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The Salang Tunnel Page 5 Sustainer August 2012 Published in the interest of Joint Sustainment Command - Afghanistan Soldiers and their Families 781st Trans. Co. runs convoys Page 13
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Sustainer August 2012

Sep 08, 2014

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The official magazine of the Joint Sustainment Command - Afghanistan and the 3d Expeditionary Sustainment Command.
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Page 1: Sustainer August 2012

The Salang Tunnel Page 5

SustainerAugust2012

Published in the interest of Joint Sustainment Command - Afghanistan Soldiers and their Families

781st Trans. Co. runs convoys Page 13

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On the inside ...

Brig. Gen. Kristin K. French, the commander of the Joint Sustainment Command – Afghanistan and the 3d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), greets Afghan Lt. Gen. Mohammad Rajab, Minister of Public Works for the Salang Pass, during her visit to the Salang Pass in Afghanistan’s Parwan province on July 27. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin)

The Sustainer magazine is an authorized publication for members of the DOD. Contents of Sustainer are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by,

the U.S. Government or the Department of the Army. The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the 3d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

Public Affairs Office.

Brig. Gen. Kristin French, Comanding General, 3d ESC

Maj. Jim Bono, Public Affairs Officer

Sgt. 1st Class Rob Strain, Sustainer Editor

Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin, Sustainer Staff Writer

Contributing Writers: Sgt. Gregory Williams, Spc. Isaac Adams, Sgt. 1st Class Luis Saavedra

The Sustainer staff can be reached by email at [email protected], by phone: (502) 624-8523, or by mail to 3d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary),

ATTN: PAO, 1747 Old Ironsides Ave, Fort Knox, KY 40121.

Commander’s CornerPage 3

The Chaplain’s OfficePage 3

The Salang TunnelPage 5

Becoming a citizenPage 6

That’s a lot of cargoPage 7

18th CSSB uncases colors Page 8

KAF food court opensPage 8

Independence Day at KAFPage 9

RPAT helps draw downPage 10

And much more ...

From the editor: Welcome to the third edition of Sustainer magazine - a monthly publication by the Joint Sus-tainment Command - Afghanistan Public Affairs Of-fice.

This magazine is for you - Soldiers and Fami-lies of the JSC-A. We’d like to get your feedback on the content and anything you’d like to see in future issues, so send me an e-mail, or write on our Face-book wall (www.facebook.com/3dESC).

I want to remind everyone that the deadlines for submitting absentee ballot requests are coming up soon. It is extremely important that every Soldier and Family member takes the time to vote - it is a right we defend, so we need to take the time to exer-cise that right.

Each state has different deadlines and re-quirements, so head on over to FVAP.gov to find the exact details for your home state, and as always, if you have any questions, or need any help, please let me know.

Sgt. 1st Class Rob Strain Sustainer Editor

CSM’s CornerPage 4

THINK: negligent dischargesPage 11

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Joint Sustainment Command - AfghanistanBrig. Gen. Kristin French

Commander’s CornerSustainer Families and friends,

Greetings! JSC-A had a truly busy July – on top of our ongoing sustainment support, we took some time to celebrate our Nation’s independence, enjoyed some barbeque with members of our Army family, and continued to support each other as we serve so far away from home.

CSM Roberts and I spent a great deal of time in July travelling around Afghanistan visiting our units. Included in our battlefield circulation was a visit to Mazar-e-Sharif where the JSC-A Deputy Commander, COL Chris Wicker, and several others are overseeing the build of a Northern Logistics Hub, visits to see JSC-A Soldiers in Qatar, Kabul and Bagram, and a recent visit to the Salang Net-work with one of our subordinate units. The route runs through the Hindu Kush Mountains and includes a 1.6-mile tunnel, built in 1964. The Salang Network is criti-

cal to keeping service members in Afghanistan sustained as supplies move across the country.

For those of you back home in the States, the summer is quickly coming to an end – school will be starting soon, the tempera-tures may finally cool off (although

it isn’t nearly as hot as it is here), and there will be many activities going on around Fort Knox and the 3d ESC. Make sure you take the time to stay informed - all the latest from Fort Knox and Afghani-stan is available on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/3dESC).

