PORT OF SHUAIBA, KUWAIT – The 1st Theater Sustainment Command (TSC) and the 371st Sustainment Brigade (SB) assisted the 335th Transportation Detachment to procure the movement of vehicles aboard the U.S. Army’s SP/4 James A Loux, or LSV-6, January 12, 2017, at Port of Shuaiba, Kuwait to kick off Exercise Iron Union.
Loading combat arms aboard the LSV-6 is a small part of Iron Union. This gives the 1st Theater Sustainment Command a chance to put their critical skills to the test in making sure, no matter the mission, equipment can be shipped from point A to point B to supply the warfighter.
“It’s our real world mission,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 David Reynolds, 335th Transportation Detachment. “Watercraft logistics movement within theater, whether it be for training or for real world, regardless, it’s always our front mission.”
The cargo aboard the vessel contains a large shipment of M1 Tanks, Bradlees, and many other vehicles. Many do not know the Army has LSV’s, let alone figure a ship this size can stay afloat with this much weight.
“The largest problem to loading this much weight on board is trim and stability,” said Reynolds. “We must make sure the boat is balanced correctly for when we sail, getting maximum payload for the people’s money.”
For some of the soldiers aboard the LSV-6, this was the first time they were to move a shipment of this kind of importance.
“This is the life and soul of our job,” said Spc. Kaitlyn Settemoir, watercraft operator for the 335th Transportation Detachment. “I think we are a big piece of the Army as a whole because without us, supply doesn’t really get where it needs to go.”
Exercise Iron Union is a joint military exercise between the U.S. and United Arab Emirates (UAE) that focuses on combat readiness and interoperability between the two nations. The exercise works every angle of theater sustainment and support from administrative support operations by sea mobility to maneuvering operations by several units on ground.
“It showcases what we can do,” said Reynolds. “Look at the tonnage for the price we can move compared to a lot of other people and it helps the Army as a whole.”
Continuously providing what the war fighter needs before they know they need it is the 1st TSC and 371st SB mission. Exercises like Iron Union provide the necessary test to make sure they can keep that promise.