Trio of Army units call Grissom home Published March 24, 2017 By Staff Sgt. Dakota Bergl 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- Although it’s an Air Force Base Grissom is home to more than just Airmen, including America’s oldest branch of service – the United States Army. The Army Reserve Center was opened in October 1974 and is home to three units, each with a unique mission. The 316th Psychological Operations Company is the largest of the Army units assigned to Grissom. Members of the 316th deploy regularly to provide Military Information Support Operations (MISO) to units world-wide. During 2016 the 316th PSYOP Co. was ranked number four of 21 units in the 16th Psycological Operations Battalion, said LT. Col. Christopher Ambrosio, 16th PSYOP Battalion commander. “You guys do outstanding work,” said Ambrosio. “You meet the same requirements that active duty has operating with only one-tenth of the time. You are successful because you are dedicated.” During a change of command ceremony Capt. Steven Kitchell, former commander of the 316th PSYOP Co., said he was honored to have served with the 316th. “It is a great unit,” said Kitchell during a change of command ceremony. “Despite any challenges our company faced we were always able to pull together and overcome.” Staff Sgt. Amanda Albright, 316th PSYOP Co. mobilization planner, said one of the main jobs of the unit is to help influence local population’s opinion based on the Army’s needs at deployed locations. “We are supposed to persuade, change and influence the local population based on the Army’s needs,” said Albright. “It’s really subjective depending on what city or country you are in. We might be playing a message telling insurgents to surrender in one location while another location we might advertise a health and wellness clinic.” Mark Hutchins, 316th PSYOP Co. unit administrator, said members advise and assist whatever unit they are attached to when they deploy. “We basically advise,” said Hutchins. “The commander of a unit might ask for information about a group in the deployed area, and it’s our job to go find that information for them.” Albright expanded on the role the 316th plays in deployed operations, describing the unit as a force multiplier. “We are basically like a chess piece for the commander to use,” said Albright. “We can go out and help commanders who are engaged in battles or assist in humanitarian efforts. We find and use information to help make operations successful.” The 316th is split into five separate detachments who deploy separately on an as needed basis. Most recently members of the 316th deployed on a mission to Africa. Also sharing space with the 316th are members who wear the distinctive Smokey the Bear hat. A Company, 1st Battalion, 330th Infantry Regiment is a drill instructor unit which instructs infantry basic training annually at Fort Benning, Georgia. Hutchins said A Company’s work is self-explanatory, when they are activated members of the unit travel to Ft. Benning and act as drill sergeants for soldiers training there. “They typically get activated for a year at a time,” said Hutchins. “They travel to Fort Benning and are on the trail for the full year. They usually go through three or four basic training cycles in that time then come back up here and go back to being civilians. They tend to get activated on an as needed basis, if Fort Benning is short a few people they can call up here and get the extra bodies they need.” Meeting the needs of soldiers is the mission of the third Army unit at Grissom. The 1st Detachment, 855th Quartermaster Company is a laundry and bath unit that provides services to soldiers deployed in remote areas. “They set up showers and laundry for the units they are attached to,” said Hutchins. “They are also quartermasters so they handle issuing of certain items as well. They do a lot of behind the scenes stuff for other units when they are deployed.” Grissom is home to not only the 434th Air Refueling Wing, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command, but also three Army Reserve units and a Marine Corps communications detachment. Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines routinely deploy from Grissom in support of the Department of Defense missions and U.S. strategic objectives. Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.
