From sand to sea: Bragg logisticians provide successful drawdown

By Natalie Cole
1st TSC PAO

Photo by Natalie Cole/1st TSC PAO After two weeks on the ground, Spc. Kobie Johnson, with the 1188th Deployment and Distribution Support Battalion, guides a Humvee up the ramp of a cargo vessel, Sept. 12, 2010, at a Sea Port in Kuwait. Johnson is one of the transportation Soldiers who helps load vehicles onto ships in support of the drawdown from Iraq. Soldiers with the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, headquartered at Fort Bragg, have been managing the mass movement of containers and armored vehicles in support of the drawdown from the command’s forward post at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait — For much of the war in Iraq, the complex process of supplying warfighters in theater has been behind the scenes. Now, with the push to get people and equipment out of Iraq by 2011, the work of deployed logistics Soldiers and civilians is in the spotlight.

Soldiers with the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, headquartered at Fort Bragg, have been managing the mass movement of containers and armored vehicles in support of the drawdown from the command’s forward post at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

Since summer of 2010, thousands of damaged or battle-worn armored vehicles from Iraq have been flowing into Shuaiba Port, Kuwait to be shipped back to the United States.
The first stop for equipment on its way home from the battlefield is to one of the eight redistribution and property assistance team yards in Iraq, where logisticians inventory the stock.

Maj. Mondrey McLaurin, 1st TSC Mobility Team officer in charge, is part of a team that manages the flow of equipment and armored vehicles that comes into the RPAT yards in Iraq. “We make sure resources are allocated so yards aren’t overwhelmed,” he said, adding that their oversight also keeps the many moving pieces of stock accounted for.

The 1st TSC mobility team uses data and feedback from units on the ground to make planning decisions. Such oversight of the bigger picture helps keep ground movement organized, according to McLaurin. “We have time to sit back and develop situations. It gives us a little bit more time and more detail,” he said.

The next phase of movement comes when Soldiers with the 1st Sustainment Brigade and other supporting units convoy stock from RPAT yards to ports in Kuwait.

At the ports, Army Reserve Soldiers with Deployment Distribution Commands inventory equipment, clean it, inspect it and load it onto ships bound for the United States. By the time equipment reaches the port, it has been cleaned and inspected multiple times by servicemembers. At the port, armored vehicles are inspected one last time by U.S. Navy customs.

Sgt. 1st Class Michael McMullen, noncommissioned officer in charge of cargo management for the 1185th Deployment and Distribution Command from 2009 to 2010, said the coordination among different logistics personnel is essential for preparing equipment to meet the standards of customs. “The main thing is having everything done right before it gets to the port,” he emphasized.

Once they reach the United States, the armored vehicles will begin a process known as retrograde. Retrograde is another term for repairing (or retiring) damaged equipment and reassigning it for use elsewhere in the Army.

The ongoing drawdown in Iraq and last year’s push to get troop levels down to 50,000 have influenced the operations tempo at Shuaiba Port, according to Lt. Col. Walter Chwastyk, commander of the 1185th from 2009 to 2010. “Today’s work in Iraq is tomorrow’s work in Kuwait is next week’s work at the port,” he said when describing the domino effect of the drawdown.

In the summer of 2010, with the push to meet the drawdown milestone, the 1st TSC mobility team managed the RPAT yards as they were brimming with stock. Compared to the push of last summer, “things are real simple right now,” said McLaurin in January. However, with the goal to complete the drawdown of U.S. forces by the end of the year, the 1st TSC mobility team and the Soldiers and civilians who work at the ground are expecting another surge in movement in the coming months.

Usually, port operations and logistics oversight are unseen efforts, taking a backseat to the more typical images of combat. However, working on the port is a demanding job that comes with its own hazards. For example, cranes and forklifts are often oversized, as they need the capability to lift armored vehicles onto flatbed trucks and ships.

Furthermore, the large amount of commercial shipping traffic on the port can create dangerous working conditions. “The fact that we’re moving large pieces of equipment – during the day, at night, in sandstorms, 24-hours – can make ports lethal,” said Maj. Eric Delellis, 1185th operations officer at Shuaiba Port from 2009 to 2010.

Weather is also a challenge, as Kuwait is one of the hottest places on earth. “High winds and sandstorms are prevalent,” said Delellis. In such instances, the port closes, which forces troops to juggle the timing of incoming vessels, cargo that needs to go out, and cargo that is coming in. “It’s a real chess match,” he added.

In the face of the dangers, safety is paramount and troops have the training needed to perform their duties safely, said Chwastyk.

Despite the combined challenges of port operations, the 1st TSC and the commands at the port continue to meet their goals. For example, Chwastyk said that his Soldiers have maintained a 10-day dwell time, which refers to the amount of time vehicles stay at the port before going home. He added that it can be thankless work but the troops have upheld the high standards of performance “to meet our goals of moving equipment,” he said.

Share