Military Convoy Training Taking Place on I-15 This Weekend

CAMP WILLIAMS, Utah – It’s pretty much the same thing every day.

Cars, trucks, bigger trucks, all sharing the interstate to get somewhere.

But every once in a while, you see something that just stands out.

“Yeah, that kind of makes some people nervous,” said Andrew Shepherd.

Nervous, because when you see a convoy of military vehicles on the interstate, it makes you wonder if there is something going on.

However, in this case, Shepherd says it’s just practice.

He’s a Staff Sergeant with Utah National Guard’s 19^th Special Forces and is part of the convoy.

“All it is is just training missions to train the soldiers with the vehicles to get them prepped, set, and ready to roll,” said Staff Sgt. Shepherd.

About 15 trucks and two dozen soldiers are spending the next couple of days learning about the trucks and getting on I-15 to practice tactical convoy operations.

The group left Camp Williams in Bluffdale to go to St. George Saturday morning.

“Just get us pre-planned and trained for upcoming missions,” said Shepherd. “You want to know where all your kits are, your emergency kits, your tool kit. You want to know everything about the truck.”

The Utah National Guard also wants civilians to know they’re out and to be careful if you come across them on I-15.

The convoy only does about 55 miles an hour, which is slow for what you normally see on Utah’s interstates.

However, it’s good practice for them if this was a real mission.

“We want to get the miles on them and have to get the soldiers familiar with the trucks,” said Shepherd.

The convoy is spending the night in St. George but is planning on heading back to Camp Williams Sunday morning.