Providers Pack Colors for Deployment

Photo By Sgt. Elizabeth Clark | Col. Jeff Britton, the commander of the 3rd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade on Fort Stewart, addresses the audience during the brigade’s Casing of the Colors Ceremony at Marne Gardens Oct. 5. Britton stressed the Provider brigade’s eagerness to deploy, stating “There is no unit around more prepared and ready to go.” (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elizabeth White with the 3rd Sustainment Brigade/Released)  

FORT STEWART, GA, UNITED STATES

10.05.2017

Story by Spc. Elizabeth Clark 

3rd Division Sustainment Brigade

On Oct. 5, the 3rd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade on Fort Stewart conducted a color casing ceremony at Marne Gardens ahead of their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. The colors represent the brigade’s Soldiers who will be going forward on this deployment.
Approximately 300 Soldiers from the brigade headquarters and the 3rd Special Troops Battalion will replace the 1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade as the supporting element for Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. The 3rd Inf. Div. Sust. Bde. will be serving as the sustainment headquarters and will be the only sustainment brigade in Afghanistan serving all supply and support for all coalition forces in Afghanistan.
“Logistics is the lifeblood of Army operations,” said Col. Jeff Britton, the commander of the 3rd Inf. Div. Sust. Bde. “Without a strong supply chain, our brothers and sisters in arms would be unable to complete their mission.”
The 87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion will remain on Ft. Stewart to continue providing logistics support for the division such as the upcoming rotation of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team to the National Training Center.
“Though our headquarters will be going forward, I have full faith and confidence in our leadership that is staying behind to continue to support and sustain the needs of our sister Marne brigades and the support that it will provide to the families of the Soldiers that are deploying forward,” said Britton.
The Providers will join the 3rd Inf. Div. Combat Aviation Bde. as well as the 3rd Inf. Div. Headquarters that had left Ft. Stewart previously. As the single sustainment brigade in theater, the Providers will operate as the mission command over two task-organized combat sustainment support battalions from the U.S. Army Reserves and the brigade’s Special Troops Battalion.
“We have spent years training in logistics operations in general and for months in preparation for this deployment,” said Britton. “There is no unit around more prepared and ready to go.”
The next time the colors will fly above this brigade will be in Afghanistan where they will transition into a Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade. The Soldiers are expected to be deployed for nine months and should return in the summer of next year.

• Date Taken: 10.05.2017
• Date Posted: 10.05.2017 14:02
• Story ID: 250729
• Location: FORT STEWART, GA, US