By Sgt. Joel Stone
271st HR Company, 96 STB, 96SBDE
AL ASAD AIRBASE, Iraq — The Reception, Redeployment, Rest and Recuperation, Return to duty, and Replacements Operations team also known as R5, is based out of Al Asad Airbase, Iraq. This is a unique one of a kind team comprised of Soldiers from different units Army wide. The original mission of the Mobile R5 team in Al Asad Airbase was to conduct redeployment movements back to the United States.
First Lt. Christian Roldan, the executive officer for the 271st Human Relations Company, 96th Special Troops Battalion, 96th Sustainment Brigade, and a native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, stated that the R5 team has evolved with the continuously changing mission and draw down of troops in the Iraq theater of operations.
"This team has recently changed its mission from a team that just conducts redeployment missions to a full scale R5 operation."
The team is led by 1st Lt. Brian Elliot from Cape Charles, Va., the officer in charge; Staff Sgt. Joel Stone, a Lakeland, Fla., native, noncommissioned officer in charge of the section; and team members, Cpl. Maurice Harvin, a Washington native; Spc. Jaqueline Padilla from San Antonio, Texas; and Chicago, Ill., native Spc. Michael Ross .
The R5 team has just recently signed for a new building and has been preparing to make a move into their new work space. Due to the changes in the R5 mission and the increased mission requirements, the mobile R5 team has been preparing their new building to become fully operational. The new building will provide the team a more adequate space to be able to accomplish the mission at hand. "With the continued hard work and dedication to duty, the Mobile R5 team in Al Asad Airbase will become a professional operation resulting in the same success as the R5 operation at Baghdad International Airport," Roldan said.