Members of the U.S. Army Pacific Command Contingency Post and the Oregon National Guard joined Bangladesh and U.S. government and non-government organizations in brainstorming courses of action when faced with a major earthquake scenario as part of the table-top exercise during the second day of the 2013 Pacific Resilience Disaster Response Exercise & Exchange (DREE) Aug. 19, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The four-day DREE, led by the USARPAC and the Bangladesh Government and Armed Forces Division, began Aug. 18, as a civil-military disaster preparedness and response initiative featuring table-top exercise followed by a field training exercise focused on command and control, urban search and rescue, engineering capacity, and debris management. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Mary E. Ferguson)

Aerial porters from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group off-load the unit’s gear from a Mississippi Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster III at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 4, 2014, in support of Operation United Assistance. More than 70 Kentucky Airmen arrived with the gear to stand up an Intermediate Staging Base at the airport that will funnel humanitarian supplies and equipment into West Africa as part of the international effort to fight Ebola. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer)

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)

Spc. Garret VanBrink, Spc. Paul Saya and Staff Sgt. Sean Henry, all with the Force Protection Company, 81st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 81st Brigade Combat Team, Washington Army National Guard, take 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.

Airman Mikal Moore, a Contingency Response Group aerial porter from Kentucky Air National Guard, chains down an M983 Truck inside a C-5 Galaxy on the Altus Air Force Base flight line Jan. 4, 2013. Members of the 97th Air Mobility Wing; the Kentucky Air Guard; the 31st Air Defense Artillery Army Brigade, Fort Sill, Okla; and the 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, W. Va., joined forces to deploy batteries of Patriot air-defense systems, more than two million pounds of equipment and over 300 personnel to Turkey in support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Levin Boland / Released)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Sergeant Lydia Davis, left, supply sergeant for Company C, 27th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, and Sgt. Corina Lopez, operations noncommissioned officer for Company C, review an order for an incoming shipment of supplies at the company headquarters at Contingency Operating Site Marez, Iraq, July 21, 2011. Davis, a native of Dallas, and Lopez, a native of Redlands, Calif., are currently deployed in support of Operation New Dawn.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Terence Ewings, 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)

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-17âs are staged at Entebbe airport as a convenient mid-way point with the proper facilities to service the aircraft and support aircrews. TSgt Michael Muya, ass igned to the 60th Aerospace Medicine Squadron use the last few minutes before departure to make a few final phone calls. (Released - U.S. Air Force Photograph/Heide Couch)

As they do for many holidays, LOGCAP performance contractors turned the dining facilities into festive areas with plenty of spring decorations and special treats.

About the 401st:

The 401st Army field Support Brigade provides Soldiers, Sailors, Airman, and Marines, the tools and resources necessary to complete the mission. If they shoot it, drive it, fly it, wear it, eat it or communicate with it, the 401st helps provide it. The brigade assists coalition partners with many of their logistical and sustainment needs. The brigade also handles the responsible disposition of equipment in Afghanistan to support evolving missions. We are the single link between Warfighters in the field, and working through Army Sustainment Command, we leverage Army Materiel Command’s worldwide Materiel Enterprise to develop, deliver, and sustain materiel to ensure a dominant joint force for the U.S. and our Allies.

For More information please visit us online:

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Army Sustainment Command

Army Materiel Command

Let’s get it on!

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Sergeant 1st Class Edwin Ramos, middle, operations noncommissioned officer in charge assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, referees a boxing match at Contingency Operating Site Marez, Iraq, Aug. 6, 2011. Soldiers assigned to 5th Bn., 82nd FA Reg., 4th AAB, 1st Cav. Div., built the ring and and organized the event for “Long Knife” Soldiers as a final morale-boosting event before the Soldiers depart northern Iraq later this summer.

(U.S. Army photo)

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

Capt. Geun Kyung Lee, chaplain for the 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, prays with soldiers before leaving on a re-supply mission from Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq, on Aug. 25.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Martinez, 256th Combat Support Hospital emergency physician from Bakersfield, Calif., performs a mock ultrasound during a training exercise Sept. 21, 2011. The Soldiers with the 256th CSH perform weekly training exercises to maintain their skill level while deployed.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Crystal Hudson, 29th MPAD, USD – N PAO)

Tough crowd.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq - U.S. Division-North troops and civilians howl with laughter during the "It's Not That Time of the Month" All Female Comedy tour held at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center on Contingency Operating Base Spiecher, March 11, 2011. Soldiers showed their appreciation during the show, clapping, cheering and whistling for each of the seven performers, who gave audience members their interesting and humorous views on life, relationships and the differences between men and women. Brooks Jackson Colyar, who performed for COB Speicher with her husband Michael Colyar in January, said she enjoyed coming back to entertain service members. "We came to lift morale," she said. "This is the best job I have ever had, and I love coming here to perform for (the troops)."

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

Maintenance check.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Spc. Matthew Hackbarth, a motor transport operator from Phoenix, Ariz., assigned to Security platoon, Company A, 101st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, Kan., performs preventive maintenance checks and services on his vehicle, March 1, 2011, to ensure the vehicle remains operational for the platoon’s next sustainment mission in support of Operation New Dawn.

