By Staff Sgt. Joel F. Gibson
13th Sustainment Command

public affairs

FORT LEE, Va. — It's June 18, 2009, in sunny Joint Base Balad. The 13th Sustainment Command is responsible for the logistics of the Iraq Theater of Operations.

One of the 13th's subordinate brigades, the 96th Sustainment Brigade, suffered an electrical fire in its finance office. The fire damaged more than $100,000 in American currency and receipts, and destroyed a computer with untold amounts of pay information.

The 36th Sustainment Brigade is currently investigating a counterfeit allegation, and the 13th Sustainment has now being tasked to plan the closure of a Forward Operating Base in Northern Iraq.

Between the 17th and the 18th of this month, the command will have completed more than 100 supply convoys.

You may have guessed, simply by looking at the date, this is a command post exercise. Amazingly enough, all of the fictional scenarios represented above occurred within the first hour of the CPX start time.

While the exercise is based primarily on fictional scenarios, this training exercise is focused on preparing the 13th Sustainment staff to manage and control all aspects of Sustainment operations within the Iraqi theater of operation.

The scenarios are also designed to prepare the headquarters for overseeing the largest re-posturing of military forces since World War II.

While these scenarios involve most of the soldiers from the staff, there is another important mission happening behind the scenes.

"We provide support for the unit to communicate," said Pvt. Melissa Posey, information systems technology specialist, G6, 13th Sustainment.

Posey said, the G6 is responsible for running Ethernet lines, hooking up the public address system, troubleshooting any audio problems, and making sure the exercise headquarters building is able to communicate with other units at Fort Lee and at Fort Leavenworth involved in the CPX.

"If the exercise didn't have communications, there would be no exercise," Posey said.

In addition to technical needs, the exercise also requires a fleet of vans, and those vans require drivers.

"They're always out there, and available to take you where you need to go," said Sgt. 1st Class Robin King, G3 operations noncommissioned officer, 13th Sustainment.

Staff Sgt. Jeffery Kellum, supply sergeant, headquarters and headquarters company, 13th Sustainment, came to Fort Lee more than a week before the main body to coordinate baggage movement and the purchase of office and cleaning supplies. In addition to these responsibilities, he's acting as a driver.

"I think it's great, not only because it supports the mission, but I think it boosts morale for soldiers to be able to go grab something to eat outside of the immediate Fort Lee area," Kellum said, "It can get pretty ugly when you're confined in the same close quarters for any period of time."

"We wouldn't be able to do what we do without a good team, and we have a good team," Posey said.

It's April 17, 2009, in sunny Fort Lee, Va., and the soldiers supporting the 13th Sustainment command post exercise are making things just a little bit easier for everyone involved.

U.S. Army/STAFF SGT. JOEL GIBSON

Staff Sgt. Jeffery Kellum, supply sergeant, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 13th Sustainment Command, contributes to the command post exercise Friday at Fort Lee, Va., by driving soldiers to different locations on and off post.

U.S. Army/MAJ. RAUL MARQUEZ

Maj. Dale Patterson and Maj. Norbert Flores, liaison officers with the 36th Sustainment Brigade, out of Temple, conduct morning shift-change operations during the 13th ESC command post exercise Friday in Fort Lee, Va.

U.S. Army/MAJ. RAUL MARQUEZ

Soldiers with the support operations section of the 13th Sustainment Command headquarters conduct morning shift-change operations during the 13th Sustainment command post exercise Friday in Fort Lee, Va.

---

 

Comments

Advertisement