002. Maj. Michael Lowe, commander for the Bismarck-based 1919th Contingency Contracting Team, is recognized by Gov. Jack Dalrymple during a Freedom Salute ceremony Dec. 7 at Raymond J. Bohn Armory in Bismarck. Sigl and three other members of the highly specialized unit recently returned from a yearlong deploment to Afghanistan and other areas of Southwest Asia. The Freedom Salute campaign is one of the largest Army National Guard recognition endeavors in history, designed to publicly acknowledge Army Guard Soldiers and those who supported them during missions in support of Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom.

(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Eric Jungels/Released)

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U.S. Army Africa Sgt. 1st Class Grady Hyatt, Africa Contingency Operations Training & Assistance program military mentor, gives Sierra Leone Armed Forces Soldiers tips on movement techniques. The SL Army has been training with the ACOTA program for two years, and this is the fifth company prepping for their peacekeeping mission in another country. Photo by U.S. Army Africa.

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Join the U.S. Army Africa conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArmyAfrica

Pictured: The teams process through scrutinisation.

Ten Tors is one of the biggest multi-agency, tri service civil contingency exercises in Britain. It is run by more than nine hundred military personnel - almost all of them Reservists - from all three branches of the Armed Forces, led by the Army’s 43 (Wessex) Brigade with its HQ in Tidworth, Wiltshire.

The 54th running of the event this year comes just months after military personnel, including Reservists from the South West , assisted local authorities, the Environment Agency and blue-light services during the floods, carrying out a range of tasks from sandbagging to engineering.

As a military exercise Ten Tors provides the Armed Forces with an invaluable opportunity to practice these life-saving civil contingency responsibilities, to enable the military - assisted by the emergency services, including The British Red Cross and the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Group - to be ready to help when they are called upon during a national emergency.

Brigadier Piers Hankinson MBE, Director of Ten Tors, is the Commander of 43 (Wessex) Brigade and was the Joint Military Commander for the South West during the flooding.

“The severe flooding across parts of the South West earlier this year clearly demonstrates the importance of such training and the ability to react to fast changing conditions and working in a multi-agency tri-service team. It also highlights the way that Reservists, who have wide ranging civilian experience and employment (from plumbers to accountants), train to operate with their regular counterparts under a One-Army ethos.”

Ten Tors:

As well as a vital high-level military exercise, The Ten Tors Challenge is also one of the biggest outdoors adventure events for young people in Britain today. In all, 2400 youngsters aged between 14 and 19 will take part in Ten Tors, with a further 300 youngsters with physical or educational needs taking part in the Jubilee Challenge.

The majority of the teams who enter Ten Tors are from schools and youth groups from Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. As usual, scores of scout groups, sports and ramblers teams and Armed Forces cadet units have accepted the challenge and are taking part.

Those teenagers taking on the Ten Tors Challenge will trek unaided over 35, 45 or 55 miles of some of the toughest terrain and highest peaks in Southern England relying on their navigational skills and carrying all their food, water, bedding, tents and other essentials as they go.

It is a feat they must complete as a team and without any help from adults and they’ll remain entirely self-sufficient during their arduous expeditions, including camping out overnight on the moor.

They do it for the challenge; to test themselves against one of the last remaining wildernesses in Britain. What they get in return for their months of hard training and commitment, as well as determination and bravery during the event itself, is an experience they’ll remember forever and the chance to learn a set of skills and values which will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

It’s a rite of passage which has played a positive and formative role in shaping the lives of more than a quarter of a million people.

NOTE TO DESKS:

MoD release authorised handout images.

All images remain Crown Copyright 2013.

Photo credit to read - Cpl Si Longworth RLC (Phot)

Email: simonlongworth@mediaops.army.mod.uk

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Si Longworth - 07414 191994

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CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq - Brig. Gen. Abdul Kareem, deputy commander of Al-Kut Air Force Base, was joined by a party of commanders for lunch at the dining facility inside the Iraqi Compound on Contingency Operating Base Delta July 14, 2011. Kareem’s personal chef cooked fresh fish, chicken, and Iraqi rice for everyone. This is the first time this group of influential leaders from the Wasit province, have met to discuss coordination. (U.S. Army photo by 2nd Lt. Stuart White, 6th Bn., 9th Cav. Regt., 3rd AAB, 1st Cav. Div.)

