Courtesy Photo | Lt. Col. Brian Formy-Duval, support operations officer-in-charge with the 3rd...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - The 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), hosted the 77th Sustainment Brigade’s pre-deployment site survey (PDSS) team Oct. 15-22.
The 77th Sust. Bde., an Army Reserve unit based out of Fort Dix, N.J., is scheduled to relieve the 3rd Sust. Bde. this spring.
A PDSS helps a unit that is about to deploy, said Col. Shawn Morrissey, commander of the 3rd Sust. Bde., and a Boston native.
“It gives them the opportunity to come over and get the lay of the land, as well as get the mission overview from the unit that is presently serving,” he said.
Col. Stephen Falcone, commander of the 77th Sust. Bde., and a Hudson, Mass., native, added that the PDSS is a chance for an incoming unit to get a visual interpretation of what the current unit is doing, where it’s happening and the scope and magnitude of the mission.
“There is nothing like riding in vehicles, going to sites, seeing how massive the sites really are, seeing what is there and seeing how people operate,” said Falcone. “You can’t do that in a briefing, you can’t do that from pictures; you really have to walk the ground.”
From the PDSS, the 77th Sust. Bde. hopes to take away a better understanding of the mission and to steal a few pointers from the 3rd Sust. Bde., said Falcone.
“They are doing everything exactly right,” he said. “I have seen a lot of things that I would have never thought of unless I came here and I am just stealing everything I can because [imitation] is the most sincere form of flattery.”
The 3rd Sust. Bde.’s main point was for the 77th Sust. Bde. to take away the scope of the mission, said Lt. Col. Brian Formy-Duval, support operations officer-in-charge with the 3rd Sust. Bde., and a Waynesville, Mo., native. “We have a very large mission. There used to be three sustainment brigades doing the mission that we are doing. The PDSS allows them to set and build their team and get their experts in the right areas so they can come in with that better understanding.”
Formy-Duval added that the similarities between the two brigades were quaint when looking back just one year ago.
“If you look at us a year ago, it’s funny how they are in the exact same place and level that we were a year ago,” he said. “Coming full circle, I believe they will be ready for the mission. They have the right team, the right mindset.”
Morrissey echoed his support operations officer by expressing full assurance that the 77th Sust. Bde. would be ready to tackle whatever challenges came their way once the transfer of authority takes place this spring.
“The process of the PDSS is the first big rock to roll,” said Morrissey. “I have all the confidence in the world that they will be prepared to execute the mission. Through the steps of the PDSS, the command post simulation exercise and the mission rehearsal exercise, come spring there will be a seamless transition.”
| Date Taken: | 10.15.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 10.31.2010 10:00 |
| Story ID: | 59174 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 333 |
| Downloads: | 8 |
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