South Dakota Army National Guard Soldiers from the 1978th Contingency Contracting Team stand to be recognized during their welcome home ceremony Sept. 24, 2013, on Camp Rapid in Rapid City, S.D. The 1978th returned from a nearly 10-month deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Beck/Released)

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)

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

Soldiers from 289th Military Police Company, 4th Battalion, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), part of the Military District of Washington’s (MDW) Special Reaction Team (SRT), conduct routine medical and high-risk entry operations at Marine Base Quantico, Virginia, November 6, 2019. The highly-skilled Soldiers of MDW’s SRT stand ready to respond to contingency and combat operations by maintaining readiness and sharpening their skills for the defense of National Capital Region. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Nicholas T. Holmes)

Air Force Col. David Mounkes (right), a Kentucky Air National Guardsman and commander of Joint Task Force-Port Opening Senegal, discusses the unit’s mission with Navy Vice Adm. Mark D. Harnitchek, director of the Defense Logistics Agency, inside the JTF-PO Joint Operations Center at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 10, 2104. The JTF-PO, a joint effort between the Kentucky Air Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group and the U.S. Army’s 689th Rapid Port Opening Element, is funneling humanitarian supplies and equipment into West Africa as part of Operation United Assistance, the international effort to fight Ebola. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – An Iraqi Army helicopter fires flares over an objective while a perimeter of vehicles establishes security during a live fire practice exercise for Operation Lion’s Leap, April 19. The Iraqi Army planned and completed the live fire exercise with success, while U.S. forces maintained an advise, assist, and train role. Operation Lion’s Leap showcases Iraq’s defensive capabilities with Iraqi Security Forces leading the planning effort.

(U.S. Army photo by Capt. Chad Ashe, USD-N PAO)

Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 688th Rapid Port Opening Element drive a Load Handling System vehicle to the forward operating node at Amedee Army Airfield, Calif., to unload cargo March 9, 2016. The 688th RPOE is working in conjunction with the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group and a team from the Defense Logistics Agency to operate Joint Task Force-Port Opening Sangala during a week-long exercise called Operation Lumberjack. The objective of the JTF-PO is to establish an aerial port of debarkation, provide initial distribution capability and set up warehousing for distribution beyond the forward node. (Kentucky Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)

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)

Gratitude.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, deputy commanding general, operations, U.S. Forces-Iraq, speaks to Soldiers assigned to 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, during a visit to Contingency Operating Site Warrior, Iraq, Jan. 25, 2011. Cone thanked the Task Force Devil Soldiers for their tireless efforts in support of Operation New Dawn. Cone also met with Col. Eric Welsh, commander, Task Force Devil, and presented the Purple Heart Award to Sgt. 1st Class Isaac McKee, platoon sergeant, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, from Fort Hood, Texas.

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

Contingency Sponsor decals from the Richard Petty Driving Experience #43 Car formerly found in the Test Track after show building.

Local, state and federal agencies prepare for a simulated fire aboard a container ship as part of an oil and hazardous substance response exercise at Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor Sept. 10, 2014. The exercise was designed to test and evaluate core components of the Hawaii Area Contingency Plan, Chevron Facility Response Plan and various emergency response plans during a simulated fire and oil spill. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Melissa E. McKenzie)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE COBRA, Iraq – An HH-60M medevac helicopter fights through a dust storm on approach to Contingency Operating Site Cobra, Iraq, April 4, 2011. The medevac crew braved the storm to evacuate an injured Soldier to a hospital at nearby Joint Base Balad.

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

Spc. Anthonay Kimball with Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery, 81st Brigade Combat Team, Washington Army National Guard, listens as Col. Ronald Kapral, the commander of the 81st BCT, and Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Sweeney, the command sergeant major of the 81st BCT, speak to their Soldiers during a visit Feb. 7 at Contingency Operating Base Marez, 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.

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Joshua Selby, ramp coordinator with the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, prepares to drill into the runway at Amedee Army Airfield, Calif., to get a core sample to test the strength of the concrete on March 6, 2016. The 123rd CRG is working in conjunction with the U.S. Army’s 688th Rapid Port Opening Element and a team from the Defense Logistics Agency to operate Joint Task Force-Port Opening Sangala during a week-long exercise called Operation Lumberjack. The objective of the JTF-PO is to establish an aerial port of debarkation, provide initial distribution capability and set up warehousing for distribution beyond a forward node. (Kentucky Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)

Securing from a line.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Iraqi Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 11th Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division, get on line during training at Ghuzlani Warrior Training Center, Feb. 22, 2011. U.S. Soldiers led IA units of the 3rd IA Div. during the second iteration of training at GWTC, part of Tadreeb al Shamil, an Iraqi training initiative to modernize IA division capabilities through collective unit-level training. During the 25-day training rotation at GWTC, Iraqi soldiers trained with Troop A, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, in preparation for a battalion live fire exercise, Feb. 24, 2011, the culminating training event for the training cycle.