ORLANDO, Fla. - In today’s complex and high tempo operational environment, America’s Army Reserve to rapidly deploy highly trained units to any corner of the world with the personnel and equipment they have on hand. With multiple contingencies and numerous potential threats capable of employing cutting-edge tactics with modern military equipment, the Army Reserve looks to its premiere sustainers such the 143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) to lead, train and equip its 10,000-Soldier command.

In taking the first, major step toward achieving this vital mission, the 143d ESC conducted a Mission Training Brief Feb. 2-3, 2018, at the command’s headquarters in Orlando, Fla.

“An MTB promotes cohesion through collaboration,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Walter L. Flinn, commander, 332nd Transportation Terminal Battalion. “It offers a forum for commanders to share their successes and shortcomings while seeking and offering guidance among their fellow leaders.”

Led by U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Deborah L. Kotulich, commanding general, 143d ESC, the MTB featured dozens of senior leaders from the company to the ESC level whose wealth of knowledge and experience offered solutions to a myriad of logistical challenges.

“The expectation of having several months to bring your Soldiers up to speed at a pre-mobilization station is coming to an end,” Kotulich announced to dozens of battalion and brigade commanders and command sergeants majors huddled in the conference room. “We must assume that we will mobilize at a moment’s notice, and it’s our responsibility that we physically and mentally prepare every Soldier for the rigors of combat through realistic training.”

Kotulich expects every downtrace unit to spend less time in classrooms and more time in the field. This focus on individual and collective readiness stems from the U.S. Army Reserve Command’s Ready Force X initiative.

“Ready Force X is the Army Reserve’s answer to the [U.S.] Army’s demand for properly equipped and highly trained Soldiers who can rapidly deploy into combat,” said U.S. Army Col. Wanda Williams, commander, 641st Regional Sustainment Group. “Almost half of the 143d ESC’s downtrace units must meet the strict criteria established by Ready Force X’s “Fight Fast” mentality. This MTB offers precious time for commanders to obtain timely information needed to properly execute the numerous requirements to maintain a constantly high state of readiness.”

While Kotulich entrusts her fellow officers to formulate plans and carry out the Army Reserve’s “Fight Fast” initiative, she relies on her command sergeants major to refine the tasks required to carry out their commanding general’s intent.

“There are 43 individual training requirements that every unit must complete before reporting to a pre-mobilization site,” said U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Carlos O. Lopes, command sergeant major, 143d ESC. “As NCOs, we are responsible for providing effective training that ensures every Soldier has mastered these fundamental skills that directly determine one’s survivability on the battlefield.”

“NCOs can only do this if they understand their commanders’ intent,” added Command Sgt. Maj. Kenyatta S. Stamps, command sergeant major, 787th Combat Support and Sustainment Battalion. “The MTB allows us to hear those intentions firsthand and develop effective techniques and tactics to achieve them.”

These techniques and tactics encompass a variety of tasks that enhance speed, agility and sustained readiness at the individual, team and unit level. From warrior drills to medical readiness, commanders must meticulously manage finite time and resources to crystallize the Army Reserve’s strategic vision and implement the 143d ESC’s operational mission.

“Ready Force X is about leadership, energy and execution,” said Flinn. “Commanders must own the responsibility for readiness. Establishing an open dialog among senior leaders remains paramount to understanding not only what we do but how we do it.”

With more than half of the 143d ESC falls under the Ready Force X umbrella, every unit and Soldier must face the challenges if they are to reap the awards of transforming America’s Army Reserve into the most lethal and capable federal reserve force in U.S. history.

“America demands highly trained and proficient Soldiers, and the Army Reserve is blessed to have motivated men and women ready to endure the hardships inherent in armed conflict,” said Williams. “That’s why I tell my Soldiers, ‘Don’t worry about the names. Just be ready. Be ready now!”

