UMATILLA, Ore. - The Oregon Army National Guard has unveiled a new six-mile tank driver training course at Raymond F. Rees Training Center, marking a significant upgrade in armor units’ training capabilities in Eastern Oregon.
The new course, which saw its first tank traverse the trail this week, enables local National Guard units to conduct essential driver training without traveling hundreds of miles to out-of-state facilities. The development is a milestone in the transformation of the former Umatilla Chemical Depot into a modern military training facility.
“Having this opportunity here in our hometown, in our home armory, to maneuver our vehicles is a great learning opportunity,” said Sgt. 1st Class Eric Gilliland, readiness noncommissioned officer for Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment in Hermiston. “Before, we were having to go to Gowen [Field in Idaho] in order to do any type of maneuvering, which was logistically kind of a nightmare.”
The course will support training for M1A2 SEP v2 Abrams tanks, allowing crews to conduct day and night operations. The night driving capability is particularly crucial, enabling crews to train with thermal imaging and night vision equipment in a controlled environment.
“We can do night driving, where we use our thermals and NVGs without lights,” said 1st Sgt. Karl Baum of Bravo Company. “That’s a huge risk factor. ... We have to have a safe place to drive where there is no one else driving because they don’t see us coming.”
The training center was renamed in 2022 to honor retired Maj. Gen. Raymond F. Rees. The facility is home to two tank units based in Hermiston and Ontario, Oregon, operating as part of the 3-116th Cavalry Regiment.
The addition of the tank trail is part of more than $150 million in improvements spent or planned since the Oregon Army National Guard assumed responsibility for the center in 2017, aiming to create what officials describe as “the best training center in the National Guard.”
For tank crews, the new course means more frequent training opportunities and better vehicle maintenance.
“Part of getting our tanks back and increasing our operational readiness for our equipment is exercising them. Thus, why we need this tank trail,” Baum said.
The facility’s growth continues to fulfill the vision of its namesake, who long recognized the site’s potential for National Guard training. As Rees noted during the 2022 renaming ceremony, Guard units previously had to drive past the depot en route to distant training sites.