Photo By Staff Sgt. Engels Tejeda | 1st Sgt. Johnny Godbee of the 16th's Headquarters and Headquarters Company oversees a...... read more read more
Nine months after arriving in Camp Adder, the 16th Corps Support Group is getting ready to enter its last two months in theater and finish a tour during which the "Linebackers" have conducted supply operations throughout southern Iraq.
Since arriving in October, Soldiers under the 16th have driven more than 2.3 million miles, mostly between Kuwait and Logistical Support Area Anaconda. The units have hauled all sorts of supplies, including more than 160 million gallons of fuel, 35,700 boxes of meals ready to eat, and 945,600 bottles of water.
In addition to supporting the logistical patrols to LSA Anaconda, the 16th has conducted supply support operations for at least 10 bases, many of them home to coalition forces.
The Linebackers support camps Cedar II, Scania, Charlie, Delta and Echo, to name a few. They've also worked with members of the British, Japanese, Australian and Salvadoran forces, and they share their home station at Camp Adder with the Italians, the third largest coalition force in Iraq behind the American and British militaries.
The diverse mission has presented many challenges that Maj. David Jaillite, the support operations and transportation officer for the 16th, says the command has overcome thanks to the efforts of the subordinate units.
"The companies " the way they manage their truck assets and their personnel, is very effective," Jaillite says.
"They manage each combat logistics patrol to maximize the amount of cargo and [transportation requests] throughout the theater."
He also credits a command team that consists of 'some of the best NCOs I've ever worked with" for coordinating all the units" movements.
"They are awesome," Jaillite says of the NCOs who work with him at the commands operations center. "They are experienced and they come together to work as a team. It takes a lot of coordination to manage the [movement requests], to put together the [combat logistics patrols] and to have a safe run from Tallil or wherever their origin to their destinations and then ultimately back home."
Though most of their area of operations is relatively free of insurgent activity, members of the 16th and subordinate units all face deadly attacks while on the road.
In May, the command lost two Soldiers to a roadside bomb, and two others were injured this year.
To stay ready, the 16th designed and implemented a series of training ranges during which the Soldiers familiarized with several weapon systems, including machine guns and grenade launchers. Staff Sgt. Bryan Posta, a platoon sergeant for the commands civil affairs office, says the ranges have been crucial in keeping the troops safe.
"The ranges sharpen the Soldiers" skills and give them confidence in their weapon systems so that by the time they've completed the training, there is no doubt in their minds that they are a combat multiplier," says Posta, who attends the ranges almost every two
weeks.
While acknowledging the need to be prepared for anything while on the road, the Soldiers say they are focused on their individual tasks and that they know they are making a difference. Sgt. Cedric Wolters Jr., a squad leader with the 16th's civil affairs office, says he has found much satisfaction in helping local Iraqis at 15 different schools and 11 clinics.
"It feels good to help the Iraqi people get back on their feet and to know that I'm doing my part to help this country develop a stable democracy," Wolters says.
Of course, noble as the mission is, the Soldiers have their eyes fixed on the end date when they return home to their loved ones.
| Date Taken: | 06.22.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 06.22.2006 09:51 |
| Story ID: | 6920 |
| Location: | IQ |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 29 |
This work, 16th CSG preps for final months in Iraq, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
