The Logistics of Leaving Iraq – Part Four: Reposturing Effort

This is the fourth post of our Leaving Iraq series, detailing the logistics involved in ending military operations in Iraq.

Two MI-17 Iraqi helicopters made their way over the city of Ramadi, and the Euphrates River to land at the helicopter-landing zone on Camp Ramadi in November.

Staff Brig. Gen. Hussein Mostof, the senior military advisor to the Receivership Secretariat and his team from the Government of Iraq’s Basing Committee had arrived to supervise the transition of Camp Ramadi from U.S. Forces to Iraqi Forces.

As they exited the aircraft, the group made its way to a small building where Brig. Gen. Hatim of the Habbaniya Location Command was waiting with Lt. Col. Steven Hart, the Reposture Assistance Team Officer In Charge with 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, going line by line over the list of equipment that would be left for the Iraqi Army when the camp was turned over after the completion of the paperwork.

“The reposture effort was a priority from day one of arriving in country,” said Hart. “The bottom line is that transferring bases, facilities, infrastructure and equipment to the Iraqi Security Forces translated into increased capability for them and represents an investment by the American people in the enduring strategic relationship between our two countries.”

Hatim and inspectors from his command conducted inventories on all equipment and buildings on the camp. He will be responsible for the custodianship and the security of the base.

Talking through an interpreter, Mostof thanked Hart, saying he had made the transition smooth so that the Government of Iraq can take over and make things better for Ramadi.

Within an hour of the signing over of Camp Ramadi, Iraqi Soldiers were poised to take over guard towers and security at the camp’s entry points.

Due to the contributions of U.S. military service members and Iraqi Soldiers, policemen and civilians over the last eight years, Ramadi has transformed from a hotbed of terrorist violence into a city mostly free of terrorist attacks. The city has a place in history as previous being one of the toughest cities in Iraq, but had an “Awakening” in 2006 when coalition forces and tribal leaders came together to fight Al-Qaida.

Because of the continued efforts in Ramadi to recruit and train Iraqi Soldiers and Policemen, American military Troops can now leave the city in the capable hands of the Iraqi Security Forces.

Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Navarro, the acting first sergeant for B Battery, 2-319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment “Black Falcons,” said his deployment in support of Operation New Dawn was a much better experience than his previous two deployments to Iraq, the first in 2003 as part of the initial invasion and again four years later during the Surge. The aluminum trailers Navarro and his Soldiers stayed in were better accommodations than his first two tours, and the security situation was much better.

Now, as they made final preparations to leave their current accommodations, there were more than 40 vehicles lined up waiting for the order to begin movement. They were the last of the almost 300 military vehicles to leave the camp. This would be the last movement out of Camp Ramadi for U.S. Forces.

The “Black Falcons” first destination of the two-day convoy was Contingency Operating Base Kalsu. Paratroopers cleaned out the vehicles of the day’s debris, ensured they were ready for the next leg of the trip and talked about what they were going to do when they got home.

“I am going to cook my own food and spend time with my wife and daughter,” said Sgt. Edwin Tyren, a 2-319th gunner.

After leaving Kalsu the next morning, the Troopers had a short stopover in Contingency Operating Base Adder to check their vehicles, stretch their legs and get something to eat. This would be their last meal in Iraq after more than six months. They had arrived earlier than expected, so they continued on to Kuwait that day.

After arriving at Camp Virginia, Kuwait, the 2-319th Paratroopers worked late into the night and early into the next morning, turning in ammunition and preparing the vehicles for turn-in later that day, and reflecting on what they accomplished.

“I am proud of what we have done here in Iraq,” Navarro said. “Completing the mission honors all who came before us.”

Written by Staff Sgt. Nancy Lugo for Army.mil.

Iraq: Virginia National Guard Calvary unit makes final preparations to leave Iraq

By Army Reserve Spc. Anthony Zane
Army Reserve

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq – With Operation New Dawn coming to an end, the Virginia Army National Guard exited Iraq in its final convoy out of here Friday.

"We were a convoy escort team," said Army Staff Sgt. Raymond Bunch, a convoy commander with Able Troop, 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment.

