Long Nights to Provide Great Support: 168th Brigade Support Battalion making great strides in support of Baghdad Operations

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

07.25.2008

Courtesy Story

1st Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade

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Capt. Marc Anthony Gomez
1st Sustainment Brigade

CAMP LIBERTY— As daybreak arrives, a Solider unfastens his protective gear in the sweltering heat of the morning. His clothes drenched of sweat, his brow beaten by the burden of his Kevlar.

The effects of his journey weigh a heavy toll on his body and his mind. He reflects on the mission and thinks, "It's been a long day". He doesn't realize how right he is.

For the conception of this arduous trek, like every other Deliberate Combat Logistic Patrol here in Iraq for the 168th Brigade Support Battalion, has been meticulously planned days in advance. Many logisticians and planners on both ends of the spectrum labor long and hard before a wheel is even set in motion. The coordination and execution of this mission is vital to the sustainment of troops on the ground, and no detail is left to chance.

The cogs that make the wheel of a DCLP turn are many, and no part is more important than the other. From the identification of commodities to the gathering of intelligence data, to the actual execution of the mission; each section has a responsibility to contribute their piece to the success of the DCLP.

The 168th BSB has conducted more than 2,900 DCLPs with about 30,000 Soldiers, who have traveled approximately 1.7 million miles on the roads without any incidents resulting in serious injuries. Why are they successful?

It is the clear guidance from the 168th BSB Commander Lt. Col. Todd A. Heussner, a Fort Myers, Fla., native, coupled with the ruthless enforcement of standards and discipline. It all starts, however, with a need from the supported units.

The requirements are derived from requests processed by the units within our area of responsibility. Each day, a review is conducted by the Support Operations Cell led by Maj. Paul Sanders, a Troy, Mich., native and the officer in charge of the SPO, and his staff.

The review ensures that the 168th BSB supplies the units at the 20 different forward operating bases that the battalion supports. The process is streamlined through the review of three reports; the daily FOB logistics report, the Supply & Services report, and the transportation movement requests that come through the database Staff Sgt. Mark Creese, an Oklahoma City native and the SPO TMR manager, created. Once an urgency of need is designated to the TMR, it is processed for shipment.

Once the TMRs for delivery are selected by the SPO section, a warning order is sent to Company A, 168th BSB, or the 57th Transportation Company. They load their trucks according to the requests processed by supported units and prepare them and their Soldiers for the DCLP.

Co. A, 168th BSB, as well as the 57th Trans. Co., manages and distributes all classes of supply for the battalion, utilizing assets organic to the battalion and contracted personnel such as Kellogg, Brown, and Root; Public Warehouse Company; and the Iraqi Truck Company.

Simultaneously, the security elements, Company A, 39th BSB, and Battery A, 1st Battalion, 206th Field Artillery, are activated to execute convoy security operations to protect the DCLPs from the enemy.

DCLPs have teams of personnel that travel in heavily armored vehicles providing protection to trucks and cargo carrying supplies to troops at the FOBs in the Baghdad area. The teams, which are trained for these specific operations, are usually comprised of a DCLP commander, assistant DCLP commander, DCLP mission commander, drivers, gunners, and navigators.

Briefs are done first at battery and company level, where assignments of destinations are set and DCLP commanders are named. At this time, convoy commanders initiate risk assessments and conduct pre-combat checks and inspections on the Soldiers, vehicles, and equipment that will be used during the convoy.

Among the many other briefs commanders attend during the day, one of the most important is the intelligence and security brief. This brief is prepared by the battalion intelligence section. The brief details what commanders can expect along their routes, identifies countermeasures for enemy actions, provides weather reports, and identifies enemy activities that occurred in the last 24 hours.

The commanders then attend a DCLP rehearsal. At this rehearsal, facilitators Staff Sgt. Keith Neubecker, a Louisville, Ohio, native, and Sgt. Raymond Jansen, a Bradenton, Fla., native, along with the DCLP commanders discuss topics such as the layout of the vehicles on the convoy, battle drills, and mock scenarios that will quiz the Soldiers executing the combat logistics patrol on their proficiency on operational procedures.

While all of this transpires, the Tactical Operations Center runs at a chaotic pace. This cell is responsible for monitoring and protecting the DCLPs from possible enemy actions while they travel through enemy engagement areas in and around Baghdad. Spearheading this effort is Maj. Darius Highsmith, a Leavenworth, Kan., native and the officer in charge of the 168th BSB's operations and training cell.

It is his cell's duty to provide the most updated information on battlefield situations and route status to the commanders prior to entering combat. This mission is continuous, as they must maintain situational awareness of the changing environment on the battlefield at all times.

A missed turn or a breech in the convoy could prove fatal for the members of the DCLP. It is up to the Soldiers of the TOC to maintain communications to ensure the DCLPs are safe and able to deliver the much needed supplies to the 80,000 Soldiers who depend on them.

After several rehearsals and last minute checks at the gun line, the DCLPs are ready to move to the entry control point. Checks are done on their security systems and weapons are locked and loaded.

Once the DCLP returns and is back in the safe haven of the Victory Base Complex, the work is yet not through. It's time for the After Actions Review, which is a phase to collect data identifying what went right and what went wrong.

Here, they are afforded the opportunity to discuss, without fear of reprisal, the mission and how it can be improved. Leaders at all levels are eager to hear these comments, for it is the measuring stick of their performance and a useful tool for continual improvement.

The comments are recorded and transcribed for use by commanders to achieve a snapshot of the battlefield. They are passed on to battalion, where leaders and logisticians analyze and attack with aggressive force, the issues and concerns of the DCLP warriors. All this is done in hopes of ensuring that future challenges are met with proactive actions and not reactive countermeasures.

Now the day is done. Every team member is safe and the mission is a success. With the tank of his vehicle full and the last maintenance check finished, the Soldier takes a minute to reflect, to contemplate what has happened and his part in it all. All he says is, "Hooah! Good night's work."