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

Talking to the Soldiers.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq – Brig. Gen. Paul LaCamera, the deputy division commander of Task Force Lightning, addresses Soldiers of 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, following an award ceremony, Mar. 26, 2011, at the Salie Gym on Contingency Operating Base Warhorse, Diyala province, Iraq. LaCamera visited COB Warhorse to recognize Soldiers for their actions during combat.

(U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Robert England, 2nd AAB PAO, 25th 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)

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Rick Moore, 353rd Special Operations Maintenance Squadron productions superintendent, performs a pre-flight inspection on a C-130J Super Hercules from Kadena Air Force Base, Japan, during Red Flag-Alaska 18-3 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Aug. 13, 2018. RF-A serves as an ideal platform for international engagement and the exercise has a long history of including allies and partners, ultimately enabling all involved to exchange tactics, techniques and procedures while improving interoperability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Curt Beach)

Nepalese army soldiers and U.S. Air Force 36th Contingency Response Group Airmen work with Republic of Singapore Air Force members to unload relief supplies from an RSAF C-130 Hercules May 9, at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. The Nepalese army and Airmen worked together to process 537,816 pounds of cargo in a 24-hour period from 13 aircraft delivering relief supplies delivered in response to a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the nation April 25. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Melissa B. White/Released)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Staff Colonel Hasen Ali, senior Iraqi Army officer for the Ninewa Combined Coordination Center, speaks with Lt. Col. Ted Stuart, commander of the NCCC, about current operations at the center, July 25, 2011. Stuart, a native of Fort Knox, Ky., currently assigned to Task Force Sword, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, is responsible for working with Iraqi and Kurdish Security Forces to oversee security operations in northern Iraq.

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

A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules conducts air mobility operations at Holland Drop Zone on Fort Bragg, N.C. during Joint Operations Access Exercise 12-02, June 7, 2012. JOAX is a two-week forcible entry and ground combat exercise to prepare Air Force and Army service members to respond to worldwide crises and contingencies.

Piece by piece.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPICHER, Iraq – Spc. Daniel Pelletier, a metal worker assigned to 299th Engineer Company, 724th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, uses a torch welder to free a section of an Improvised Rafting Bridge on the Tigris River near Sharqat, Iraq, Jan 23, 2011. As the 299th Eng. Company engineers dismantled the IRB, vehicles crossed a brand new Iraqi made Sharqat Bridge which opened to Iraqi citizens for the first time the same day. The new Sharqat Bridge provides the quickest route for traffic traveling between the cities of Mosul and Tikrit.

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

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Specialist Justine McCoy, a chemical specialist assigned to Forward Support Company G, 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, clears and performs a functions check on a .50- caliber machine gun during a “Spur Ride” at Contingency Operating Site Marez, Iraq, Aug. 3, 2011. On her first deployment, McCoy, a native of Lansing, Mich., took part in the cavalry tradition in an effort to earn the privilege to wear silver spurs at designated unit functions and events.

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

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Sergeant 1st Class Bobby “Smoke” Brewster, field artillery platoon sergeant for 2nd Platoon, Battery B, 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, demonstrates how to use an aiming circle during a training exercise at the Ghuzlani Eagle Training Site, July 19, 2011. Brewster, a native of San Diego, is currently on his seventh overseas tour and fourth to Iraq.

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

Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., offload a pallet of cargo belonging to the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y., during JOAX 12-02. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Edward Gyokeres)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua Orme (left), a special vehicle mechanic for the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, and U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert Shipp, a power production specialist from the same unit, perform maintenance on cargo-handling equipment outside the Joint Operations Center at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 27, 2014. More than 70 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)

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)

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

Members of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group conduct cargo off-load operations with a C-130 Hercules during Operation Huron Thunder at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, Mich., July 23, 2018. The 123rd CRG worked in conjunction with the U.S. Army’s 690th Rapid Port Opening Element to operate a Joint Task Force-Port Opening during the exercise. The objective of the JTF-PO is to establish a complete air logistics hub and surface distribution network. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Allison Stephens)

Pfc. Daniel Summey a food service specialist with Forward Support Company, 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division and a native of Charlotte, N.C., stirs a giant pot as he heats up food for hungry soldiers at Contingency Operating Station Garry Owen, Iraq, Sept. 19.

Members of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, augmented by Airmen from the active-duty Air Force and Air National Guard units in multiple states, download a mobile cell-phone tower truck from a U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the wake of Hurricane Maria Oct. 6, 2017. The truck will be used to help restore cell-phone service on the island. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Dale Greer)

Maxine Jones.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Maxine Jones, vocalist for the R&B group En Vogue, brings a bit of soul to service members and civilians during a concert at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, Jan. 20, 2011. Jones and fellow En Vogue member Terry Ellis visited COB Speicher as the fourth stop on a tour of Iraq to boost the morale of service members deployed to U.S. Division-North in support of Operation New Dawn.