I want to thank the Sol-diers and Families of JSC-A for what they do every day – our Sol-diers are doing extremely well, and I am very proud of all their hard work. Families and friends, thank you for your endless support of the Soldiers. They have a hard job, and it is your support that helps them each and every day – thank you for sustaining them so they can Sustain the Line.

Have a great August!

Sustaining the Line! Brig. Gen. Kristin K. French

Sustainer 6

The Holy Ramadan

Greetings. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 to 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating and drinking and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility, and spirituality. Muslims fast for the sake of God and to offer more prayer than usual.

Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to the Islamic prophet, Muham-mad.

During the month of Ra-madan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.

Ramadan is a time of reflecting, believing and worship-ing God. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam and to avoid obscene and irreligious sights and sounds.

In addition to fasting, Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Qur’an. Some Mus-lims perform the recitation of the entire Qur’an by means of special prayers, called Tarawih, which are held in the mosques every night of the month, during which a whole section of the Qur’an (Juz’, which

is 1/30 of the Qur’an) is recited. Therefore the entire Qur’an would be completed at the end of the month.

Muslims all around the world will abstain from food and drink, through fasting, from dawn to sunset. At sunset, the family will gather the fast-breaking meal known as Iftar.

The holiday of Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting peri-od of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted.

Chaplain VanderJagt

Chaplain David VanderJagtThe Chaplain’s OfficeJoint Sustainment Command - Afghanistan

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Command Sgt. Maj.’s CornerJoint Sustainment Command - AfghanistanCommand Sgt. Maj. Karl RobertsGreetings from Kandahar Air-field,

Team, as always, I would first like to thank the families and friends of the 3d Sustain-ment Command (Expeditionary) for the tremendous support they’ve showed our Soldiers during our deployment thus far. The love and support you’ve showed our Sol-diers have provided a tremendous boost to the overall morale of the 3d Sustainment Command (Expe-ditionary) and Joint Sustainment Command – Afghanistan.

While our Soldiers have far exceeded the expectations of the command’s leadership, there are always areas that can be approved upon. And while it may not nec-essarily be an issue in our com-mand, it’s an issue relevant to the U.S. Army, which is complacency.

Complacency has been cit-ed as the primary factor contribut-ing to casualties in Afghanistan and is common amongst those

nearing the end of their respective tours. At this particular point, Soldiers tend to take short cuts and begin to not follow their tacti-cal practices to the fullest and as a result, accidents happen.

As leaders, we have to emphasize the importance of fol-lowing the rules and staying in the game until the mission is com-plete. For those of us who travel to locations throughout Afghanistan, we have to avoid routines and patterns, as the enemy is always watching and pays attention to everything that we do. As we continue to do great things during this deployment, let’s make sure complacency is not an issue within the 3d ESC.

When we come together as a team, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish. To the Soldiers of the 3d ESC, stay motivated, stay focused and always remember to sustain the line.

Sustaining the Line! CSM Karl A. Roberts

Sustainer 7

The Center for Army Lessons Learned rapidly collects, analyzes, disseminates and archives OIL, TTP and op-erational records in order to facilitate rapid adapation initiatives and conduct focused knowledge sharing and transfer that informs the Army and enables operationally based decision making, integration, and innovation

throughout the Army and within the JIIM environment.

Find something that worked - or didn’t work? Let CALL knowCALL LNO to JSC-A: Lt. Col. Mike Poss [email protected]

CALL Lessons Learned NIPR website: https://call2army.mil

Army Professional Forums: https://forums.army.mil

CALL SIPRNET Homepage: http://call.army.smil.mil

CALL SIPRNET OEF Current Operations: http://calloif.leavenworth.army.smil.mil

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Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin

(Left) Lt. Gen. Mohammad Rajab, Minister of Public Works for the Salang Pass, briefed Brig. Gen. Kristin K. French, the commander of Joint Sustainment Command – Afghanistan and the 3d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), during her visit to the Salang Pass in Afghani-stan’s Parwan province on July 27. The Salang Pass is a critical route which connects northern and southern Afghanistan and travels through the Hindu Kush Mountains. The Salang Pass in-cludes a 1.6 mile tunnel which was built in 1964 by the Soviets and handles anywhere from an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 vehicles daily. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin)

