143d ESC Trains to Sustain the Victory

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

03.30.2018

Story by Staff Sgt. Charlotte Reavis 

143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

FORT HOOD, Texas –The months of training it takes to prepare for a mobilization can be difficult, especially for an Army Reserve unit. The 143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), based out of Orlando, Fla., has spent the past year participating in various exercises to reach a pivotal point - pre-deployment mobilization training.
As they prepare to deploy to Kuwait later this spring, the 143d arrived at North Fort Hood to complete their remaining mobilization tasks and ensure they are fully ready for the mission ahead. Included in those tasks was their final Culminating Training Exercise.
“These exercises are preparing us for our deployment,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Carlos Lopes, of the 143d ESC. “It is supposed to replicate what we will be doing on our actual deployment as much as possible.”
The 143d ESC divided the unit into their perspective work sections, spreading themselves in several buildings to simulate coordinating efforts from various locations, just as they will once overseas.
“They are fine-tuning their processes, and they are doing talent management with soldiers to find out what the perfect fit and right position will be in theatre,” said Lopes. “This is also helping them understand their mission and the role each soldier or section is going to play in this mission.”
Over the course of the nine-day exercise, the soldiers controlled multiple operation centers, providing support to several units “down range” and ensuring the supplies and missions of each unit were completed promptly.
Maj. Lauren Holley, Sustainment Operations Center chief for the 143d, stated that some of the scenarios they faced included supplies not getting to certain locations, severe soldier misconduct, a soldier killed in action. In each instance, Soldiers had to take appropriate action and come up with an effective recommendation or solution to present to the commanding general.
“We all dug in our heels and had some really long days,” Holley stated. “But everyone took the training seriously, and I think they are realizing how important all of this preparation has been.”
In addition to the units tasking the scenarios, the 143d ESC worked with members of the 135th ESC, who are completing the same mission overseas and sent personnel to provide guidance to the 143d .
“The 135th, whom we’re replacing,” Holley said, “they’re here doing the teach, coach and mentor, so that if we are doing something incorrectly, they can tell us real-world how it’s being done in theater right now.”
Holley continued to say that the 143d ESC sustainment mission is simply to ensure Soldiers have what they need, when they need it and where they need it.
“If they’re lacking in something, it’s a sustainer’s job to anticipate that need and to figure out how to get them what they’re lacking or what they need before they might even realize that they’re going to need it,” she said.
Lopes reiterated that the training the soldiers received has helped them with their processes and making sure that they have identified who their downtrace units are, higher headquarters, adjacent units, and strategic partners will be, in the whole area of operation.
“The sustainment mission is very important,” Lopes said. “Vehicles don’t move without fuel, soldiers don’t eat without food; weapons don’t fire without ammo. These are just some of the examples of the sustainment that we will be coordinating and sustaining throughout the CENTCOM area of operation.”
“We have a huge mission waiting for us,” Holley said. “I am super proud, and I am super excited to get it started and to do our job and come home safely.”

• Date Taken: 03.30.2018
• Date Posted: 03.30.2018 16:20
• Story ID: 271300
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US