"We would pick up logistic supplies … and escort them from one base to another to their final destination."

Soldiers' equipment and vehicles were inspected and made ready for the final journey.

Able Troop prepared to leave the base and head south across the border into Kuwait, and start turning in all of our gear for our end of deployment, said Bunch.

The mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles the unit will convoy out of the country in had been lined up just outside the Soldier living area.

"Our squadron was all housed here," Bunch said. "Our squadron tactical operation center was right across the road, and the main motor pool was behind there. That's why we've moved all the vehicles over here – to be closer to the containerized housing units and [to] get everything out."

The unit was scheduled to leave earlier, but stayed on after being tasked with a few last missions.

"Things got pushed along," said Bunch. "We ended up having to run a few more missions, and it seems like every time we thought we were running our last mission, they said, 'We need you to run one more.' And of course, the needs of the Army come first."

The convoys throughout the deployment were successful, although Soldiers had to learn new tasks and responsibilities for the mission.

"Able Troop itself is just a conglomeration of where they pulled a whole bunch of people from across the state to make this [mission] come together," Bunch said. "Military occupational specialties and people [who] aren't necessarily used to working together had to come together quick and learn a whole new role than what any of us were trained for. I think we did an excellent job in doing that."

This is the final mission preparation for Able Troop.

"Today is a culmination of everything we've done," said Army Cpl. Josh Brainard, a vehicle commander, 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment here Friday. "Now, it's our final convoy to Kuwait, to leave today."

Essentially what they did to prepare for departure was like a regular mission preparation, Brainard said.

They had to inspect the vehicles, lay out medical equipment, organize their weapons cleaning kits, and everything else – safety gear, meals-ready-to-eat and water – to be inspected for this mission, he said.

All of this is ultimately for the trip home, for which many are ready for.

"I'm very, very excited," Brainard said. "My wife actually had our first child, so I'm really very anxious to get home."

The Soldiers are hopeful to be home before the holidays, Bunch said.

"Of course here at the end [the mission] is to get everybody out," he said. "And then today is the end for us. We're basically escorting ourselves out. Everybody's pumped and excited about that because we're done. We're getting ready to go home."

Kuwait: Army Guard Soldier uses military training, civilian skills to save woman

By Army National Guard Spc. Mathew Schlueter
Minnesota National Guard

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait (11/30/11) – Convoy Escort Team “Able Ten” from Able Troop, 1st Squadron, 94th Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division “Red Bulls” responded to a head on collision of two Iraqi civilian vehicles while on a long haul convoy from Khabari Crossing, Iraq to Camp Adder, Iraq, Oct. 15.

“An Iraqi police officer was waving us down for assistance,” said Army Sgt. Douglas Olsen, truck commander for 1st Squadron, 94th Cavalry. “When we found out there were injuries we quickly called up our medical truck to provide assistance,”

Olsen said he was the first Soldier in the convoy to notice the accident.

The medical truck was then notified by the CET commander to provide aid to the Iraqi civilians.

“I hope the one thing that can be taken from this is that we are here [the Middle East] to help and will go out of our way to help those in need,” said Spc. Arden Morales, a CET combat medic.

Upon arriving, medical truck personnel witnessed one male lying on the side of the road, two women sitting next to each other a few yards away from the accident and three teenagers just a little further away from the women.

“I paused for a moment, but then my training quickly kicked in,” Morales said.

Her training from the Minnesota National Guard as a combat medic was instrumental, but this isn’t the first time Morales has dealt with vehicle accidents. She has worked as an emergency medical technician outside of the military.

Unfortunately, the man that was lying on the side of the road was dead upon arrival. However, she was able to provide care for those seriously wounded in the collision.

“Both women had lacerations to their heads and several broken bones,” she said.

Knowing the women had lost an exceptional amount of blood, Morales was able to provide immediate attention to the more severe of the two women which saved the woman’s life.

Army Staff Sgt. Jason Montana, the 1-94 CAV CET commander from said, “Spec. Morales handled the situation beautifully. She took charge getting the Iraqi police to set-up aid and liter teams and maintained her calm during a stressful situation.”