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. John L. Carkeet IV, 143d ESC

Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team and Combat Aviation Brigade evacuate a simulated casualty during medevac hoist training as part of the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment's intensive training cycle on Fort Bragg, Sept. 12, 2013. The White Falcons, currently part of the Global Response Force, conducted a two-week ITC designed to reinforce combat skills for the nation’s airborne assault-capable, contingency unit.(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Hull)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Clark Morgan, 36th Mobility Response Squadron Contingency Engineer Flight commander with Joint Task Force 505, along with Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal members work to repair the runway at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 10, 2015. The Nepalese officials and Airmen teamed up to conduct necessary repairs to the airfield after it sustained damage following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the nation April 25. In response to the Nepal earthquake, the U.S. military sent Airmen, Marines, Soldiers and Sailors as part of JTF 505 to support the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission in Nepal at the direction of U.S. Agency for International Development. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Melissa B. White/Released)

A contingency from the Royal Thai Air Force recently visited Travis Air Force Base to see firsthand how the USAF and David Grand Medical Center implements military medical training and manages health care and preventative medicine programs. They also had the opportunity to explore other facets of Travis by touring the Heritage Center, traffic control tower and a static aircraft display. Thailand and the U.S. are committed to strengthening the long-standing relationship and paving the way for continued cooperation between the two air powers. (Released - U.S. Air Force Photograph/Heide Couch)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Specialist Rodolfo Moreno, a finance specialist with the 4th Financial Management Company, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, repaints the name of his brother-in-law, Sgt. Israel Devora-Garcia, on the Warrior Memorial Wall at Contingency Operating Site Warrior, Iraq, Aug. 6, 2011. Moreno volunteered to refurbish the memorial site, which bears names of U.S. Soldiers lost during Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. “I am grateful for the opportunity to give a little back,” Moreno said.

(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Robert DeDeaux, 1st AATF PAO, 1st Inf. Div., USD-N)

Earth moving equipment levels the field opposite the Rosie just in case it is needed for temporary coronavirus facilities.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – U.S. Army Cpl. Brandon Lamb, an infantryman assigned to Company C, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, coaches Iraqi Army Soldiers while Pvt. Amar Abdul Hussein, Commando Company, 15th Brigade, 12th Iraqi Army Division, demonstrates the techniques during marksmanship training at the 15th Bde. headquarters in Kirkuk province, Iraq, April 4, 2011.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrew Ingram, USD-N PAO)

Tank prepares to zero main gun.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – An M1A2 Abrams tank sits in its position before zeroing the 120mm main gun on Memorial Range near Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, July 27, 2011. Tank crews from Company D, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, zeroed their main guns during the exercise in support of Operation New Dawn.

(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Quentin Johnson, 2nd AAB PAO, 1st Cav. Div., USD – N)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – An Iraqi citizen scans his thumbprint into the Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment after the Kirkuk Emergency Services Unit and Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division found suspicious items in the resident’s home in Kirkuk, Iraq, May 4, 2011. The HIIDE is a biometric identification system that allows the user to accurately verify a person’s identity after being enrolled in a database.

(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Robert DeDeaux, 1st AATF PAO, 1st Inf. Div., USD-N)

A small contingency of citizens donned signs, bullhorns and petitions protesting the speed cameras in West Garfield Park. The speed camera is just past Kedzie on Madison.........

Spc. Garret VanBrink, with the Force Protection Company, 81st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 81st Brigade Combat Team, Washington Army National Guard, takes a break from training during a visit from Col. Ronald Kapral, the commander of the 81st BCT, and Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Sweeney, the command sergeant major of the 81st BCT, Feb. 6 at Contingency Operating Base Q-West, Iraq. About 2,400 Washington National Guardsmen and 900 California National Guardsmen deployed with the 81st BCT based out of Seattle in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in October. They are scheduled to return home this summer.

Family members, friends, fellow Soldiers and Virginia Guard senior leaders bid a formal farewell to the Soldiers of the Virginia Beach-based 1945th Contingency Contracting Team, 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group Feb. 8, 2014, at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach. Virginia Sen. Jeffrey L. McWaters of the 8th District, Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Long Jr., the Adjutant General of Virginia, Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis A. Green, the Virginia National Guard Senior Enlisted Leader, Col. Michelle Rose, commander of the 329th RSG, Lt. Col. Michael Waterman, commander of the 529th CSSB, Lt. Col. Brent Carey, team leader of the 1944th CCT, and Capt. Bert Hankins, commander of the 1945th CCT, were among the speakers at the ceremony. The four-Soldier team will now head to Camp Shelby, Miss., for premobilization training before they head to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Sgt. Renea Rivers, a support operations noncommissioned officer from Sumter, S.C., assigned to Company C, 101st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, processes shipping requests at Contingency Operating Site Warrior, Iraq, March 13, 2011. Rivers earned recognition as the U.S. Division-North Sustainment Hero for organizing the turn-in of more than $1 million dollars worth of equipment used at four different operating locations in two days.

