Sabers extend their paw print with LNO duties

Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. Kosi Rogers, a liaison officer at the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Hospital at Joint Base Balad, assigned to the 289th Quartermaster Company, 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), and a native of Houston, updates his board while checking the status of patients assigned to his company.  

JOINT BASE BALAD, IRAQ

03.10.2011

Courtesy Story

3rd Division Sustainment Brigade

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq — Soldiers with the 289th Quartermaster Company, 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), also known as the Sabers, have their paws full in maintaining the vast missions on Joint Base Balad.

These soldiers run the fixed-Mobile Redistribution Team yard, the Container Repair Yard, transportation motor pool and the supply support activity. There are also two more missions that do not get as much attention: the Liaison Noncommissioned Officer duties at the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Hospital at Joint Base Balad, and the LNO duties at Ali Al Salem, Kuwait.

As the LNOs at the JBB hospital, Staff Sgt. Kosi Rogers, a Houston native, and Staff Sgt. Timothy Brown, a Rayville, La., native, are responsible for timely identification and accountability for all inbound and outbound patients who fall under U.S. Forces-Iraq.

They provide and facilitate initial reception and ensure timeliness of patient appointments and are also responsible for the accountability for and status of patients when evacuated out of theater as well as tracking the status of those who are treated and returned back to duty.

“Our mission has changed gears, and we have seen our workload increase as we support change-over from the 103rd ESC to the 310th ESC,” said Rogers. “We understand the importance of our mission and strive to produce the best service possible every day.”

Sgt. Carlos Varnardo, a New Orleans native, serves as the LNO at Ali Al Salem and is responsible for processing soldiers not on regular Rest and Recuperation leave. When soldiers need to take emergency leave or are on temporary duty, Varnardo is responsible for tracking these individuals as they depart from and return to theater.

Varnardo is also responsible for processing and ensuring training requirements are met for soldiers who enter the deployment cycle late, as well as taking care of soldiers who are redeploying. He handles the arrangements to get the soldiers and their gear to their proper destination.

All three LNOs said they understand the significance and importance of their jobs: the proper accountability and tracking of the Army’s most precious cargo, the soldier.

• Date Taken: 03.10.2011
• Date Posted: 03.28.2011 02:29
• Story ID: 67830
• Location: JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