Ordnance companies transition at Q-West

Photo By Rob Strain | Capt. Daniel Schilleci, the 163rd Ordnance Detachment commander and Sherman Oaks, Calif., native, and Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Padilla, the detachment noncommissioned officer in charge and Tampa, Fla., native, uncase the detachment's guidon during a ceremony at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation center here Oct. 27. The 163rd assumed authority over the ammunition supply point during the ceremony.  

QAYYARAH, IRAQ

10.27.2009

Story by Staff Sgt. Rob Strain 

15th Sustainment Brigade

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION Q-WEST, Iraq — The 351st Ordnance Detachment relinquished authority to the 163rd Ordnance Detachment during a ceremony at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation center here Oct. 27.

"Over the past 10 months, the 351st has been responsible for the ammunition supply point here, and has set the standard for the 163rd to follow," said Lt. Col. Dennis Dockery, the 395th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion commander.

"Today's Army is the best trained, best led, and most capable in our Army's history, and this unit is a prime example of this," Dockery said during the ceremony. "Every Soldier in the 351st can be proud of the work they put in during this deployment."

"The detachment has safely moved more than 3,700 tons of ammunition and 1.2 million pounds of explosives and accounted for nearly $20 million worth of ammunition during its tenure here," said 1st Lt. Randall Holmes, the commander of 351st.

"You were still able to maintain your professionalism and improve on your military professional development," Holmes, a Leesburg, Va., native, said to his Soldiers.

He explained that 351st's Soldiers took advantage of every type of military course offered on Q-West, as well as college and correspondence courses, which lead to the promotion of nearly half of the detachments Soldiers.

"That's because of the work you did; your commitment to excellence," Holmes said to the Soldiers in formation.

Holmes said it can be easy to forget about the Soldiers running the ammunition supply point when everything is going smoothly, but food and water are not the only pieces of logistics.

"In a combat zone, you can make it weeks without food, days without water, but not one second without ammunition," Holmes said.

The 163rd Ordnance Detachment is an Army Reserve unit based out of Irvine, Calif., and is commanded by Capt. Daniel Schilleci.

"This is what we've trained for, and we have a huge mission ahead of us," Schilleci, a Sherman Oaks, Calif., native, said. "Keep on task, maintain your discipline and keep your standards."

• Date Taken: 10.27.2009
• Date Posted: 10.30.2009 05:47
• Story ID: 40844
• Location: QAYYARAH, IQ