“It's important to conduct battlefield circulation for several different reasons,” said Lalor. “First and foremost, it provides us the opportunity to visit with our Soldiers at the outlying stations and allows us to check on their health, welfare, and better understand the environment in which they are operating.”
With Soldiers being the number one priority, the commander and command sergeant major wanted to ensure the Soldiers had everything they need to ensure they are safe and that they had everything to complete the mission at hand.
“It is important to check the pulse of the Soldiers in the footprint to ensure they are being taking care of and have everything they need in order to successfully execute the mission,” said Howard.
Being able to visualize, see, smell and touch the mission set, and infrastructures Soldiers live and work in, as well as equipment needed for the specific duties are important, emphasized Howard.
With the 1st AD RSSB currently conducting its official change over with the 1st Cavalry Division Resolute Sustainment Support Brigade, the 1st AD RSSB wanted to see the Soldiers and operational environment in which the brigade will be operating in.
“Seeing and feeling the operational environment enables us to make informed decisions on how to best sustain ongoing operations,” said Lalor. “With that knowledge and feedback, it lets us know where we can better allocate and prioritize resources, and it helps us to anticipate requirements for future missions and operations.”
By traveling around Afghanistan, the brigade command team was able to see for themselves the complete operational picture, where sustainment operations are conducted and who are in charge of each operations.
“Getting to put faces to names, and being able to develop that trust as teammates create a shared understanding,” said Howard.
These key players [Soldiers] provide detailed information on the commodities are resources that are located in the area of operations.
“When we circulate, we are able to see how our sustainment concept works in operation,” said Lalor. “It may validate our method, or invalidate our approach. Most often though, it offers us an opportunity to refine components of our concept, methods, and approach. Armed with the visual we get from seeing the mission in action, we can make adjustments in how a particular commodity; let's say fuel in this case, is distributed, stored, tested, managed and protected.”
In order to complete the mission at hand, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and civilians contribute to success of the 1st AD RSSB. Whether it is providing security, protecting assets, shipping food, water or transportation, each person or components of the U.S. Army plays a part.
“My biggest takeaway from the two-day circulation is that we have tremendous leaders and Soldiers on this RSSB team, across all three component (Active Duty, National Guard, U.S. Army Reserve) who are courageous, well-trained, and truly committed to providing the best support they can in support of the advising and counter-terrorism missions here in Afghanistan,” said Lalor. “They are well-resourced to do their mission; but it is a mission that continuously evolves, and we have our work cut out to anticipate future requirements, and to fight through both geography and a determined enemy to get the right support, to the right place, and at the right time.”
These U.S. military branches, coalition forces and civilians are all actively engaged in the mission at hand; by making pallets, packing boxes, ordering supplies or transporting goods, they all are part of a challenging mission.
“Our Soldiers are being asked to do a challenging mission in a constrained environment,” said Howard. “They are making great efforts and strides in providing the best possible sustainment in the Combined Joint Operations Area-Afghanistan that they possibly can.”
With Soldiers constantly at the forefront of the mission, these men and women serve and support the RSSB and its evolving and challenging mission.
“The brigade command team recognizes this [hard work] and commends them for their tireless efforts.”
| Date Taken: | 05.22.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 05.31.2017 02:37 |
| Story ID: | 235771 |
| Location: | AF |
| Web Views: | 621 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 1st AD RSSB conduct battlefield circulation, by Shelia Fourman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
