OLESNO, Poland - During Saber Strike 18 there will be 18,000 service members from 19 countries participating in this year's multinational exercise. Military forces from around the globe will conduct live fire missions, transportation movements and logistical support operations as a show of good faith and dedication to European allies.
Apart from all the high-tempo operations one thinks of when imagining a massive joint operation such as this, one such support entity, like the 464th Quartermaster Company out of Lapeer, Michigan, could easily go unnoticed.
This year at Saber Strike 18, the 464th is supporting a large contingent of the nearly 18,000 troops from 19 different nations.
They will provide field laundry service and showers to the military forces on forward operating bases throughout Land Forces Training Center Drawsko, Poland.
The 464th Quartermaster Company spares no expense in ensuring soldier morale is high during Saber Strike 18. They are responsible for the entirety of field laundry
and shower.
"We are here to help boost the morale of the Soldier. There is nothing better than a hot shower and clean clothes after a long day's work" said Sgt. Carlo Grier of the
464th Quartermaster Company. "A happy Soldier works harder, and that's what we are here to maintain."
The 464th Quartermaster Company provides rapid laundry service for Soldiers and strives to maintain a 24-hour turnaround time as well as rotating shower schedules for men and women from all nations.
The 464th Quartermaster Company uses incredible amounts of resources to support the Saber Strike 18 exercise. The laundry systems are able to wash 15 to 20 bags of clothing and require 2000 to 3000 gallons of water each day to maintain Soldier cleanliness.
This water is sterilized by the laundry system three to five times before being sent to the gray water tanks for disposal.
The laundry systems are able to wash and dry the clothing in the same drum without having to be removed.
This process takes roughly 65 minutes to complete.
When service members drop off their laundry, the clothing is inspected for any loose items in the pockets, after which the Soldier fills out a slip identifying what articles of clothing were dropped off for accountability.
The clothing is bagged, washed and then dried. After the cleaning process is complete, the clothing is either taken back to Konotop Barracks or placed in the laundry pick-up area in the forward operating base at the 464th Quartermaster Company area.
The 464th Quartermaster Company will be running 24-hour operations with four hours reserved to conduct maintenance for both the laundry and shower systems each day.