Photo By Capt. William Stroud | RED ROCK, Arizona — On Jan. 3, 2026, the 655th Quartermaster Detachment (Petroleum)...... read more read more
RED ROCK, Arizona — On Jan. 3, 2026, the 655th Quartermaster Detachment (Petroleum) cased its colors during a small, intimate farewell ceremony at the Arizona National Guard Center near Red Rock, Arizona, ahead of the unit’s deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operation Spartan Shield.
During the ceremony, the detachment commander, Maj. Zachery Kitchens, addressed the Soldiers, highlighting the critical nature of their mission.
“Our mission to conduct quality assurance and surveillance inspections on fuel site operations, with guidance from the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, ensures that our Soldiers and partners in theater can rely on every drop of fuel to complete the mission safely and efficiently,” Kitchens said.
The ceremony was attended by the 653rd Regional Support Group rear detachment command team, Col. Henry Empeno and Command Sgt. Maj. Luis Rodriguez.
“Serve with pride. You’re in this together. Get your mission done, be safe. Show your technical competence and get out there. You’re not just representing your unit’s name, but the United States Army,” Empeno said.
“You all will be dispersed through various countries. One thing I love is combat tourism. I hope you get to enjoy the great things and places this mission will take you to. Don’t forget your families; communicate home every day. Most of all, take care of one another and stay safe,” Rodriguez said.
Maj. Kitchens closed the ceremony with a story about legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden:
“Coach John Wooden won 10 NCAA championships in 12 years. What made him unique was that even players who didn’t start bought into the culture he built and helped the starters improve — every member contributed to the team’s success. On our team, there are no bench players; everyone is a starter. Every Soldier has a role, and by using that role to improve individually, you make the entire team stronger,” Kitchens said.
The 655th Quartermaster Detachment’s mission reflects the Army Reserve’s dedication to being “Twice the Citizen”while supporting critical operations overseas. As the unit prepares to deploy, its Soldiers carry forward the professionalism, expertise, and commitment that define the Army Reserve.
The 311th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC) is a United States Army Reserve sustainment headquarters headquartered in Los Angeles, California. As a subordinate command of the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, the 311th ESC provides trained and ready sustainment and logistics forces capable of deploying globally to conduct operational and tactical sustainment operations in support of joint, Army, and coalition forces. The command exercises mission command of sustainment brigades, regional support groups, and other subordinate units, enabling operational reach, freedom of action, and prolonged endurance for forces across the spectrum of conflict.
| Date Taken: | 01.03.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 01.04.2026 19:25 |
| Story ID: | 555680 |
| Location: | RED ROCK, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 76 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, No Bench Players: 655th QM Detachment Prepares for CENTCOM Fuel Inspections, by CPT William Stroud, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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