Syrian Logistics Cell sustains victory in Erbil

IRAQ

09.17.2018

Story by Staff Sgt. Charlotte Reavis 

143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

ERBIL, Iraq – It is no secret that there are United States and Coalition Forces in Syria fighting ISIS. What you may not know however, is how those forces are sustained with their basic needs and supplies.
The 1st Theater Sustainment Command- Operational Command Post’s Syrian Logistics Cell, based out of Erbil, handles this monumental task. The SLC facilitates all requests for every class of supply to sustain both the country and the warfighters in it.
“We are enablers that are providing uninterrupted sustainment support to (Combined Joint Operation Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve forces), who are the warfighters down in Syria,” said the SLC director, Col. Lawrence Leon, with the 143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary).
In addition to the various supply class support, Leon said the SLC also provides contracting support, material handling equipment support, logistical support through ground and air lines of communication, and internal life support requests.
The soldiers of the Syrian Logistics Cell and their counterparts take their job seriously and ensure they do whatever it takes to get the supplies to their brothers and sisters in arms, even if that means loading trucks and delivering supplies themselves.
“The interesting part about this mission is these guys have to plan operationally but execute tactically,” said said Maj. Mike Wilson, SLC Support Operations officer with the 143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary). “Not only do the soldiers forecast and look forward, they are actually going out and executing the mission.”
Wilson continued by saying the SLC staff processes order requests for supply and then follows the orders through to execution. They work with vendors, truck drivers, contractors, Kurdish Security, Syrian Defense Forces, Forward Logistics Elements (FLEs) and any other personnel needed to complete the mission.
“We have some outstanding first lieutenants out there and they have some extremely motivated soldiers in those (Forward Logistic) Elements,” Wilson said. “They want to be out there, they want to be doing the direct support to the warfighter.”
Leon also noted how the soldiers of the SLC, who are primarily in the Army Reserve, incorporate their civilian talents and civilian job skills to establish ties and get the job done. For example, a soldier in the SLC who is an independent truck driver in his civilian career, assists with arranging trucks in the movement control yard and ensuring they move in and out of the yard smoothly.
The environment the soldiers work in is known as ‘non-doctrinal’ because it is not organized the way the United States Army has typically operated in the past. Instead, the soldiers must rely on their relationships with the above-mentioned personnel to conduct the mission and work “by, with and through” Syrian Defense Forces and their counterparts.
Humanitarian assistance and Counter-ISIS Train Equipment Fund-Syria divestments are also very important to the SLC mission to support the stabilization efforts that CJOTF-OIR is providing currently.
The SLC recently completed the divestment delivery of school supplies supporting an overseas humanitarian, disaster and civic aid project that allowed 40,000 children to attend school again after seven years of being unable to, due to ISIS occupation in the area.
“When the major combat portions are done, we go into a stabilization phase,” said Leon. “You cannot do rebuilding until you get the area stabilized. We are finally at a place of stabilization where we can start providing that aid to people.”
The 1st TSC-OCP took over the Syrian Logistics Cell mission just over a year ago and Leon said he and his team have already made big strides putting processes and procedures in place and improving the SLC area of operation for the next unit.

• Date Taken: 09.17.2018
• Date Posted: 09.19.2018 10:21
• Story ID: 293490
• Location: IQ