(Below) Col. Kurt J. Ryan, commander of the 10th Sustainment Brigade, presents Lt. Gen. Moham-mad Rajab, Minister of Public Works for the Salang Pass, a gift during a recent visit to the Salang Pass in Afghanistan’s Parwan province. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin)

Brig. Gen. Kristin K. French, the commander of the Joint Sustainment Command – Afghanistan and the 3d Sustainment Command (Expedition-ary), greets Afghan Lt. Gen. Mohammad Rajab, Minister of Public Works for the Salang Pass, during her visit to the Salang Pass in Afghanistan’s Parwan province on July 27. The Salang Pass is a critical route which con-nects northern and southern Afghanistan and travels through the Hindu Kush Mountains. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin)

Several trucks carrying supplies wait to enter the Salang Tunnel in Afghanistan’s Parwan province. The 1.6 mile tunnel was built in 1964 by the Soviets and handles anywhere from an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 vehicles daily. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin)

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Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin

Sustainers host naturalization ceremony

Service members recite the Oath of Citizenship during the naturalization ceremony sponsored by Joint Sustainment Command – Afghanistan on June 29. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin)

Sgt. John Mesias admires an American Flag during the naturalization ceremony sponsored by Joint Sustainment Command – Afghanistan on June 29. In total, forty-four service members serving in the combined joint operations area-Afghanistan took part in the ceremony in which they officially became American citizens. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin)

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – The Joint Sustain-ment Command-Afghanistan hosted a naturalization ceremony at Kandahar Airfield on June 29, 2012.

In total, 44 service mem-bers serving in the Combined Joint Operations Area-Afghanistan took part in the ceremony and officially became American citizens.

Brig. Gen. Kristin K. French, the commanding gen-eral of JSC-A, thanked everyone in attendance as these service members achieved their American dream.

“Today we celebrate the American dream. The dream of a nation where all people are cre-ated equal,” said French. “You are here because you have not merely chosen to live in this country, you have chosen to serve this country and become an American citizen while deployed to Afghanistan.”

Speaking at the ceremony

was the Honorable Stephen G. McFarland, the Ambassador and Coordinating Director Rule of Law and Law Enforcement for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.

McFarland, who joined the embassy in January, said that he was honored to have the opportu-nity to attend the ceremony and aid in the process of naturalizing America’s newest citizens. He explained that by taking the Oath of Citizenship, they were follow-ing in the footsteps of many others who had become American’s many years ago.

“Today, you are all Ameri-cans,” McFarland told the service members. “By taking the Oath of Citizenship, you’re joining a long and proud tradition.”

For many of those natu-ralized during the ceremony, the opportunity to become American citizens was one that they have dreamed of for many years.

When Marine Cpl. Carlos A. Silva joined the military, he said that he knew he would be-

come a citizen one day, but was never sure of when. He said that he traveled to the United States with his parents as a young child, and grew up there. For Silva, this day was special and overwhelming at the same time.

“I’m truly happy to be here,” said Silva. “Today is a special day for myself and my family.”

The Joint Sustainment Command-Afghanistan hosted a naturalization ceremony at Kandahar Airfield on June 29, 2012. In total, forty-four service members serving in the combined joint operations area-Afghanistan took part in the ceremony in which they officially became Ameri-can citizens. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin)

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Multi Modal Yard redeploys over 17.2M lbs of cargoSgt. Gregory Williams

Spc. Eric Wilson, an armor supply specialist with the 209th Military Police Company (left), performs a weapons inventory in the Kandahar Airfield Multi Modal Yard on July 11, 2012. The 209th MP Co. is preparing for unit’s redeployment back to the United States. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Williams)

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – When the Ground Lines of Communication, or GLOC, closed, the Army was forced to use air assets in its redeployment process.

This challenge was met head on with the Army and Air Force working together to move cargo as effectively as possible.

Contributing to the redeployment mission, the 822nd Movement Control Detachment out of Boston, Mass., opened Kandahar Airfield’s first Multi Modal Yard, which facilitates and centralizes cargo move-ment from KAF to the United States.