After Morales rendered aid to all the Iraqi civilians, she assisted the Iraqi Police in loading the injured to transport to the local hospital.

“She went above and beyond to save a woman’s life and provided excellent care to the injured individuals,” he said. “I wish I had more Soldiers just like her.”

Soldiers in Iraq Pack Gear for Departure

By Army Spc. Anthony T. Zane
362nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq, Nov. 29, 2011 – Quartermaster soldiers here are busy packing up pallets of military equipment prior to shipment out of Iraq.

 “Our mission here was to take all the units’ equipment [and] send them to Afghanistan or send them back to the states to get remanufactured,” said Army Staff Sgt. Gene Taylor, a Morton, Miss., native and the yard’s noncommissioned officer in charge assigned to the 227th Quartermaster Company.

Taylor said the redistribution property assistance team processes equipment from various base units.

“Units turn in all their nonrolling stock and their rolling stock to us. … We’re processing all the nonrolling stock in here,” he said. “My guys here … get everything together, banded up, boxed up and ship it to where it needs to go so we can get it out of the country.”

Rolling stock consists of all military vehicles, Taylor said, while nonrolling stock includes all other equipment. The pallets include radios, computer equipment and hospital equipment, said Army Pfc. Tye Spinks, a customer service representative who hails from Bandera, Texas.

“It’s mainly stuff that the units can’t take back with them,” Spinks explained.

Mobile teams are dispatched to units on base that are unable to get to the yard to process their equipment.

“We have two mobile teams here as well,” Spinks said. “They’re going out to them and doing the same turn-in process as we were doing here.”

Once all the equipment is processed and shipped out, he said, the team will do a final cleanup of the yard and will close up shop.

“Our leadership is wonderful,” Spinks said. “If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be able to do the stuff that we do.”

Iraq: Guard members saving money in drawdown

By Army Spc. Anthony Zane
362nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

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CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq (11/15/11) – As the number of U.S. troops exiting Iraq increases, so has the amount of equipment that has been used to support their efforts here.

As efforts continue with the drawdown of Operation New Dawn, massive amounts of materials and equipment have been consolidated, separated, and redistributed through the Material Redistribution Team yard on Contingency Operating Base Adder.

"We are in the last phases of our cleanup of the MRT yard," said Army 1st Lt. Matthew D. Roskam, material redistribution team officer-in-charge, 1729th Field Support Maintenance Company, Maryland Army National Guard.

"Basically, everybody's excess [materials] that's built up over the past eight to 10 years here in Iraq, that's on nobody's property books, nobody owns it, comes here," said Roskam. "We recover it, sort it out by different demilitarization classes, which says if it's serviceable, unserviceable or repairable."

Materials brought to the yard are unloaded onto the ground and then separated by hand.

"We were non-stop for about three weeks straight," said Army Staff Sgt. George E. Adams, noncommissioned officer in charge of safety and the MRT yard, 1729th FSMC. "Every tenant on the COB was bringing stuff in. We had companies that were bringing anywhere between four and 15 flatbeds," said Adams.

For a time, support from other units to help move the containers was scarce.

"At one point we had a couple of the units supporting us with about eight or nine trucks," said Adams.

Then it got to the point that the MRT yard had one truck to move everything in the yard and it was running back and forth all night long, with Citizen-Soldiers working around the clock, just to meet the demand, said Adams.

"But we have some dedicated personnel who are hard-working and a great team," said Adams.

After the excess materials are sorted at the MRT yard, they are shipped to a warehouse in Kuwait.

"From there it either gets sent out to where it needs to be repaired, or it gets destroyed, recovered, and then redistributed to other areas of operation, like Afghanistan," said Roskam.

Whether destroying, repairing, or reusing the materials that process through the MRT yard, the end result is money saved.

"Anything that comes through this yard is essentially a gain back to the Army," said Roskam. "It's lost items that now have been recovered and it's saving money by not having to re-buy them, and that's saving tax dollars."

Even with the increased volume, fewer trucks, and shifts around the clock, Citizen-Soldiers have kept a positive attitude throughout.

