon of missions and events that occurred during the span of our COVID-19 operations was a challenge,” 1st Lt. Jared Litsch, executive officer for the 1229th TC who also served as the operations officer. “We had to constantly adjust schedules with the uncertainty regarding what the daily missions would be, their frequency, and for how long, all on top of the extra precautions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while assisting the community.”

In addition to delivering meals from the Maryland Food Bank and other community partners, the unit delivered and setup tents at testing sites, delivered and setup beds at temporary field hospitals, and moved personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer to locations needing it throughout the state.

“Knowing that I could assist in providing necessities to [different] communities puts a smile on my face every time,” 2nd Lt. Braeden Bartrum, a newly commissioned officer and platoon leader in the unit. “I hope that just one box of PPE we moved, or a box of food we handed to someone, made their day a little better.”

Bartrum was the officer in charge of a 12-week mission that delivered 2.5 million pounds of meals to 31 locations across Baltimore City. Nearly 50 Soldiers conducted loading and offloading operations with forklifts and pallet jacks at various warehouses. They used the M1088 5-Ton Medium Tactical Vehicle tractor and the M1083 5-Ton Medium Tactical Vehicle standard cargo version to transport the meals. When a loading dock wasn’t available, the Soldiers loaded and unloaded one box at a time.

“The recognition and gratitude we received from countless people in the community gave us a constant sense of purpose each day we took on missions,” said Capt. Raffaele L. Simpson, commander of the 1229th TC. “When times are tough, we step up, was the mindset.”

The 1229th is based at LTC Melvin H. Cade Armory in Baltimore City and the Soldiers come from all over the state. They sacrificed time with their families and employers to serve on the frontlines of the pandemic response yet remained positive throughout operations.

“Though it was challenging time, we continued to help our community and show that we are in this fight together,” Spc. Odilon Sarabia, truck driver for the unit.

Along with local partners, the fruits of the Soldier’s labor went towards serving vulnerable populations, delivering nearly 50,000 meals and dispensing more than 75,000 boxes of food to assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and youth camps. They unit provided families with more than 78,000 boxes of food and more than 50,000 educational packets at 3 different schools in Baltimore City.

“I was proud that I got the chance to work with such an amazing group of Soldiers to support the state of Maryland during such troubling times,” said Bartrum. “I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start off my National Guard career.”

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