Logistic soldiers keep supply lines open

Photo By Sgt. Quentin Johnson | Spc. Preston Purnell, a Baltimore native, directs Spc. Clayton Vroon, a Nashville native, as he moves shipping containers at the central receiving and shipping point yard at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Sept. 8. Both soldiers are truck drivers with 15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, "Black Jack."  

JOINT BASE BALAD, IRAQ

09.18.2011

Courtesy Story

United States Division-North

Story by: Sgt. Justin Naylor
U.S. Division-North

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - With the continued closure of U.S. bases throughout northern Iraq, the need for the timely movement of supplies and equipment to centralized locations has shown the value of well-trained logistics soldiers.

Five such soldiers from 15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, “Black Jack,” 1st Cavalry Division, U.S. Division-North, operate a central receiving and shipping point that is responsible for the movement of their brigade’s supplies and equipment both coming to and leaving Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

As bases shut down throughout our brigade’s area of operation, the equipment on those bases has to be moved out to a centralized location, and this CRSP yard is responsible for receiving that equipment and either storing it or helping it move on to its next location, explained Capt. Paul Schmidt, a supply operations officer with 15th BSB.

This particular CRSP yard was established a few months ago in response to the particular logistical needs of 2nd AAB, 1st Cav. Div.

The current receiving yards on Balad couldn’t handle the amount of equipment and containers our brigade was bringing in as it started to shut down small bases within its AO, so we worked out a deal to start our own CRSP yard that would focus on handling our brigade’s needs, said Schmidt from Crown Point, Ind.

The CRSP yard has already helped make possible the timely closure of Contingency Operating Site Cobra, a small base in Salah ad-Din province.

“Without a doubt, it would not have been possible to close down Cobra on the timeline we had if it weren’t for this CRSP yard,” said Schmidt.

We received all of the equipment that our transportation convoys brought in from Cobra, and we got all of that equipment on its way to where it needed to be, continued Schmidt.

In addition to that, the yard also helped facilitate the movement of the brigade’s unmanned aerial surveillance platoon.

When the UAS platoon needed to start operating here, we were able to receive their equipment for them and quickly get it out to the location that they needed to set up at, said Spc. Damien Moore, a Findlay, Ohio, native and support operations Soldier with 15th BSB.

This enabled them to have their aerial surveillance equipment back up in the air as quickly as possible, giving soldiers on the ground the eyes in the sky that they need to stay safe, he continued.

Although none of the soldiers that operate the CRSP yard have ever worked on this type of mission before, being able to adapt quickly is part of their job.

“They’ve done wonderfully,” Staff Sgt. Charles Grant, the non-commissioned officer in-charge of the CRSP yard, said of his soldiers. “They are competent soldiers that know how to work in all aspects of their job,” said the Bronx, N.Y., native.

Whether receiving equipment, moving it for transportation or helping devise an organizational system for containers, my soldiers are always up to the tasks at hand, he continued.

As the Black Jack Brigade continues to close down bases, the brigade’s CRSP yard will ensure every piece of equipment and container that passes through it gets to where it needs to go in a timely and organized manner.

• Date Taken: 09.18.2011
• Date Posted: 09.18.2011 08:51
• Story ID: 77208
• Location: JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