(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Joshua Tverberg, USD-N PAO)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Colonel Brian Winski, commander of 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, provides Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, an overview of combined security efforts in Ninewa province, Iraq, at the Ninewa Combined Coordination Center, Aug. 1, 2011.

(U.S. Army photo by Capt. Philip Crabtree, 4th AAB PAO, 1st Cav. Div., USD – N)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – Iraqi Special Forces commandos with the 6th Regional Commando Battalion form a single-line formation as they prepare to assault an objective at Khor Al Zubair, April 28, during Operation Lions Leap. The air insertion of the commandos marked the started of the largest joint-military exercise in Iraqi history since 2003. (Photo by Sgt. James Kennedy Benjamin)

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Airmen from the 818th Contingency Response Group, 621st Contingency Response Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. perform sling load training with a CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopter assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 772 at JBMDL Feb 9, 2014. Sling load training enables both air and ground units the opportunity to practice moving large or urgent cargo into areas where aircraft cannot reach, such as aid supplies inside disaster areas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)

U.S. Army Africa Commander Maj. Gen. Patrick J. Donahue II awards the Army Commendation Medal to Army Maj. James Grady, Monday, May 13.

Donahue recognized a group of military personal who supported U.S. Army Africa operations from Feb. 19 to May 10. According to the citiation, their exceptional leadership, planning ability and expertise was invaluable to the successes of USARAF. In doing so, the command met or exceeded all requirements in sychonizing Department of Defense efforts in Mali. (U.S. Army Africa photo by Sgt. 1st Class Wil Patterson)

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Join the U.S. Army Africa conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArmyAfrica

Members of the 36th Contingency Response Group load a baggage pallet prior to departing for Kathmandu, Nepal, Andersen Air Base, Guam, May 5, 2015. The CRG will join U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development led humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in support of the Government and Armed Forces of Nepal. (U.S. Air Force photo by Maj. Ashley Conner/Released)

Family members, friends, fellow Soldiers and Virginia Guard senior leaders bid a formal farewell to the Soldiers of the Virginia Beach-based 1945th Contingency Contracting Team, 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group Feb. 8, 2014, at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach. Virginia Sen. Jeffrey L. McWaters of the 8th District, Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Long Jr., the Adjutant General of Virginia, Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis A. Green, the Virginia National Guard Senior Enlisted Leader, Col. Michelle Rose, commander of the 329th RSG, Lt. Col. Michael Waterman, commander of the 529th CSSB, Lt. Col. Brent Carey, team leader of the 1944th CCT, and Capt. Bert Hankins, commander of the 1945th CCT, were among the speakers at the ceremony. The four-Soldier team will now head to Camp Shelby, Miss., for premobilization training before they head to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Randy Kirkland, an aerial porter from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, uses an all-terrain forklift to offload pallets of humanitarian aid from a Halverson cargo-handling vehicle at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Nov. 12, 2014. The cargo will be staged in Senegal before being transloaded to U.S. Air Force C-130J aircraft for delivery into Monrovia, Liberia, in support of Operation United Assistance, the U.S. Agency for International Development-led, whole-of-government effort to contain the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Private 1st Class James Key, an infantryman assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, removes a surveillance system at Joint Security Station India, Iraq, Aug. 2, 2011. Key, a native of Cleveland, helped his fellow Soldiers transfer JSS India to the 2nd Iraqi Army Division after six years of U.S. presence at the base.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Angel Turner, 4th AAB PAO, 1st Cav. Div., USD – N)

The Consolidated Backup (CBU) facility in Fairmont, West Virginia, will support contingency operations and perform all of the critical functions of the primary ground stations, NOAA Satellite Operations Facility (NSOF) and Wallops Command and Data Acquisition Station (WCDAS), through the production and distribution of life and property products. The CBU will provide product generation for all Key Performance Parameters (KPPs). The CBU will also serve as a backup during system/equipment testing or maintenance. Three new 16.4-meter antennas will be constructed at the CBU. They are designed to withstand sustained winds of 110 mph (Category 2 hurricane) and survive (in a stowed position) gusts of up to 150 mph (Category 4 hurricane). These antennas will be compatible with existing GOES satellites and will operate continuously for the life of the GOES-R series.

