CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar - Teresa Gerton, the Army Materiel Command Executive Deputy to the Commanding General, toured Camp As Sayliyah recently and met with members of the 1st Battalion, 401st Army Field Support Brigade.
Gerton is responsible for AMC’s current global operations, as well as materiel for military operations, contingency planning, supply chain management, the National Maintenance Program, and sustainment of war fighters.
This was Gerton’s first visit to Qatar in her current position, which she assumed in September 2009.
“This location is important because it allows a flexible response in dealing with theater operations,” said Gerton, whose position is equivalent to that of a general officer. She is also a retired Army lieutenant colonel with more than 20 years of service.
The camp is home to one of five Army Prepositioned Stocks units as well as the Stryker Battle Damage Assessment and Repair Facility. A Hellfire missile repair facility also falls under the battalion’s oversight.
“It’s a tough mission and a tough place [logistically] to have to do it,” she explained about the camp’s location outside of the United States, which places it in a strategic position near both the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters. “I don’t even think people [outside of AMC] are aware of what is going on out here.”
In addition to touring the camp facilities, Gerton also met with the battalion’s civilian and military personnel, briefing them on how their “piece” fits into the bigger AMC puzzle. “It puts it all together,” said Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Peter Butts said. “[Battalion staff] can see what is going on at the higher level.”