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

BAGHDAD –Soldiers at Contingency Operating Station Hammer and Department of Defense employees were put to sleep by hypnotist Chuck Millign during his show at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center Jan. 26. Millign said it was his privilege and honor to be in Iraq spending time with Soldiers. (U.S. Army photo by Georges Abourmrad, 2nd BCT PAO, 10th Mtn. Div., USD-C)

Taking the witness statement.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq – First Lt. Ali Khalid, officer in charge of a Crime Scene Management Team, takes a statement from a witness at the scene of a simulated murder during a training exercise in Baquba, Iraq, May 15, 2011. As OIC of the CSM Team, Khalid ensures integrity of the crime scene, oversees evidence collection and processing, and takes statements from witnesses. After conducting collections at the scene, the CSM Team uses the information to build an investigation that will eventually lead to arrest warrants and prosecutions.

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

FORT POLK, La. --An aircraft maintenance technician assigned to the 570th Contingency Response Group from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., prepares to guide a C-130J Hercules out of his parking spot at Geronimo Landing Zone, Fort Polk La., Oct 17, 2012. The CRG was supporting Joint Readiness Training Exercise Decisive Action. The exercise includes emphasis on joint forcible entry, phased deployment with an airborne parachute operation, a combined noncombatant evacuation, combine arms maneuver, wide area security, unconventional warfare and unified land operations in a joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres) (Released)

Staff Sgt. Amanda Galdo of Spearfishleaves her final airplane at Rapid City Regional Airport on her trip home, Tuesday, August 13, 2013 after spending 8 months deployed to Afghanistan. Galdo 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. Three members of her unit are presently completing their assignments in Afghanistan. (SDNG photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Beck) (RELEASED)

Paint as Material Contingency

Exhibition in the Artlab by the Third Year Advanced Painting class (VAS 3310).

October 31 - November 14, 2014

Opening Reception: Thursday, November 6, 2014,

Participating student artists from VAS 3310

Sophie Bisnaire

Danielle Brideau

Michelle Bunton

Tabitha Chan

Christie Constantine

Cayley Cowan

Emilie Currie

Yara El Safi

Corry Faulkner

Angela Ferreira

Jacob Freeman

Brenda Fuhrman

Ella Gonzales

Karissa Hill

Alexandra Kalifer

Sophia Lloyd-Jones

Rowan McCormick

Jasmine Park

Faith Patrick

Andrea Polzer

Robin Scott

Abby Vincent

Daniel Welsh

Carina Wharton

By installing your artwork in the John Labatt Visual Arts Centre, you agree to have it photographed and release all rights in and consent to the use of this photo for all legal purposes. Would you like to see your work properly captioned? vrlibrary@uwo.ca

© 2014; Department of Visual Arts; Western University

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)

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)

For more on the North Dakota National Guard, check out:

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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

richardwatt@mediaops.army.mod.uk

shanewilkinson@mediaops.army.mod.uk

Si Longworth - 07414 191994

Richard Watt - 07836 515306

Shane Wilkinson - 07901 590723

Army Pfc. Stephanie Solomon and Army Spc. Marquis Talbot of the U.S. Army’s 689th Rapid Port Opening Element in Fort Eustis, Va., strap simulated disaster-relief supplies to a flat-rack pallet 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-response scenario. The 689th is joining with the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group to stand up and operate a Joint Task Force-Port Opening through Aug. 9. The 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 final distribution over land. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer/Released)

Professionals can now swiftly access critical information to help them combat chemical contingencies

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

Aerial porters from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group load 8 tons of humanitarian aid and military supplies onto a U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Nov. 4, 2014. The aircraft and crew, from Dyess Air Force Base Texas, are deployed to Senegal as part of the 787th Air Expeditionary Squadron and will fly the cargo 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)

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)

Master Sgt. Joshua Younce, an aerial porter for the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, talks to Michael Thomasson, deputy director for McCracken County, Ky., Emergency Management and Jeff Steen, associate director of Calloway County, Ky., Emergency Management, about the disaster-response capabilities of the 123rd CGR at Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah, Ky., on June 18, 2014. The 123rd CRG is joining with the U.S. Army’s 688th Rapid Port Opening Element to operate a Joint Task Force-Port Opening during Capstone '14, a homeland earthquake-response exercise at Fort Campbell, Ky., from June 16 to 19, 2014. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)

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)

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

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.........

Long Knife Soldiers salute fallen brothers.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – "Long Knife" Soldiers of 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, pay respect to fallen comrades during a memorial service at Contingency Operating Site Marez, Jan. 22, 2011. Sgt. Martin LaMar and Sgt. Michael Bartley, both of Troop A, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, were killed while conducting training with their Iraqi Army counterparts near Mosul, Jan. 15, 2011. “Sgt. Michael Bartley and Sgt. Martin “Mick” LaMar embody the warrior spirit; the spirit they instilled in the Iraqis they trained, and the spirit they showed when they gave their last full measure of devotion to this ideal,” said Capt. Thomas Herman, commander, Troop A, 1st Sqdn., 9th Cav. Regt., 4th AAB.

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

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)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – A 120mm mortar round flies into the sky during a combined arms live fire exercise at Destiny Range, May 28, 2011. Soldiers assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, conducted the CALFEX where mortar men, field artillerymen and forward observers increased proficiency on the weapons.

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

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