An Ohio military unit made their annual pilgrimage to Tobyhanna Army Depot last week, strengthening an enduring partnership between Soldiers and the civilians who support them.

Thirteen Soldiers from the Army National Guard’s Bravo Company, 638th Aviation Support Battalion received their two-week annual training, courtesy of Team Tobyhanna. The unit has been traveling to the installation for 13 years, according to Chief Warrant Officer Steven Kobus.

“For years, I knew of Tobyhanna because I saw the depot’s name on our equipment,” he said. “I finally decided to come see the facility for myself and meet the people who supported our mission.”

While on that visit, Kobus learned of the depot’s robust Reserve Training programs and swore to bring his unit back the following year.

“I was excited to get my team in a practical setting where they could learn from the employees who keep our equipment running,” he said, adding that many of the Soldiers were especially excited about the opportunity, as they had received support from Tobyhanna personnel while in theater.

The annual training paired each Soldier with a depot subject matter expert who could advise on the repair and troubleshooting of radio and night vision equipment. Team members also shared knowledge through hands-on experience, particularly with components not usually accessible to Soldiers. Chief Warrant Officer Michael Fincannon says the trip was more than worthwhile.

“Training like this helps each organization – the Soldiers and our civilians – see the bigger picture that their work is a part of.”

In addition to the quality of the training experience, Soldiers also praised depot facilities.

“The accommodations here are fantastic, and the barracks team provides top-notch support,” said Kobus. Chief Warrant Officer William Hallas agreed.

“We’ve been a lot of places – and trust me when I say that Tobyhanna ranks among the best.”

Although Kobus expects to retire from service this year, he says the partnership will continue long in the future.

“You can’t put a price tag on the hands-on experience we get at Tobyhanna,” Kobus said. “When I ask ‘who wants to go to Tobyhanna,’ the entire unit raises their hands. Needless to say, we’ll be back.”

Tobyhanna Army Depot provides over thirty command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR) training programs for the Joint Warfighter, averaging 1,700 soldier training days per year.  The efforts are directly aligned with Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2028 – specifically the C5ISR Readiness line of effort, which strives to ensure America’s warfighters are always ready.

For information on training with Tobyhanna, contact the depot’s Reserve Training Coordinator at 570-615-6492.

Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for C5ISR systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C5ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.

Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our joint warfighters.

About 3,700 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to empower the Soldier with winning C5ISR capabilities.