4 Star connects industrial base to foxhole

Photo By 1st Sgt. Jessica Barnett | Col. Kent Savre, commander, 36th Engineer Brigade, and an Edina, Minn., native, escorts Gen. Ann Dunwoody, commanding general of the Army Materiel Command, to her vehicle after he and his staff briefed her on their logistical status and the unique materiel requirements she might be able to facilitate, at the 36th Eng. Bde. Headquarters, Sept. 26, at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.  

JOINT BASE BALAD, IRAQ

10.03.2010

Story by Sgt. Jessica Barnett 

103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - The Honorable Malcolm O’Neill, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, and Gen. Ann Dunwoody, commanding general of the Army Materiel Command, visited Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Sept. 26 to get an inside perspective of the logistical situation in the field, first hand.

"We are here to connect the industrial base to the foxhole,” said Dunwoody, during her speech at the Key Leader’s Luncheon. “This way we are getting the feedback directly from servicemembers on the ground. This is where to be to hear the truth straight from the field."

Gen. Dunwoody and Asst. Sec. O’Neill talked about their guidance and vision for sustainment in Iraq during the final 14 months ahead, according to Maj. Rachel Humphrey, ordnance branch chief, 103rd ESC, and a Madison, Ala., resident, who was honored with a coin from Dunwoody.

“It was an honor to meet the senior logistician in the Army,” stated Humphrey. “It's important for the Army's senior leadership to get on the ground here and see for themselves what the current issues and concerns are as we move from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn.”

After the luncheon in their honor, Asst. Sec. O’Neill and Gen. Dunwoody stopped for briefings with the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), and the 36th Engineer Brigade, to receive an overview of their logistical stability. Much of the discussion was focused on what the Army Materiel Command can do to help facilitate the mission for Soldiers on ground.

“Gen. Dunwoody is truly committed to assisting deployed units with all of our unique materiel requirements,” said Col. Kent Savre, commander, 36th Engineer Brigade, and an Edina, Minn., native. “As engineers, we have specialized route clearance and construction equipment that has evolved through the last eight years to counter the improvised explosive device threat. The Army Materiel
Command's assistance with the fielding of new technologies, in theater maintenance support and home station servicing of left-behind equipment, is critical to our successful mission accomplishment.”

A tour of the 402nd Army Field Support Brigade’s platforms at JBB followed the meetings with 103rd ESC and 36th Eng. Bde. The honorary guests were taken through the Assured Mobility Systems Route Clearance Regional Support Center, Stryker Regional Support Area, Life Cycle Extension for the Rough Terrain Container Handler, and the RG-33 independent suspension system upgrade under the Joint Program Office MRAP. Each platform provides maintenance support for their assigned military vehicles.

Asst. Sec. O’Neill, together with Gen. Dunwoody, took a look at how the 402nd AFSB managed the drawdown of equipment while sustaining the war fighters.

Their visit ended with a goodbye greeting by Maj. Gen. Craig A. Franklin, commander of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, and a Chicago, Ill., native, along with a few soldiers.

“First, I would like to say how proud I am of the Acquisition, Logistics and Technology community … for getting us to this opportunity for New Dawn,” stated Dunwoody. “There has been a huge undertaking that has been below the radar screen to get to where we are, down to 50,000, and retrograding millions of pieces of equipment out of this theater responsibly so we can reset it and prepare for the next ten to 15 years.”

• Date Taken: 10.03.2010
• Date Posted: 10.03.2010 09:48
• Story ID: 57425
• Location: JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