The Multi Modal Yard has moved approxi-mately over 17.2 million lbs of equipment in a six month period, which has contributed to the biggest air lift operation since the Cold War.

“What amazes me about this mission is how within our detachment we have all the qualified personnel who can run this yard efficiently by them-selves,” Staff Sgt. Matthew Wissell, the noncom-missioned officer in charge of the Multi Modal Yard, 822nd MCT said.

“Our unit was totally self-sustaining because we had transportation managers, a cargo specialist, and truck drivers, which is rare for a MCT to have.”

The Multi Modal yard works with the Air Force’s Alpha Yard and Mike Ramp to redeploy pal-lets, quad-cons, tri-cons, containers, and military vehicles back to the United States.

As many Forward Operating Bases close in anticipation of the drawdown, the Multi Modal yard

has helped to make the redeployment process easier for units by helping them schedule joint inspections and palletizing cargo.

“Other yards would tell a unit they’re respon-sible for scheduling appointments, moving cargo, roll-ing stock, and contacting the Air Force, but we say hey you’ve done your part outside the wire so let us take care of you,” Sgt. Josemy Morales, a movement control supervisor, 822nd MCT said.

“We’re more customer service oriented and whatever we can do to make the transition from KAF back home easier, we’ll do it.”

The soldiers of the Multi Modal Yard have helped various units during their redeployment from KAF back to the states such as 10th Moun-tain Division, 25th Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division,14th Combat Engineer Battalion, and other smaller detachments.

“Everything that would normally go by con-voy, when it comes to the Multi Modal Yard we help redeploy it by air, which if it has to go we’re going to get it to go,” said Wissell. “We provide a service that’s very unique and not available on KAF.”

Even with the reopening of the GLOC, the 822nd MCT Multi Modal Yard will continue to work 24 hours, 7 days a week to make sure units go home with everything they brought with them.

Whether it’s working with local national driv-ers or the Air Force, this detachment will make sure every unit reunites with their cargo.

Sgt. Micheal Newton, a transportation movement noncommissioned officer with the 822nd Movement Control Detachment, uses a forklift to move a tricon in the Kandahar Airfield Multi Modal Yard on July 16, 2012. The Multi Modal yard has redeployed over 17 million pounds of cargo back to the United States in the past 6 months. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Williams)

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Sgt. Gregory Williams

18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion uncases colors

Lt. Col. Michelle Letcher, the battalion commander of the 18th Combat Sustainment Sup-port Battalion, and Command Sgt. Maj. Ian Griffin, the 18th CSSB’s senior enlisted advisor, uncase the unit’s colors during a ceremony held at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan on June 29. The 18th CSSB, based out of Grafenwoehr, Germany, will assume command and control of the full spectrum of sustainment operations as part of a battalion or theater sustainment command operation during its deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Right) Members of the 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion color guard present the colors during an uncasing ceremony at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan on June 29. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin)

Kandahar Airfield food court opens KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – A new food court opened at Kandahar Airfield, Af-ghanistan on July 4, 2012.

The food court includes a Burger King, Popeye’s, Pizza Hut and a Village Cuisine. Kandahar Airfield is home to 23,000 NATO service members and the food court hopes to offer more of a vari-ety to Soldiers.

The ribbon cutting ceremo-ny for the food court was hosted by the 655th Regional Support Group with the ribbon being cut by Brig. Gen. Scott L. Dennis, commanding general, 451st Air Expeditionary Wing and KAF, Brig. Gen. Kristin K. French, com-manding general, Joint Sustain-ment Command - Afghanistan,

Col. Ernest Erlandson, commander, 655th Region Support Group, and Lt. James L. Gagne, a contracting officer representative,

655th RSG.

“To have the generals of both KAF and the Joint Sustain-ment Command - Afghanistan was a great way to start the event and open up for business,” Gagne said.

After the ceremony, Sol-diers from the 655th RSG handed out coupons for free meals in order to get the word out.

The mission of the food court is to not only offer more food options to Soldiers, but also brings some popular restaurants to Af-ghanistan.

“During my lunch break back at home, I would eat Burger King everyday so to see one here makes me feel right at home,” Spc. Edith Thomas, a logistical spe-cialist, 583rd Medical Logistical Company said.

