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FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii – In the vast Indo-Pacific theater, sustaining the fight requires maintenance of combat equipment to prolong endurance of the force. But it’s not just about quick fixes. In an environment challenged with long and intermittent supply chain networks, maintenance can be complex. Supporting warfighters through these complexities requires expertise of experienced maintainers. At the heart of this capability are the people and systems of the Army Materiel Command (AMC) Life Cycle Management Commands (LCMCs): Senior Command Representatives (SCRs), Logistics Assistance Representatives (LARs), Field Support Representatives (FSRs), and the logistics support element (LSE) embedded at theater, corps, and division, under the mission command of the Theater Army Field Support Brigade.
The Enterprise Players:
Army Field Support Brigade (AFSB), Logistics Support Element (LSE), Senior Command Representative (SCR), Logistics Assistance Representative (LAR), and Field Support Representative (FSR).
The Theater Army Field Support Brigade in the Pacific is 402nd AFSB, a subordinate command of Army Sustainment Command positioned in the INDOPACOM region to provide direct support U.S. Army Pacific. In competition, crisis, and conflict, 402nd AFSB maintains mission command of enterprise capability that is positioned in theater to provide logistics training and assistance to Soldiers with maintenance military occupational specialties at multiple echelons to include corps, divisions, and brigades.
The Logistics Support Element (LSE) is the deployable command and control element that embeds with deployed corps and divisions to synchronize and integrate AMC capability at the point of need. The LSE is tailored to support the size and composition of the unit operating in theater.
Maj. Brian McFadden, officer in charge of the Logistics Support Element (Division), or LSE(D), for Army Field Support Battalion - Hawaii, leads a multi-domain sustainment team embedded with the 25th Infantry Division. “The value of the LSE(D) is in its ability to move at the speed of war,” said Maj. Brian McFadden, officer in charge of LSE(D)-Hawaii. “Whether we’re responding to battlefield friction or enabling strategic lift, we ensure AMC capabilities are available wherever and whenever commanders need them.”
Logistics assistance representatives (LARs) are Department of Army Civilians assigned to one of four Army Materiel Command (AMC) life cycle management commands (LCMCs) under the operational control of the LSE
These include:
• Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM): Supporting ground combat systems, tactical vehicles, and soldier equipment.
• Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM): Delivering aviation and missile support essential for rotary-wing and air defense operations.
• Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM): Sustaining Army communications, cyber, and C5ISR technologies.
• Joint Munitions Command (JMC): Managing the production, storage, and distribution of conventional munitions.
LARs are not contractors-they are deployable, emergency essential experts responsible for providing over-the-shoulder technical support to Soldiers while mentoring them to solve their own maintenance problems. They are the bridge between AMC's depot level capability and unit-level execution, enabling formations to fix forward and maintain operational tempo.
Field support representatives are contractors, often supporting fielded systems not yet fully transitioned into programs of record. While highly technical and essential in filling immediate capability gaps, FSRs do the work directly. Their support is often tied to contract funding, specific equipment, and operational constraints. In short, FSRs fix, while LARs teach.
Senior command representatives are the senior-most technical advisors from their respective LCMCs, assigned to the 402nd AFSB. They manage LAR activity, coordinate reach-back to their LCMC, and provide strategic technical advice to commanders. SCRs enable synchronization across multiple echelons of command and ensure enterprise-level expertise is nested within operational planning.
Michael Quig, the Senior Command Representative (SCR) for TACOM assigned to the 402nd AFSB, has spent his career advising and mentoring forward-deployed sustainment teams.
“TACOM Logistics Assistance Representatives provide technical expertise at the field and sustainment levels-not operator-level support,” said Michael Quig, Senior Command Representative for TACOM. “They mentor and guide military occupational specialty-qualified maintainers while reinforcing maintenance management processes with junior and senior leaders alike. When a TACOM LAR is present, it’s not just about fixing equipment - it’s about strengthening the formation’s ability to sustain itself.”
