Photo By Capt. Robert Wooldridge | Members of the SPO section pose for a group photo during the HHC 310th ESC annual...... read more read more
POZNAN, Poland — DEFENDER 25, running from May 11 to June 24, 2025, is the U.S. Army's most extensive deployment exercise in Europe, involving 25,000 troops from 30 nations across 18 countries. The exercise includes Swift Response, Immediate Response, and Saber Guardian, showcasing the ability to rapidly deploy and sustain combat-credible forces in support of NATO's regional defense plans. It emphasizes interoperability, operational readiness, and joint force integration. The 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC), in direct support of V Corps and working with 21st TSC, synchronized the extensive logistical effort required to support operations across the European theater for Saber Guardian.
At the heart of the mission lies the Support Operations section, also known as the SPO. The SPO is responsible for planning, coordinating, synchronizing, and overseeing logistical and sustainment requirements throughout an area of responsibility. The shop oversees big-ticket items, including supply, maintenance, distribution, transportation, and contracting. Here is what SPO shop Soldiers had to say about the DEFENDER 25 mission:
Lt. Col. Jeffrey Jones, 90A Logistics Officer (Distribution Integration Branch Chief)
"There is a realignment that is getting ready to take place in the Army Reserve. I know that we in the 310th ESC are going to become a Corps Sustainment Command. I think tying it back to the relationship that we're trying to build with Fifth Corps makes perfect sense because we're going to be the Army Reserve's first ESC to change to a CSC."
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Master Sgt. Keyon Sattterthwaite, 92A — Automated Logistical Specialist (DIB NCOIC / Acting SPO Sgt. Maj)
"This has been a great learning experience for my soldiers. A lot of them, this is their first time out of the country for an AT, and some of them, this is their first time out of the country, period. So, for them to have this experience to help them throughout their career is excellent, and I believe it's a good motivator. It's also a good retention tool. And with that, we've built an excellent relationship here with the Fifth Corps, and the Soldiers were part of that."
"I've spoken with a lot of Fifth Corps reps, and they've been really happy about the help that our Soldiers have been able to provide. It's been a real benefit. I definitely look forward to continuing our working relationship with Fifth Corps. The SPO as a whole has done a great job over here, and we will continue to do a great job if we continue to receive that opportunity to get over here and execute our mission."
"Specifically working with Fifth Corps, there's been a very good synchronization and coordination of effort for the logistical operations throughout the theater. When we look at the theater, we're looking at multiple countries, and being able to deal with the challenges that come with working with six to seven different countries and moving logistics through those countries has been a little challenging. However, the Fifth Corps was working with us. The 21st TSC was also able to work with us in that process, and I think we were a strong benefit, a strong asset to them to help facilitate those movements."
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Spc. Bricyn Cooks, 89A — Ammunition Stock Control and Accounting Specialist
"My experience here working in Poznan has been exciting, considering this is my first AT out of the country. "Just to be around a different culture is definitely a shock; it has been a great experience."
"I feel everyone should get this, especially with me being a young soldier and having very little travel outside the United States. It was good to get out and learn something new. My time here at Fifth Corps has been very well spent. My time here working with the Fifth Corps has been very educational. I got introduced to TAMIS, which goes hand in hand with my MOS. I got a little more familiar with live world situations, and how, say, a convoy moves through the theater."
"I got to see how the ESC and the TSC work hand in hand, being right there next to the transportation section, and how all of that works, from strapping down the ammunition to sling loading it and transporting it to wherever it needs to go. To get that experience as a young soldier in a different country was very exciting for me. When I learned that I was going overseas for AT, I just couldn't wait. Now it's time to come back home, and I don't wanna leave."
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Sgt. Thomas Madigan, 25U — Signal Support Systems Specialist
"It's been a challenging exercise for this Defender 25, but in the end, we've become very successful with the equipment we have. The Star Shield system and the J and N team have combined to create a successful environment for all our key leadership to work out of, independent of the electricity and other systems we have here on post. Having a Star Shield increases our capabilities a lot with how we can utilize it off the grid of the network here. We can actually use the satellite and turn that into our NIPR and other systems that we use for Internet versus having to rely on infrastructure already in place. It can keep us mobile, and it keeps us flexible on where we could set up and utilize our systems."
"The system is definitely going to keep us capable for the new age of technology and warfighting, where we can stay mobile and stay flexible with the systems we have on hand."
"We've used this in multiple exercises, and so we are very familiar with how we can utilize it to its maximum capability for our operations."
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Ltc. Col. Domenico Amodeo, 90A — Logistics Officer (SPO Transportation Chief)
"Defender 25 came at the perfect time for the 310th ESC as we prepare for our transition to a Corps Sustainment Command. Working alongside V Corps and the 21st TSC provided us with a firsthand look at the capability gaps that CSCs are designed to close—and how we can help shape that future. From supporting the V Corps G-4 to integrating with both division and theater-level sustainment brigades, we gained critical insight across the full spectrum of sustainment operations. As the Army Reserve's lead in this transformation, the 310th is uniquely positioned to influence doctrine and help define best practices for future corps-level sustainment."
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Cpt. Max Meacham, 90A Logistics Officer (Plans Officer)
"Lt. Col. Amodeo's right—the timing couldn't have been better. From my seat in the G-4 shop, this was some of the best training our soldiers have had. What really stood out was seeing our Reserve NCOs step up during multinational coordination and logistics planning. These weren't just exercises—they were real-time supply challenges across multiple countries and systems, the kind of complexity we just can't replicate at home."
"Our folks didn't just keep up—they contributed. I watched our NCOs offer practical solutions that active-duty planners genuinely took on board. That's the value we bring: a different lens, grounded in experience and adaptability."
"This exercise showed me what our team is capable of when given the opportunity. And the lessons we brought back—those will ripple through our home station units for a long time."
| Date Taken: | 06.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.25.2025 10:55 |
| Story ID: | 501470 |
| Location: | POZNAN, PL |
| Hometown: | INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 96 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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