“You know all of us get tired of eating at the dining facili-ties, but I hope that Soldiers don’t

go overboard with the whoppers.”

“This food court increases morale for all the Soldiers living in the South Park area and on KAF because it gives them a place to unwind,” Gagne said.

Gagne said he couldn’t have succeeded without the help of Staff Sgt. David Stanton, a project manager, 655th RSG and Capt. Nancy Lawrence, an officer in charge, 655th RSG.

“Without the support of my team this mission would’ve been a lot harder. It’s because of their hard work the vendors got to work out all the kinks and fine tune everything,” Gagne said.

Whether it’s a crispy piece of chicken, a crunchy french fry, a juicy burger, or a cool shake, Soldiers on KAF can now taste a bit of home at the new South Park food court.

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Kandahar celebrates Independence DaySgt. Gregory Williams

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Service members took part in the NATO Multinational Role 3 Independence Day celebration at the hospital’s deck on July 3, 2012. The United Services Organization sponsored the event as service members came to-gether to celebrate America’s independence.

A hospital deck filled with water balloon fights, tri-cycle races, raffles, and grilled pepperoni pizzas was a scene that could’ve easily been taken from a park.

“People have this perception of the hospital not being a fun place, but it helps us service mem-bers to bond,” said Staff Sgt. Scott Mason, NCOIC of the Warrior Recovery Center with NATO Role 3 Multi-national Medical Unit. “This event was a stress relief for the staff and gave some wounded warriors time to not focus on their injuries.

As service members munched down on hot dogs, hamburgers, and macaroni potato salad, a member of the Role 3 unit announced to everyone that it would be the last call for free raffle tickets. A crowd of Soldiers surrounded the staff worker with hopes of winning an X-Box, iPad, or a pair of Dre Beats, which were donated by the Kandahar USO.

“The men and women of the Role 3 work tire-lessly every day to care for our injured service mem-bers and it’s a great thing to take care of the Role 3 in return,” said Priya Butler, Director of the USO Southwest Asia region.

“One of the most fun prizes we gave away was the Michael Jackson dance off for the X-Box.”

The highlight of the evening was the bas-ketball contest between the enlisted personnel and officers, which was followed by an impromptu water balloon fight.

“It’s always good to have non-military sup-port for events it shows the amazing support and love they have for all the troops,” Sgt. Eric Sargent, a warrior recovery noncommissioned officer, NATO Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit said.

As the evening winded down and service members refocused on their mission, the attendees had fun celebrating America’s independence. “We all miss the celebrations at home, but this was a chance to enjoy our Independence Day in Afghanistan and we had a great time doing it,” Butler said.

Even though the service members didn’t have a park or fireworks display they had the deck and sounds of fighter jets taking off. A holiday usually celebrated by families was instead celebrated with brothers and sisters in arms.

“Having events like this breaks up the nor-mal day to day operations and not only did it help us unwind, but it brings the staff, NATO forces, the USO, and wounded warriors together to celebrate the greatest country in the world’s independence,” said Sargent.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephanie Morrow and Sgt. Eric Sargent, a warrior of the NATO Role 3 Multinational Unit engage in an intense water fight on July 4, 2012 at Kandahar Airfield. The two service members celebrated the 4th of July by eating hamburgers and getting into water fights on the hospitals deck. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Williams)

More than 600 service members took part in the NATO Multina-tional Role 3 Independence Day celebration on July 3, 2012 at Kandahar Airfield. The USO sponsored the event as service members came together to celebrate America’s independence. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Williams)

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RPAT yard helps with U.S. Forces draw downSgt. Gregory Williams

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Af-ghanistan – For units redeploying home, the Redistribution Property Accountability Team yard repre-sents the end of mission.

But for the Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 401st Army Field Support Brigade, it represents a mission that will continue until the last Soldier goes home.

The 3-401st works with contractors to in-process battle damaged vehicles, conduct ammo abatement operations and rede-ploys cargo back to the U.S.

In the last four months, the RPAT yard has redeployed more than 1,600 pieces of rolling stock with the anticipation of the work-load tripling in the coming months during the U.S. Forces drawdown.