"Motivation's been high because we're all working toward the same goal," said Roskam. "We're all going home."

Face of Defense: Convoys Truck Equipment Out of Iraq

By Army Spc. Anthony T Zane
362nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq, Oct. 28, 2011 – The number of convoys leaving Iraq is growing each day as Operation New Dawn nears the end of its mission.

October has been a busy month here, said Army Staff Sgt. Erick Torres, convoy commander, 233rd Transportation Company, as many military units on the base are packing up and sending their equipment back home.

“The most challenging part of this job is loading the vehicles,” said Torres, who hails from Phenix City, Ala.

Convoys of vehicles and equipment, he said, are being packed up and shipped out in preparation to exit Iraq.

Flatbed trucks carrying Humvees, tanks and mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles are backed up to a ramp where the vehicles are carefully loaded. Once the cargo is loaded onto the trucks and the paperwork is complete, Torres said, the convoy is assembled at a staging area to await departure.

Meanwhile, tons of equipment needs to be shipped out before the year's end, Torres said, so soldiers and civilian contractors work long hours to ensure all equipment is packed properly and ready for transit.

Part of a convoy commander’s job, Torres said, is identifying vehicles and equipment by serial number and matching them against unit rosters before they are shipped. It makes for long days, but it is a necessary part of the process, he added.

Face of Defense: Customs Inspectors Keep U.S. Secure

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By Army Spc. Anthony T Zane

362nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq, Oct. 20, 2011 – The number of units packing up equipment and personal belongings is increasing as the U.S. military prepares to depart Iraq at the end of the year.

But, everything that’s shipped to the states from Iraq must first go through a thorough inspection.

All customs inspections here go through Army Sgt. Thomas Vice II, customs project manager, 239th Military Police Company, from Alexandria, La.

“Anything that’s going home has to go through customs,” Vice said. “To start, the units have to send in a customs request form. The standard operating procedure is to get the request in at least 10 days prior to the inspection. That way I’ve got time to make sure everything is right.

“I make sure that the date for inspection is clear and that we have a stamp reserved for that date,” he continued. “After the inspection is completed, the paperwork is signed and stamped with an official customs stamp that certifies the cargo in the container has been properly inspected.”

Soldiers prepare their equipment and personal gear prior to the inspection by placing it on the ground in organized sections.

The customs inspector then briefs soldiers on the inspection process and goes over the list of items that are not allowed to ship. All items to be inspected are positioned in front of large metal shipping containers -- known as conexes -- used to transport equipment and gear.

“It’s a 100-percent inspection,” Vice said. “You might have a 20-foot conex with 80 duffle bags and 60 foot lockers, all with personal gear, and everything has to be dumped out, sifted through and inspected.”

An average unit inspection takes about three to four hours for a seasoned inspector, he said, noting the time it takes to complete an inspection depends on how much equipment or gear the unit has.

“One of the main things that we look for is cleanliness, because any kind of organic matter -- dirt, sand, grass, plants, anything like that -- is an absolute no-go,” Vice said. “We don’t want anything messing with the ecosystem back home, and we’re trying to prevent that from happening.”

Some soldiers may not understand the environmental concerns involved with the inspection process, said Sgt. Julian A. McKinnon, customs border control pre-clearance agent, 1st Cavalry Division, from San Antonio.

“It’s really important, especially at the port cities, because when containers are opened and something bad is in there like animal products or soil ... you could get bacteria that can be harmful back in the states.”

Vice said customs inspectors also look for numerous illegal items.

"You can’t have pornography, alcohol, drugs, or illegal weapons,” he said.

And, some people “try to bring their protein powder or work-out supplements with them,” Vice said. “Well, if the seal has been broken, they can’t bring it.”

The most effective way to find an illegal substance is to use sniffer dogs, he said.

“Sometimes we bring dogs,” Vice said. “The K-9 unit works with us a lot, being that we’re the provost marshal’s office, but the decision to use them is nothing in particular. It’s just random.”

There have been no significant violations so far on COB Adder, Vice said. But the risk, he added, is always present.