LSE: The Sustainment Enabler at Echelon
The LSE is the forward mission command element of the theater AFSB. Embedded with divisions like the 25th Infantry Division and the 11th Airborne Division, LSE(D)s from Army Field Support Battalion-Hawaii and Army Field Support Battalion-Alaska synchronize AMC capabilities in direct support of divisions. Composed of military personnel, LARs, SCRs, and civilian sustainers, they integrate technical expertise directly into the maneuver formation. LSE(D)s track fleet readiness, resolve systemic issues, and provide a continuous sustainment presence through training cycles, deployments, and exercises. They are the connective tissue that ensures AMC’s strategic power projects tactically through forward sustainment nodes.
“We’re not just observers - we’re active participants,” McFadden noted. “Our team embeds forward and provides commanders with real-time solutions to equipment challenges that would otherwise halt momentum.”
During exercises like Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center and operations in the Philippines, LSE(D)s helped Soldiers troubleshoot equipment both in person and via telemaintenance connecting maintainers operating West of the International Date Line to AMC experts at home station or at the LCMC in the Continental U.S. Whether resolving a software patch on a C5ISR system or determining safe and feasible repair on a combat system in the field, LSEs deliver solutions when and where Soldiers need them.
“With tools like ATAK and WinTAK, we’re revolutionizing how support reaches the field,” said McFadden. “It’s about getting expertise to the edge-fast, secure, and mission-focused.”
These efforts enable the U.S. Army Pacific and goals of hardening interior lines through forward presence, reliable sustainment, and cooperation with allies and partners in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Sustainment in the Indo-Pacific: A Strategic Imperative
"Capability to fight and win begins long before shots are fired-readiness starts at home station where soldiers train, recover, maintain, and retrain. It's sustained by the supported by experts who care deeply about the unit’s readiness to fight effectively. Maintaining combat systems at the point of need, whether it is a rifle, a truck, or an exquisite precision strike system, is crucial to maintaining momentum and moving the force at the speed of relevance,” said Col. Courtney Sugai, commander of the 402nd Army Field Support Brigade. "In the Indo-Pacific where dispersion of forces and logistics nodes are the norm, SCRs, LARs, FSRs, make our formations more durable across long distances across diverse and distributed land masses in Asia and Oceania. Warfighters who maintain their equipment are confident that it will deliver in combat. Our team helps provide that confidence.”
As the Army prepares for large-scale combat operations against near-peer threats, the need for agile, forward-capable sustainment is paramount.
Tim Pelfrey, a Quality Assurance Specialist for Ammunition Surveillance with Joint Munitions Command, was forward-deployed with the LSE during Super Garuda Shield 25 to support ammunition operations. “Ammunition safety and accountability aren't just checklist items - they’re the backbone of operational effectiveness,” said Tim Pelfrey, a Quality Assurance Specialist with Joint Munitions Command. “We work shoulder-to-shoulder with Soldiers to ensure every round meets inspection standards and supports the mission downrange.”
Sustainment is a People Business
People are key to sustaining the fight. “The 402nd doesn’t have exquisite weapons systems or large formations conducting maneuvers. We are an organization of experts,” said Col. Courtney Sugai, commander of the 402nd Army Field Support Brigade. “The civilians and contractors who make up our Logistics Assistance Program and sustainment enterprise are indispensable to mission success. Just as our partners and allies are assured by the U.S. Army Soldiers they train with, our Soldiers are assured by AMC civilian experts who coach, teach and problem-solve alongside them. They don’t just enable the fight. They extend the reach of the force.”
Through this structure, the 402nd ensures the Indo-Pacific theater remains resilient, responsive, and ready. Sustainment is a warfighting function and being an expert in sustainment provides our Army with unmatched strategic advantage.
| Date Taken: | 06.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.27.2025 05:16 |
| Story ID: | 501659 |
| Location: | SCHOFIELD BARRACKS EAST RANGE, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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