13th Sustainment readies for Iraq Posted On: Thursday, Jun. 25 2009 05:20 AM By Amanda Kim Stairrett
Killeen Daily Herald

FORT HOOD – The 13th Sustainment Command's colors were cased for the third time Wednesday since the Iraq war began. It soon will lead the largest re-posturing and drawdown of equipment and soldiers in the last 40 years, its commander said.

Brig. Gen. Paul Wentz hosted a colors-casing ceremony for the command, a ceremonial step in its preparation for deployment to Iraq. The command last returned from Iraq in September 2007 after spending a year in one of the most dangerous areas in Iraq, Wentz said.

The command's contributions to the war on terrorism are well known throughout the Army, the general continued. More than half of the 13th's units are deployed or getting ready to deploy. The 4th Sustainment Brigade recently returned, the 1st Medical Brigade recently deployed, and the 15th Sustainment Brigade will deploy later this year.

The command's upcoming mission will including getting all the "stuff" out of Iraq during the re-posturing, said Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, III Corps and Fort Hood commander.

The 13th Sustainment is nothing short of magnificent, the post's top leader said Wednesday. Lynch said since he arrived at Fort Hood last summer, the command has done everything asked of it and it has exceeded his expectations.

Also during the casing ceremony, ground was broken on the command's memorial. Work began late last year by a group of former and current 13th Sustainment soldiers who formed the 13th COSCOM Association that summer.

For more on this story, including a presentation to the command made by Jay Taggart, chairman of the Belton Chamber of Commerce's military relations committee, read next week's Fort Hood Herald.

Contact Amanda Kim Stairrett at astair@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7547.