Beyond illegal drugs, weapons and organic materials, there is another concern that has developed since the beginning of the U.S. presence in the Middle East, Vice said.

Some soldiers would buy a lot of DVD’s from the Iraqi vendors and ship them home, he said, noting the rules have become stricter. Now soldiers are limited to one DVD title or one box set.

Once containers are inspected, signed off on and sealed here, they go to Kuwait, where they are shipped to the states, Vice said. At that point, he said, all containers in Kuwait are subject to another customs inspection. That inspection is done randomly to at least 10 percent of the containers.

“If they get 500 conexes in that day, they’re going through 50 of them, Vice said. “That’s more or less making sure that we’re doing our job; that we don’t miss things.”

For the most part, he said, soldiers understand the necessity of the inspections.

“Agriculturally, it helps the farmers from losing money due to bacteria or plant diseases that could be transported from here to the states,” Vice said. “It also helps to keep untraced and unmarked weapons off the streets."

“We’re not out to ‘get’ people,” he added. “It’s not about that. It’s about doing the right thing and the safety of the soldiers.”

Deployed Guard members use medieval war games for entertainment

By Army Staff Sgt. Jacob Parker

4th Sustainment Brigade

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq (6/21/11) – While deployed, Soldiers often find new hobbies to occupy their time when they are not on a mission or busy with training. Some play instruments, others read and many play video games.

For some Montana National Guard Soldiers from 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 163rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, sparring with padded swords has become the newest unique hobby.

Army Sgt. John Oglesby, a gunner with Alpha Co., 1st CAB, brought his hobby of sparring, or “ditching” with him to Iraq and has since gained several new members to his group of swordsmen.

Their battles take place in a large hole across from their living area and  has been dubbed “the Pit.” The lower elevation of the pit, with its raised viewing area, gives spectators the sense of watching gladiators in an arena.

The foam-padded weapons in the bright sun of the Iraq desert have a shine to them resembling polished steel, although without the metallic ring of metal to metal contact when struck against each other.

Oglesby has been sparring for more than 25 years with two international organizations dedicated to recreating the arts of the renaissance and the Middle Ages.

“I am almost 50,” Oglesby said. “I don’t think I’ll ever quit doing this. It’s a good stress reliever and it’s an awesome exercise.”

Oglesby and the other participating Soldiers start their matches with a round-robin warm-up, in which the winner of each duel remains to fight the next.

Following the end of their warm-up, Soldiers are already sweating profusely.  They then move into a two-on-two battle. Teammates stand side by side, using cooperation in order to not expose their battle buddies as they fight and move around the pit.

Oglesby usually has four to six people that join him in the pit for battle.

“I like history and medieval stuff just fascinates me,” said Army Spc. Brandon Thronson, a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle driver. “It makes the time go by faster.”

As stories have spread by word-of-mouth, other members of their unit have expressed interest in joining the group and becoming swordsmen to pass the time.

“My advice to skeptics is, don’t knock it until you try it,” Oglesby said.

Montana Guard member, a truck commander, speaks to another driver

Sgt. Brandon Paye, a truck commander for Company B, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 163rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command talks to his driver June 5 during a convoy escort and security mission bringing his set back from Victory Base Complex to Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq.

Montana National Guard members provide security on roads, under different sky

By Army Spc. Sean McGuire

Montana National Guard

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq (6/15/11) – The sky was pitch black. The only illumination stemmed from hulking gun trucks lined up one after the other. For some, June 3 was just another night in Iraq, but with only a few minutes remaining for some Montana National Guard members, it’s almost go-time.

“I have a weird feeling going into this mission,” said Army Spc. John Jodsaas, a .50-caliber machine gunner, who is in the trail vehicle on this mission.

His strange gut feeling is shared by fellow “outlaw,” Army Sgt. Brandon Paye, a truck commander and the mission’s assistant convoy commander.

“There’s been a lot of activity in the southern region lately,” Paye said.

These Soldiers of Company Bravo, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 163rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, have been on the roads since November. Before that, they spent two months at Fort Lewis, Wash., training for their deployment, totaling about eight months away from home for each Soldier.