“I know there are other yards on Bagram that help with the redeployment process, but it feels like everyone in country is coming through our yard,”

Spc. Anthony Espinal, a transportation data clerk with the 427th Brigade Support Battalion cross leveled to the 3-401st AFSB said. “Everyday it’s a lot of trucks, a lot of paperwork and a lot of tracking everything that goes in and out of our yard.”

The workload for the

3-401st has been so overwhelm-ing that the battalion has received cross-leveled Soldiers from the 427th BSB who are learning trans-portation management skills.

“I come from an infantry unit originally doing signal sup-port systems stuff, but now I’m learning more about transporta-tion operations,” Espinal said.

Lt. Col. Brian McNulty, a logistics task force commander, 3-401st AFSB, said the cross-lev-eled Soldiers are learning how to become logisticians because they have great attitudes and determi-nation.

“I have great Soldiers and my goal at the end of this deploy-ment is to retrograde 50,000 or more combat vehicles,” McNulty said. “Our unit hopes to increase the monthly velocity of retrograde to exceed 600 vehicles per month to make that happen.”

As the traffic continues to flow through the Ground Lines of Communications (GLOC), the 3-401st AFSB will start to rede-ploy cargo at a faster rate.

“Until we perfect the ret-rograde process all we’re doing is trying to make the mission more effective,” Espinal said. “In the past four months we’ve moved over $500 million worth of cargo so the better the process, the easier it helps units get home.”

McNulty said even though there have been some difficulty with the RPAT yard process en-forcement, this is shaping out to be the best mission he’s ever had.

The mission of the RPAT yard may not be an easy one, but for the 3-401st AFSB it doesn’t have to be easy … a sense of ful-fillment will come when the job is done.

Spc. Anthony Espinal, a transportation data clerk, 427th Brigade Support Battalion, inputs data on the Redistribution Property Accountability Team yard tracker on July 19, 2012 at Bagram Airfield. The RPAT yard tracker allows the 3rd Battalion, 401st Army Field Support Battalion to track and inventory all retrograde cargo. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Williams)

Master Sgt. Patrick Perez, a noncommissioned officer in charge, 3rd Battalion, 401st Army Field Support Brigade and Sgt. Joriann Garcia Hernandez, a supply sergeant, 427th Brigade Support Bat-talion, discuss cargo placement inside the Redistribution Property Accountability Team yard on July 19, 2012 at Bagram Airfield. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Williams)

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JSC-A Safety Office

The improper handling and clearing of a per-sonal weapon can be deadly.

Over the past 15 months, four service mem-bers have been killed from negligent discharges.

JSC-A has had 7 ND's since May 12, 57% oc-curred away from clearing barrels. A little under half have occurred due to mishandling of the weapon, ei-ther not knowing what they were doing, or not treat-ing the weapon as a weapon.

The main factors are complacency and over confidence. Leaders and individual service members need to stay focused on the mission at hand when han-dling weapons.

THINK: Negligent Discharges

Warrant Officers Corps celebrate 94th birthdayChief Warrant Officer 5 Curtis Grover, Brig. Gen. Kristin K. French and Warrant Officer Leon Griffith, cut a cake in tribute to the Warrant Officer Corps 94th Birthday during a ceremony on Kandahar Airfield on July 9, 2012. French was the guest speaker at the event which honored the corps history and lin-eage. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin)

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Brig. Gen. David Clarkson visits the 18th CSSB retrograde yardSpc. Isaac Adams

Spc. Corey Sutton, from Woodbridge, Va. and Sgt. Davin Pelton of Troy, Il., both automated logistic specialists with the 40th QMC of the 45th special troops battalion, speak with the deputy command-ing general of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, Brig. Gen. David Clarkson, about the opera-tion of the processing portion of the retrograde yard. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Isaac Adams, 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion)

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Brig. Gen. David Clarkson, the Deputy Command-ing General of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command walked through the Kandahar Retrograde Yard with Lt. Col. Michelle M.T. Letcher, the commander of the 18th Combat Sustainment Sup-port Battalion, July 10.

