3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

Story by Donna J. Johnson

By Maj. Donna J. Johnson
3d Sustainment Command (Expenditionary)

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – The Iraqi army's General Transport Regiment, or GTR, under the guidance of the 68th Transportation Company, 165th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, conducted their sixth transportation mission from recently at Camp Taji, a joint U.S. and Iraqi army installation.

The mission required the GTR to receive tracked vehicle hulls from the Track Storage Yard on the coalition side of Taji and transport them to the Taji National Maintenance Depot, or TNMD, on the Iraqi side of Camp Taji. The 10 T-72s and 10 BMP-1 tanks will provide the TNMD the ability to train their track mechanics on repair procedures with the ultimate goal of bringing the vehicles to an operational status and returning them to the Iraqi army supply system for re-issue.

Established six months ahead of schedule in September 2008, the GTR is the only theater level transportation unit in the Iraqi army. With a mission to transport critical supplies and equipment to and from various depots, multiple ports of embarkation, and twelve location commands throughout Iraq, the GTR plays a pivotal role in the country's logistical system. Since the inception of the GTR, the 68th Transportation Company, from Mannheim, Germany, has trained and advised the Regiment on conducting combat logistic patrols and transportation operations.

Members of the 68th are pleased with the progress the GTR has made over the past several months. "They have a way to go, but we've seen an improvement over the past couple of missions," said Staff Sgt George Barnhart, a native of Richland, Wash., and a Soldier of the 68th Trans Co. The 68th Transportation Company will continue to partner with the GTR for the remainder of their deployment in order to assist the Iraqi army in achieving logistical self-reliance.

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