7th MSC Soldiers zero in on new weapon systems

Photo By Pfc. Kelsey Little | Maj. Gen. Duane Gamble, the commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, inspects a shipment of weapons July 27 at the Kaiserslautern Army Depot. The new weapons consisted mainly of new M4A1 rifles.  

KAISERSLAUTERN, RP, GERMANY

07.28.2016

Story by Pfc. Kelsey Little 

21st Theater Sustainment Command

Soldiers of the 7th Mission Support Command joined a regional effort to maximize readiness through distribution of new weapons systems July 27 at the Kaiserslautern Army Depot.
More than 600 MSC troops received new rifles as part of an upgrade effort encompassing organizations from Wiesbaden to northern Bavaria to northern Italy. Smaller numbers received new machine guns and grenade launchers.
(Tactical Army Command) Life Cycle Management Command, headquartered in Warren, Michigan, delivered the weapons to Soldiers serving in area units during a distribution that spanned around a week. Subsequent distributions will deliver new and upgraded weapons systems to 21st Theater Sustainment organizations including the 16th Sustainment Brigade, 18th Military Police Brigade, 30th Medical Brigade and partner organizations like the 405th Army Field Support Brigade. But according to leaders who supervised the distribution, the concept has implications far beyond Kaiserslautern and even the TSC, extending across the U.S. Army Europe area of responsibility.
"It's going to modernize the weaponry for the Soldiers in the footprint of USAREUR," said James Thurman, the KAD security warehouse manager.
Most of the 7th MSC Soldiers received upgraded individual rifles; but the regional initiative includes upgrades to machine gun systems and grenade launchers. Cumulatively, the initiative will deliver more than 20,000 individual weapons and over 750 crew served systems across the region.
Senior TSC leaders described the weapons upgrade as important to readiness across the command. Maj. Gen. Duane Gamble, the 21st TSC commanding general, personally observed a portion of the weapons distribution at the KAD.
“With the shipment of these modernized weapons to our warehouse our ability to maintain readiness is strengthened,” he said.

• Date Taken: 07.28.2016
• Date Posted: 08.02.2016 08:23
• Story ID: 205784
• Location: KAISERSLAUTERN, RP, DE