Credit: Harris Corporation

For more information: www.goes-r.gov/ground/overview.html

Original image source: www.goes-r.gov/multimedia/ground.html

The Concordia University contingency honoring Coach Dan Harris for his

induction into the Wisconsin Soccer

Coaches Association's Hall of Fame.

Bradley, John, Rolf, Brian, Max, Coach

Harris, Todd, Steve, Robin, Jimmy,

and Don

Coast Guard members from Air Station Sacramento load the Communication Area Master Station Pacific mobile communication vehicle aboard a Coast Guard C-130 at Air Station Sacramento, Wednesday, April 16, 2014, during a training exercise. The event presented crewmembers with a unique opportunity to liaison with other units and demonstrate the capabilities of the C-130. The vehicle is a 20,000-pound communications outpost suitable for any Coast Guard Pacific Area contingency. Coast Guard courtesy of Air Station Sacramento

CIB.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq – Brig. Gen. Paul LaCamera, the deputy division commander of Task Force Lightning, pins a Combat Infantry Badge on Pfc. John Hernandez, infantryman, Company C, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, during an award ceremony at the Salie Gym, Mar. 26, 2011, at Contingency Operating Base Warhorse, Diyala province, Iraq. Hernandez, who hails from Christoval, Texas, received the CIB for his actions during security operations. LaCamera presented one Purple Heart Medal, one Combat Medic Badge, two Combat Action Badges and seven Combat Infantryman Badges to Soldiers from 2nd AAB, 25th Inf. Div., for their actions deployed in support of Operation New Dawn.

(U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Robert England, 2nd AAB PAO, 25th Inf. Div., USD-N)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION K1, Iraq – Staff Sgt. Thomas Harrelson, a communications specialist from Brigham, Utah, assigned to Company B, 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, from Fort Riley, Kan., helps Iraqi Army soldiers dissemble a radio operations system during a communications class, March 10, 2011, at Contingency Operating Location K1 in Iraq. Harrelson said the class, part of a nine-week communications training course led by U.S. Soldiers, developed the Iraqi signal soldiers’ technical proficiency and understanding using the telecommunications systems, signal communications and electronic equipment. U.S. Soldiers are training Iraqi signal soldiers to lead the next iteration of classes.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kandi Huggins, 1st AATF PAO, 1st Inf. Div., USD-N)

Family members, friends, fellow Soldiers and Virginia Guard senior leaders bid a formal farewell to the Soldiers of the Virginia Beach-based 1945th Contingency Contracting Team, 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group Feb. 8, 2014, at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach. Virginia Sen. Jeffrey L. McWaters of the 8th District, Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Long Jr., the Adjutant General of Virginia, Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis A. Green, the Virginia National Guard Senior Enlisted Leader, Col. Michelle Rose, commander of the 329th RSG, Lt. Col. Michael Waterman, commander of the 529th CSSB, Lt. Col. Brent Carey, team leader of the 1944th CCT, and Capt. Bert Hankins, commander of the 1945th CCT, were among the speakers at the ceremony. The four-Soldier team will now head to Camp Shelby, Miss., for premobilization training before they head to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing (CRW) based at Travis Air Force Base, CA, deploy to Central African Republic (CAR) for humanitarian support, on December 13, 2013. AFRICOM is beginning to transport African troops from Burundi to CAR using US Air Force C-17 aircraft operating out of Entebbe as part of a larger effort of African nations supporting the African crisis in CAR. C-17s will to fly about a dozen missions from Entebbe over a week time frame, transporting a Burundian light infantry battalion of about 850 men and equipment from Bujumbura to Bangui in CAR. The C-17’s are staged at Entebbe airport as a convenient mid-way point with the proper facilities to service the aircraft and support aircrews. (Released - U.S. Air Force Photograph/Heide Couch)

Sgt. 1st Class Jack Hahne is embraced by Staff Sgt. Amanda Galdo at Rapid City Regional Airport on Tuesday, September 17, 2013 after spending 9 months deployed to Afghanistan. Symonds is a part of the 1978th Contingency Contracting Team, which is responsible for assisting with the development and administration of contracting support plans, policy and appendices in support of operational, contingency and deliberate plans. He retunred with Maj. Matthew Symonds, which concludes the 1978th's deployment. Galdo, also a member of the 1978th returned from Afghanistan last month.

Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 689th Rapid Port Opening Element in Fort Eustis, Va., load simulated disaster-relief supplies onto a Load Handling System truck on the flight line of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Ill., on Aug. 7, 2013 as part of Exercise Gateway Relief, a U.S. Transportation Command-directed earthquake-relief scenario. The cargo will be hauled to a forward node, where it will be staged for further movement over land by trucks. The 689th is teaming up with the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group through Aug. 9 for the exercise. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer/Released)

Members of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group arrive at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Ill., on Aug. 6, 2013, after deploying from Louisville, Ky., aboard a Mississippi Air National Guard C-17 from the 172nd Airlift Wing. The Airmen are joining with Soldiers assigned to the U.S. Army’s active-duty 689th Rapid Port Opening Element from Fort Eustis, Va., to stand up and operate a Joint Task Force-Port Opening through Aug. 9 as part of a U.S. Transportation Command-directed earthquake-response scenario. A JTF-PO, which combines an Air Force Aerial Port of Debarkation with an Army trucking and distribution unit, ensures the smooth flow of relief supplies into affected areas by airlift, and coordinates their final distribution over land. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer/Released)

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jarrod Blanford, an aerial porter from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, removes whole blood from a refrigerated storage unit outside the Joint Operations Center for Joint Task Force-Port Opening Senegal at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 22, 2014. The blood is being sent to Liberia to support U.S. troops deployed for Operation United Assistance, the U.S. Agency for International Development-led, whole-of-government effort to respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer)

Simulated MEDEVAC.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION COBRA, Iraq – A radio telephone operator from Troop A, 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, simulates calling for an air MEDEVAC as part of the squadron’s “Best Squad” competition, Feb. 18, 2011, at Contingency Operating Location Cobra in the Diyala province of Iraq.

(U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Kyle Miller, 2nd Bn., 14th Cav. Regt., 2nd AAB PAO, 25th Inf. Div., USD-N)

Operations planning.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Capt. Kim Walter, operations officer, 101st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, from Fort Riley, Kan., works on her daily reports at Contingency Operating Site Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq, March 7, 2011. Walter has served in Iraq during three separate deployments during Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and currently in support of Operation New Dawn.

(U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Alyxandra McChesney, 1st AATF PAO, 1st Inf. Div., USD-N)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Sergeant 1st Class Mario Giron, contracting noncommissioned officer in charge for Troop B, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, leaves the troop command post to inspect buildings at Joint Security Station Whiskey 4 before transferring the base to the 3rd Iraqi Army Division, July 30, 2011. Giron, a native of Del Rio, Texas, and Troop B’s mortar section sergeant, managed contractors who supported troops at the base, to include security, laundry and barbers.

(U.S. Army photo by Capt. Philip Crabtree, 4th AAB PAO, 1st Cav. Div., USD – N)

Family members, friends, fellow Soldiers and Virginia Guard senior leaders bid a formal farewell to the Soldiers of the Virginia Beach-based 1945th Contingency Contracting Team, 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group Feb. 8, 2014, at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach. Virginia Sen. Jeffrey L. McWaters of the 8th District, Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Long Jr., the Adjutant General of Virginia, Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis A. Green, the Virginia National Guard Senior Enlisted Leader, Col. Michelle Rose, commander of the 329th RSG, Lt. Col. Michael Waterman, commander of the 529th CSSB, Lt. Col. Brent Carey, team leader of the 1944th CCT, and Capt. Bert Hankins, commander of the 1945th CCT, were among the speakers at the ceremony. The four-Soldier team will now head to Camp Shelby, Miss., for premobilization training before they head to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Anthony Hayden, an aerial porter from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, directs the movement of cargo outside the Joint Operations Center at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 24, 2014. Hayden and more than 70 other Kentucky Air Guardsmen are operating an Aerial Port of Debarkation in Senegal to funnel humanitarian supplies and military support into West Africa as part of Operation United Assistance, the U.S. Agency for International Development-led, whole-of-government effort to contain the Ebola virus outbreak. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Douglas Prewitt, 621st Contingency Response Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., marshals in a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft to Geronimo landing zone during a field exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), Fort Polk, La., Jan. 16, 2014. Service members at JRTC 14-03 are educated in combat patient care and aeromedical evacuation in a simulated combat environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Matthew Smith/Released)

Service members and civilians enjoy show.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Rock band Hoobastank entertains service members and civilians deployed to U.S. Division – North during a concert at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, June 25, 2011. After the show, the band members held a meet and greet, signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans.