The retrograde yard is staffed primarily by the units and Soldiers of the 18th CSSB; the Special Troops Battalion, 45th Sustainment Brigade; Bravo Company, 113th Special Troops Bat-talion; and Bravo Company, 427th Brigade Support Battalion. Clark-son and Letcher walked though the yard, speaking with the Sol-diers, civilians, noncommissioned officers and officers working in the yard.

Spc. Tommy Wilson, an information systems technician, from Stokesdale, N.C., with Bravo Company, 113th Special Troops Battalion, works in the sorting tent in the Kandahar Retrograde Yard.

“It’s that first step that we’ve been waiting on for awhile, so I’m glad it’s here,” Wilson said. “Yeah, the actual job is not easy, but being the first step of getting

out of [Afghanistan], really, that’s a good thing.”

During the walkthrough, Clarkson said the retrograde support of Operation Enduring Freedom, here in Afghanistan, will most likely be attracting a lot of attention from multiple higher headquarters. With that, Clark-son urged the Soldiers in the yard to be prepared for multiple visits

from leaders on multiple different levels.

“My primary mission is to find and sort the items that we receive,” stated Spc. Jade Bumbry, a unit supply clerk from Roanoke, Va., who is here with Bravo Com-pany, 113th Special Troops Battal-ion.

“We are the second step in the whole retrograde process here on Kandahar Airfield. So we sort through every little thing into like items, then they go into process-ing,” Bumbry said.

Here in Kandahar, the 18th CSSB works hard to support the resorting and retrograde of the materials and supplies out of, and around, Afghanistan, in order to minimize loss of materials and to lower the expenses. The Soldiers in the yard have been working long and hard hours to keep the mission going.

“We push through just as much as we physically can,” Wil-son said.Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Phillips, the motor sergeant for HHC, 18th CSSB, explains the maintenance portion of the retrograde

yard to the deputy commanding general of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command.

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Soldiers build logistics hub, call it homeSgt. 1st Class Luis Saavedra

BALKH PROVINCE, Afghanistan – 10th Sus-tainment Brigade’s Team Lightning completed the construction of Logistics Support Area Lightning July 10 as one of the first steps in opening up the new strategic logistics hub for Regional Command-North.

The team consisted of Soldiers from several different units who came together to work on the project. LSA Lightning is the first LSA constructed on Camp Pratt, Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, and was completed in less than 30 days. Enabling completion of the strategic logistics hub ahead of schedule, the LSA will provide billeting, showers, latrines, laundry, gym, and MWR facilities, as well as a dining facility.

Capt. Adam R. Christenson, Team Lightning’s officer in charge, said that it’s amazing to see a group of Soldiers come together as a team and take owner-ship of a project.

“Team Lightning had a clear mission and the Soldiers moved with a purpose, taking pride in their work and doing what others said couldn’t be done,” said Christenson.

Soldiers worked for more than three weeks in intense heat and dusty conditions. They conducted 24-hour operations to ensure the construction was completed as soon as possible.

Soldiers were proud to see that all their hard work paid off. Some Soldiers were happy to be in a place with new facilities.

Spc. Tanya A. Christophe, a food service specialist assigned to 514th Support Maintenance Company, said she is proud of being a part of the team who built the LSA and is excited to be working with new equipment in the dining facility.

Soldiers like the new billets and the overall

feel of the LSA. They will now be able to live in the area and continue to work on the site.

“I have enough space and it is quiet out here,” said Spc. Gretchen Sinclair, a food service specialist assigned to 378th Combat Sustainment Support Bat-talion. “It’s cleaner, newer and there is less traffic.”

Christenson thanked the mechanics, cooks, truck drivers, and signal Soldiers who made up Team Lightning as well as the RC-North Southwest Expan-sion Area Operational Planning Team.

“It was a real honor to work with Team Light-ning,” said Christenson.

Everyone is welcome to stay at LSA Lightning. Soldiers moved in after the grand opening ceremony and the recognition of Soldiers from Team Lightning.

“This project is just another example of our executors accomplishing whatever mission is given to them,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Jose A. Castillo, 10th Sustainment Brigade senior enlisted advisor. “Their go hard, no fail attitude proves that this is the best combat tested force in the world.”

