US Army Training Center - Yearbook (Fort Eustis, VA)

Page 13 text:

OUR HISTORY The Transportation Highway Unit Training Center was activated on March 6th, 1952 by direction of Major General Frank A. Heile- man, the former Chief of Transportation, It was the first organization of its type ever to be formed in the Transportation Corps. While there have been numerous other headquarters established to command units of the Trans- portation Corps, the Highway Unit Training Center was unique because it was designed to command and direct the training of one spe- cific type of organization, namely the general reserve units of the Highway Transport Service. The Transportation Corps is responsible for the activation and training of all of the high- way transport units required to support the Army of the United States in peace or war. Within the organizational structure of an army operating actively in the field there are approximately forty light truck companies which are organized into battalions and groups. These companies are employed pri- marily in the movement of the combat per- INTERIOR, FIRST HUTC HEADQUARTERS EXTERIOR, FIRST HUTC HEADQUARTERS sonnel of the field army and the shuttling of all types of supplies to the forward areas. Many scores of additional truck companies, equipped with truck tractors and cargo trail- ers, gasoline tankers, and refrigerator vans, are required in an active theatre of operations for the efficient movement of tools of war. While the immediate mission of the High- way Unit Training Center is to activate and train truck battalions and truck companies, the long range goal is the development of sound procedures and techniques for the acti- vation, equipping, training and finally testing of all types of highway transport units which will serve as a guide throughout the Army and which will facilitate the immediate es- tablishment and operation of similar training centers in the event of a national emergency. Initially, the headquarters of the new train- ing center occupied a chapel building which up until that time had been used as a class- room. The entire strength on the date of ac- tivation was five officers. As the weeks passed, additional officers and enlisted men were assigned to the command. The first unit to be placed under the com- mand jurisdiction of the new training .center was the 32nd Transportation Heavy Truck Company. Shortly thereafter, the Head- quarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Transportation Battalion fTruckj arrived f 13-1 8.3 A gs.: , I . ----M on

Page 12 text:

HAROLD R. DUFFIE BRIGADIER GENERAL, USA Commanding General Transpor+a+ior1 Cen+er P+. Eusfis, Virginia

Page 14 text:

from Fort Story and joined the command. In the months that followed activation, the size of the Highway Unit Training Center steadily increased. The present troop list in- cludes one group headquarters and twelve truck companies. Three of the companies were stationed at Fort Eustis prior to the establishment of the training center, six com- panies were activated during the past year, and three were transferred from other sta- tions. ln May 1952, the Highway Unit Training Center was directed to activate the first Trans- portation Heavy Truck Company ever to be equipped with refrigerator vans. This unit was designated the lst Transportation Heavy Truck Company frefrigeratedj and after completing all phases of training was shipped overseas last December. Early in the Spring of 1952, the Chief of Transportation directed the Highway Unit Training Center to construct a Difficult Driv- ing Range at Fort Eustis. This task was de- legated to the 11-th Transportation Battalion tTruckj and throughout the hot days of late spring and summer, constantly harrassed by mud, flies and mosquitoes, the troops felled trees, hacked away undergrowth and con- structed roads and obstacles. The three mile course was completed at no expense to the Government and is considered one of the Q V 0.1 n 1 L finest training facilities of its type. Combin- ing every conceivable type of natural and man-made obstacle, the course is ideally suited to develop skill in the operation of combat vehicles and to instill self confidence in the student driver. From March through October of 1952, the command operated the Post Motor Pool. During this period, this facility was com- pletely reorganized, the maintenance shops were moved to new quarters and provided with the latest types of preventive mainten- ance equipment. Parking areas were resur- faced, a new access road opened, a post bus system placed in operation and a taxi service established. The monthly mileage for all ve- hicles in the motor pool increased from 181,141 miles in February to 231,167 miles in October. The troops of the command were origin- ally housed in the 900 block. ln January 1953, the 4-th and 6th Battalions took over the entire 1600 block and in March the 126th Battalion moved into the 2300 block. All command and staff activities, including bat- talion headquaiters are consolidated in the 2200 block. The rapid growth of the Highway Unit Training Center quickly overtaxed the avail- able motor parks. The buildup to 700 ve- ...L .b. .-. Col Banker with Company Commanders drawing to see which HUTC FIELD DAY, 1952 mess he would eat Thanksgiving Dinner 1952.