Photo By Maj. A. Sean Taylor | Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christina Winfield, a supply support activity technician, and...... read more read more
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SOUTHWEST ASIA – At the beginning of December, Soldiers from the 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) were just settling in to their yearlong mobilization to Fort Hood, Texas, replacing the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) that deployed to Kuwait. They were just getting used to their battle rhythm and planning personal leave to see their families for the holidays when they were “thrown a curveball.”
The 310th ESC was given the directive to deploy a small, multi-component logistic team to advise and assist Iraqi Security Forces in support of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.
Lt. Col. Erik Benda, executive officer 310th Forward Advise and Assist Team, was attending a conference at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, when he was notified that he needed to attend a planning session at the United States Army Reserve Command to plan the upcoming deployment to Iraq that would occur in less than five weeks.
“It speaks well of our Soldiers that they were able to switch missions, notify their families and be ready to deploy within a month,” Benda said. “It also speaks well for their families who make the bigger sacrifice. The hardest thing to do is call your family and tell them you have to go again.”
Approximately 25 Soldiers from the original Fort Hood mobilization were augmented with personnel from other Army Reserve units and around 12 Soldiers from the active component of the 82nd Sustainment Brigade out of Fort Bragg to make up the 310th A&A team. By the end of January, the team had completed pre-deployment training at Fort Hood and was training in Kuwait. By the middle of February, they were in Iraq advising and assisting ISF logistic leadership.
Almost every meeting between the 310th A&A team and Iraqi military officials begins with coffee and tea (chai) as an icebreaker to build trust and friendship. The team has learned that discussing business takes time in Iraq. Once the trust is established, work can be accomplished.
“We are here first to build trust between our team and ISF leaders,” said Capt. Chris Crook, A&A ordnance chief and team leader. “If they gain trust with our team, then that trust can lead to them trusting our military and government.”
“Our main job is ensuring the equipment and parts are acquired by the right people and (advising) them to get the equipment out to the battle,” Crook explained.
Soldiers from the U.S. and Iraqi forces can be found during leader engagements taking photos together, swapping patches and sharing family pictures.
“I have met some interesting, really friendly people. A lot of Iraqi soldiers want to take photos with us,” Staff Sgt. David Revels-Velez, the personnel noncommissioned officer in charge, shared. “One Soldier took a military pin from his hat and gave it to me, so I gave him my sunglasses.”
The team has worked hard to establish relationships with their logistical counterparts. So far, they have completed more than 100 key leader engagements and have co-taught a class on generator repair and maintenance with their Iraqi counterparts.
They are also in charge of tracking donations of military supplies and determining what supplies the ISF already have and what they need to continue their fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
“We did not fall into an established system,” explained Col. Michael Midkiff, commander of 310th A&A. “We fell into an immature system that we had to build and establish for the unit that will take our place.”
“We are extremely lucky to have the individuals we have,” Midkiff continued, adding, “they are a very diverse and able to plan, move, shoot and communicate. They have received nothing but praise from our higher commands in Baghdad and Kuwait.”
| Date Taken: | 05.21.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2015 13:42 |
| Story ID: | 164080 |
| Location: | IQ |
| Hometown: | FORT CAVAZOS, TX, US |
| Hometown: | FORT LIBERTY, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 1,290 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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