Team Lightning Soldiers constructed a dining facility and various other tents in June 2012. The Soldiers completed the Logistics Support Area Lightning in 30 days in extreme heat and dusty conditions marking the first step in the completion of the new strategic logistics hub for Regional Command-North. (U.S. Army photo)

781st Soldiers tackle convoy missionsSgt. Gregory Williams

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – The roads of Af-ghanistan present many challeng-es, whether it’s driving through a rocky mountainous terrain, a crowded intersection or looking for hidden improvised explosive devices by the roadside.

For the Soldiers of the 781st Transportation Company out of Ft. Deposit, Ala., the mission to

sustain the warfighter takes pre-cedence over fear and hesitation.

The 781st TC transports retrograde cargo from Kandahar Airfield to various forward operat-ing bases throughout Afghanistan.

On a recent mission to For-ward Operating Base Walton, the unit had to deliver Stryker parts and multi-class items, which in the eyes of the Soldiers is a mis-sion critical.

“I take so much pride in this job because I’m helping to transport items that the Soldiers out in the field need,” Spc. Daniel Patterson, a truck driver, 781st TC, said. “People just look at us as truck drivers, but our missions are a necessity because nothing moves unless we move.”

The Soldiers of the 781st TC feel that even though many of the missions conducted outside

See 781st, next page

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781st, from previousthe wire are predominately in-fantry and improvised explosive device related, truck drivers never receive the attention that other military occupations get.

Staff Sgt. Joseph Ander-son, a palletized load system truck commander, 781st TC, said he’s served in the U.S. Army for 39 years. Anderson has taken part in the Vietnam War, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Endur-ing Freedom and has watched the battlefield evolution of what the Army calls a truck driver.

“In the last 39 years I’ve seen it all, but the difference is that we’re fighting an enemy who’s much more fierce and aggressive”,

Anderson said. “These insurgents don’t fight with fear, but we’re always ready for the challenge and that has always made our Army stronger.”

With that strength, the 781st TC has completed more than 30 missions in the three months they’ve been on Kandahar Air-field, transporting everything from weapons to commodities, no mat-ter how dangerous the routes.

“Honestly my first mission I was scared and my nerves were so far blown, but even though you don’t know what to expect you have to do it,” Patterson said. “I trust the vehicle I’m in and the

equipment is phenomenal.”

At FOB Walton, the Sol-diers worked fast and efficiently to unload and upload cargo making their mission seem like another day at the motor pool back home.

“You have to watch out for your loads and make sure that you can handle it that’s the only real hard part,” Anderson said. “Once you’ve done all the training all you have to make sure is that you do whatever it takes to com-plete the mission.”

For the 781st TC it doesn’t matter if a Soldier has done mul-tiple tours or if they come from a military family, every time they leave Kandahar Airfield compla-cency isn’t an option.

”My grandfather was a Marine and my uncle was in the Navy, so being a part of the draw-down process is a great duty,” Patterson said. “My job is to help sustain other FOB’s, so Soldiers depend on me to get their mission done, which I always have to focus on being ready.”

The routes the Soldiers of the 781st TC travel will constantly change, but not the mission, which is to sustain those in the battlefield.

No matter the road or how dangerous the path, the 781st TC are the torches that light the way to freedom.

Sgt. Anthony Hall, a truck driver, 781st Trans-portation Company, ground guides a MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle into a holding yard on July 24, 2012 at Kandahar Air-field. The National Guard unit out of Ft. Deposit, Ala., transports cargo to various forward operat-ing bases in Southern Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gregory Williams)

Soldiers with the 781st Transportation Company strap down cargo on July 24, 2012 at Forward Operating Base Walton. The 781st TC transports cargo between Kandahar Airfield and other FOB’s, helping to sustain troops out in the field.

A Palletized Load System unloads a container inside the Stryker yard at Forward Operating Base Walton on July 24th, 2012. The PLS vehicle is a highly mobile system capable of transporting cargo through virtually any type of terrain.

Spc. Cornelius Johnson, a truck driver, 781st Transportation Company, tightens the straps on a palletized load on July 24, 2012 at Forward Operating Base Walton. Johnson is a National Guardsmen with the 781st TC, which transports cargo to various forward operating bases in Southern Afghanistan.

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July 4th around the world: Photos from Facebook