They run convoy escort and security missions for civilian contractors and third country nationals as well as fellow Army transportation units, who bring commodities all around United States Division-South’s area of responsibility.

Only sometimes do they have the luxury of air weapons teams providing “eye-in-the-sky” cover.

Out of all the teams in the battalion, they have one thing going for them.

“We’re still the only guys to not see contact – knock on wood,” Paye said.

While they have been lucky enough thus far into the deployment to not encounter any attacks, the Soldiers are constantly watching the roads for signs of possible improvised explosive devices as well as assisting with numerous vehicle breakdowns.

On this mission alone, Paye has stopped and dismounted three times, including one halt to sort out a fuel truck’s crossed break lines, which can cause a fire.

“There aren’t any rules on these roads. But I’d take breakdowns anytime, just as long as there aren’t any [explosively formed projectiles],” Paye said.

Everything these infantry Soldiers have seen stands in stark contrast to previous years in a country that has had a U.S. presence since 2003.

“Back in 2004 to 2005 when I was with Charlie Company, it was all about kicking down doors,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Clay Cooper, a truck commander.

Cooper’s last time with the 163rd IR in Iraq was days spent on foot and in Humvees, many without armor.

“For now, it’s about getting safely from point A to point B. It’s not a sexy job, but it’s a job and one we signed up for,” he said.

Paye, as a noncommissioned officer, is a leader in Iraq. Back home, he’s a stone mason and has a wife and an eight-month-old baby girl who was born three weeks before the unit left for pre-deployment training.

“I fell in love with having work I enjoy and still being able to serve,” Paye said. He joined the military in 2005.

As for Jodsaas, he wants to eventually enter school to become an emergency medical technician and a firefighter.

Cooper, currently with 19 years of military service, is eying retirement.

Before Paye, Cooper, Jodsaas and the rest of the 163rd IR can head home, they must keep driving on.

“We aren’t here to argue over the big picture,” Paye said. “We’re here to keep our head down and get the job done until we can go home.”

After about a year away from their significant others, children, friends and the mountains of Montana, there are mere months remaining for these soldiers here.

When they return home, they will again become masons, students, firefighters and most importantly reacquaint themselves with the life and family they left behind to serve their country.

Maryland Guard members keep radios 'on air'

By Army 1st Lt. Matthew Roskam

4th Sustainment Brigade

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq (6/14/11) – Sometimes we take our ability to communicate for granted until the ability is taken away.

Soldiers from the communications and electronics section of the 1729th Forward Support Maintenance Company, 749th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, help to ensure that communication is kept up and running for everyone who needs it.

The 1729th FSMC, an Army National Guard unit from Havre De Grace, Md., is composed of several sections capable of fixing almost everything in the Army’s inventory of equipment.

The C&E section is a vital section within the unit, tasked with maintaining and repairing everything from vehicle radio systems to communication towers.

The skill-sets held by the members of this section are not ones that you will find in most units and are highly technical, dealing with circuitry, computer chips, radio waves and microwaves.

“This is a great opportunity for the 1729th C&E shop to improve upon military occupation specialties skills, but also to conduct our wartime mission,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Hayes, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the C&E section.

Outside of this deployment the Soldiers don’t have the opportunity to use their skill sets as often as they would like and take advantage of any opportunity they have to practice.

They spend most of their time in the shop troubleshooting faulty equipment, testing, replacing, reprogramming and adjusting parts as necessary. Most of the work in the C&E shop comes in the form of repairing radio components such as speakers, handsets, headsets, radio mounts, amplifiers or antennas.

“I am what I am; and I do what I can,” said Army Sgt. Christopher Forner, a radio repairer with the 1729th FSMC. “I love fixing military equipment and care about what I do for the 1729th.”

California Guard supports battlefield circulation

By Army Staff Sgt. Artur Taradejna

4th Sustainment Brigade

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq (6/14/11) – The demands on a Soldier are vast during deployment. Many Soldiers have duties to perform in addition to their regular job. Each of these duties is important to the overall success of the mission.

