1st Sustainment Brigade

Story by Staff Sgt. Bryant Maude

By Staff Sgt. Bryant Maude
1st Sustainment Brigade

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – The transfer of authority ceremony held at Camp Taji Dec. 1 was brief, but significant. It marked the end of a15-month historic journey for the Special Troops Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade, out of Fort Riley, Kan., and the beginning of a one year mission for the 10th Sustainment Brigade Troops Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, out of Fort Drum, N.Y.

The STB was activated and notified to deploy back in February 2007 and departed a few short months later on Sep. 17. Its mission would take on the complexity and scope not yet seen by any Sustainment Brigade STB to date.

"Thank you and job well done ... you took on four battalions worth of work," stated Col. Kevin O'Connell, a Clinton, Md., native and the commander of the 1st SB. "The brigade troops battalion 15th Sustainment Brigade, the 15th Finance Battalion, the 15th Personnel Services battalion and two different force protection battalions."

During its time in Iraq the STB processed over 587,000 financial management transactions, disbursing over $4.4 billion; served more than 330,000 postal customers while processing over 7,000 20-foot containers of mail; published and executed more than 280 FRAGOs; submitted over 2,400 air movement requests moving more than 3,300 Soldiers around the battlefield; treated over 12,000 patients at the "Easy Red" clinic and managed a dining facility that served over 220,000 meals.

"The STB, of the 1st Sustainment Brigade provided more support to more locations to a higher standard while conducting a mission greater than any other Special Troops Battalion in the CENTCOM AOR," stated Lt. Col. Robert Brem, the STB commander and Salisbury, Md., native.

Brem went on to thank his subordinate commanders and introduced his replacement Lt. Col. David Jones, the commander of the 10th SBTB.

"Today marks another milestone in the history of the 10th Sustainment Brigade Troops Battalion," said Jones. "We assume the mission from our host and teammates the 1st Special Troops Battalion, who have made history and greatly improved operations over the past 15 months."

At the conclusion of the ceremony the Soldiers of the two units enjoyed cake and soft drinks.

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