(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Coltin Heller, 109th MPAD, USD-N PAO)

Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing (CRW) based at Travis Air Force Base, CA, deploy to Central African Republic (CAR) for humanitarian support, on December 13, 2013. AFRICOM is beginning to transport African troops from Burundi to CAR using US Air Force C-17 aircraft operating out of Entebbe as part of a larger effort of African nations supporting the African crisis in CAR. C-17s will to fly about a dozen missions from Entebbe over a week time frame, transporting a Burundian light infantry battalion of about 850 men and equipment from Bujumbura to Bangui in CAR. The C-17’s are staged at Entebbe airport as a convenient mid-way point with the proper facilities to service the aircraft and support aircrews. (Released - U.S. Air Force Photograph/Heide Couch)

Family members, friends, fellow Soldiers and Virginia Guard senior leaders bid a formal farewell to the Soldiers of the Virginia Beach-based 1945th Contingency Contracting Team, 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group Feb. 8, 2014, at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach. Virginia Sen. Jeffrey L. McWaters of the 8th District, Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Long Jr., the Adjutant General of Virginia, Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis A. Green, the Virginia National Guard Senior Enlisted Leader, Col. Michelle Rose, commander of the 329th RSG, Lt. Col. Michael Waterman, commander of the 529th CSSB, Lt. Col. Brent Carey, team leader of the 1944th CCT, and Capt. Bert Hankins, commander of the 1945th CCT, were among the speakers at the ceremony. The four-Soldier team will now head to Camp Shelby, Miss., for premobilization training before they head to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

Family members, friends, fellow Soldiers and Virginia Guard senior leaders bid a formal farewell to the Soldiers of the Virginia Beach-based 1945th Contingency Contracting Team, 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group Feb. 8, 2014, at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach. Virginia Sen. Jeffrey L. McWaters of the 8th District, Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Long Jr., the Adjutant General of Virginia, Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis A. Green, the Virginia National Guard Senior Enlisted Leader, Col. Michelle Rose, commander of the 329th RSG, Lt. Col. Michael Waterman, commander of the 529th CSSB, Lt. Col. Brent Carey, team leader of the 1944th CCT, and Capt. Bert Hankins, commander of the 1945th CCT, were among the speakers at the ceremony. The four-Soldier team will now head to Camp Shelby, Miss., for premobilization training before they head to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq – David Longa, Safety officer of 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, inspects the electrical grounding for a generator Mar. 2, 2011, at Contingency Operating Base Warhorse, in the Diyala province of Iraq. Longa, a veteran with 21 years of service in the U.S. Army, and eight-years of experience as a safety officer, makes routine safety inspections around COB Warhorse to minimize the potential for accidents.

(U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Robert England, 2nd AAB PAO, 25th Inf. Div., USD-N)

Spc. Yasuvick Santos, network system administrator for the U.S. Army Africa Contingency Command Post, helps form a network connection point for a recent deployment exercise. (U.S. Army Africa photo by Sgt. 1st Class Will Patterson)

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Staff Sgt. Joseph Rivera, 571st Contingency Response Group based out of Travis Air Force Base, Ca. fist bumps a Rwandan soldier as they trade vehicles in the Central African Republic Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. forces will transport a total number of 850 Rwandan soldiers and more than 1000 tons of equipment into the Central African Republic to aid French and African Union operations against militants during this three week-long operation. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane)

Iraqi Police in the lead.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE, Iraq – Kirkuk Provincial Director of Police Maj. Gen. Jamal accompanies Iraqi Police Emergency Services Unit during a cordon and knock operation through a neighborhood in Kirkuk City, Jan. 25, 2011. U.S. Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, assisted Kirkuk ESU during the operation. The ESU cordoned areas of the city, going from house to house to speak with the occupants, distribute humanitarian assistance packages and search for warranted individuals. The operation, conducted with assistance of “Thunderhorse” Soldiers of 2nd Bn., 12th Cav. Regt. resulted in the detention of several suspects.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrew Ingram, USD-N PAO)