Army Staff Sgt. Rudolph Juarez, a motor pool non-commissioned officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 749th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, and Spc. Dave Fluker, a motor pool foreman with HHC, 749th CSSB, are part of the team responsible for maintaining security for Army Lt. Col. David Ceniti, the battalion commander of the 749th CSSB, while he conducts a battlefield circulation.

Battlefield circulation allows the command to see the progress of the 749th CSSB in its mission of providing sustainment during the reposturing of forces in Iraq.

The goal for the battalion commander during BFC is to get a boots-on-the-ground view of the missions for which he is ultimately responsible.

Ceniti traverses the battlefield by inserting himself and his team of Soldiers into a convoy. From this first-person perspective he is able to get total situational awareness of the mission when combined with the analysis done by the battalion staff.

In order for the commander be secure, Juarez and Fluker have gone through extensive training that gives them the ability to adapt to the needs of protecting principal personnel.

Prior to the deployment, Juarez and Fluker went through tactics and training that focused on small-element security forces. This training included responding to indirect fire and improvised explosive devices and qualifying with crew-served weapons on both un-mounted and mounted gunnery.

There were multiple culminating events where the team put all their newly acquired skills to use in realistic scenarios.

“You hope that nothing happens while you’re out with the colonel, he’s like a close member of the family,” Fluker said. “We’re just trying to do the best job we can and keep the big man happy.”

Montana Guard’s Outlaws on the road from dusk ’til dawn

By Army Spc. Sean Mcguire

4th Sustainment Brigade

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq (4/18/11) - As the deadline approaches for all U.S. troops to exit Iraq, units like the 163rd Combined Arms Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, are playing a pivotal role in the drawdown.

Since November of last year, the 1-163rd CAB has sent its infantry soldiers on numerous convoy escort and security missions.

The soldiers of Company Bravo, as part of this ongoing mission, safely guide the drivers of fuel trucks and vehicles carrying ammunition from Contingency Operating Base Adder to COB Kalsu.

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Erik R. Frey, lead non-commissioned officer for the 4th Sustainment Brigade, accompanied them to see his 163rd CAB counterparts in action.

"I'm very impressed by these guys, and know our units that will be on the road with them during our mission here, will be in good hands," said Frey.

Army Sgt. Scott Leimkuehler, a truck commander with the 1-163rd CAB, said he and his teams mostly escort fuel trucks and transportation units throughout southern and central Iraq.

Leimkuehler said they expect to see a spike in missions throughout Iraq as the drawdown inches closer to completion. They will help other units bring equipment to and from Adder.

Army Spc. John York, a gunner with Company B, 1-163rd CAB, said between escort and security missions, the soldiers of Bravo Company conduct weapons and medical training, with continual rehearsal drills on reaction to improvised explosive devices.

When they're on the road, humor contributes to a relaxed atmosphere, all while maintaining a serious outlook on the mission.

"We all know our positions and jobs very well," Leimkuehler said.

"I don't have to worry about my driver or my gunner,” he said. “When we have to make a stop, I know York is up and is completely on top of things. But we are always cracking jokes and having fun together."

Army Sgt. Kelly Skurupey, a truck commander also with Company B, 1-163rd CAB, said what his team sees on the roads is very different from what he saw during previous deployments between 2007 and 2009.

"I used to be active Army for four years, and I deployed during the surge and the climax of the war here," he said.

Skurupey said that at that time, there were more than 200,000 troops on ground and today there are fewer than 50,000 troops.

“Things were a lot more aggressive back then," Skurupey said.

While recognizing the changes, he still knows the risks of his unit's missions.

"Attacks have balanced out in accordance with the amount of troops out here," he said. "Even if there isn’t much talk of what's happening in Iraq anymore back home, we're still here doing our jobs."

Army Spc. Apollo Child, a 50-caliber machine gunner with Company B, 1-163rd CAB, said his interactions with the Iraqi people have left a lasting impression on him.

"When we roll through towns and markets, we always see kids waving and smiling at us,” he said.

Child said that he knows people at home still have a negative outlook on Iraq, but he says we’re only “helping the people of this country."