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

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Several Iraqi jinood, Arabic for soldiers, assigned to Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Iraqi Army Division, acquire a good sight picture with their AK-47 rifles during weapons and range training at the Field Engineer Regiment compound, near Tikrit, Iraq, March 19, 2011. The range training followed intelligence and reconnaissance training provided by U.S. Division-North Soldiers assigned to Mobile Training Team, 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, during 10 days of training at the FER compound.

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

Divas rock COB Speicher.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Terry Ellis and Maxine Jones, divas for the R&B group En Vogue, perform a catalog of band hits and R&B classics for service members and civilians during a concert at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, Jan. 20, 2011. Despite missing two of their band mates due to personal problems, Jones and Ellis put their heart and soul into the special performance for service members stationed at COB Speicher in support of Operation New Dawn.

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

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Colonel Brian Winski (left), commander of 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, and Command Sgt. Maj. Antoine Overstreet, senior enlisted advisor, case the brigade’s colors during a Transfer of Authority Ceremony at Contingency Operating Site Marez, Iraq, Sept. 4, 2011. Soldiers of 4th AAB, 1st Cav. Div., transferred authority to the 4th AAB, 1st Armored Division, from Fort Bliss, Texas. “Long Knife” Soldiers of the 4th AAB, 1st Cav. Div., redeployed to Fort Hood, Texas, following the ceremony.

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

Members of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility carry a trauma patient onto a C-17 Globemaster III at Balad Air Base, Iraq, on April 22. Patients on the aircraft are positioned according to the severity of their injuries. Keeping patients organized this way helps flight doctors and nurses triage their care. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Julianne Showalter)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, conduct an interview with an Iraqi citizen during a patrol of Kirkuk, Iraq, Aug. 26, 2011. The artillery Soldiers spend 12 hours patrolling the areas outside of Contingency Operating Site Warrior, Iraq, to deter improvised rocket assisted munitions attacks.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Crystal Hudson, 29th 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)

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)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Lieutenant Colonel Matt Tedesco, commander, Division Special Troops Battalion, far left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Keith Moore, the battalion’s senior enlisted leader, far right, cut the Army birthday cake with the help of the oldest and youngest Soldiers deployed to Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, at the North Dining Facility, June 14, 2011. Sergeant 1st Class Walter Richard, 57, a motor sergeant with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Division – North, began his military career in 1970, serving in multiple branches of the military in the following years before settling with the Oregon Army National Guard. Private Erica Daggett, 18, a cargo specialist with 89th Transportation Company, 6th Transportation Battalion, 49th Quartermaster Brigade, enlisted in the Army in August 2010 and deployed in March 2011, just two months after arriving at her first permanent duty station.

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

U.S Air Force Staff Sgt. Casanova Geary, ramp coordinator from the 621st Contingency Response Wing, stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., supervises the cargo offloading operations of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Holland Drop Zone, Fort Bragg, N.C., during Joint Operations Access Exercise 12-02, June 7, 2012. JOAX is a two-week forcible entry and ground combat exercise to prepare Air Force and Army service members to respond to worldwide crises and contingencies.

A group of service members, including Soldiers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Forward Engineering Support Team based in Wiesbaden, Germany, boards a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 22, 2014. The engineers are bound for Liberia, where they will build medical treatment units as part of Operation United Assistance, the U.S. Agency for International Development-led, whole-of-government effort to respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The Soldiers’ departure was coordinated by Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, which operates an Intermediate Staging Base at the Dakar airport. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer)

Aerial porters from Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group off-load 85 tons of humanitarian aid from a 747 cargo plane at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Nov. 2, 2014. The cargo, which includes medical supplies and troop-support equipment, will be staged in a nearby cargo yard before being airlifted to Liberia aboard U.S. Air Force C-130s 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)

Sgt. Brandon Paye, a truck commander for Company B, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 163rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command talks to his driver June 5 during a convoy escort and security mission bringing his set back from Victory Base Complex to Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq.

A loadmaster from the Tennessee Air Guard guides a forklift from the Kentucky Air Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group onto a C-17 aircraft at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., Aug. 29, 2017 in preparation for Hurricane Harvey rescue efforts in Texas. More than 40 Airmen from the Kentucky and Mississippi Air National Guard are deploying to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, where they will rapidly establish airfield, aeromedical evacuation and cargo operations. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)

Meeting the players.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Master Sgt. William O’Connor, noncommissioned officer in charge, Joint Operations Center, 4th Infantry Division and U.S. Division-North, shakes hands with Daniel Graham, a tight end with the Denver Broncos, during the Super Sunday Tour at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, Feb. 5, 2011. O’Connor said he appreciated the professional football players and cheerleaders visiting Soldiers deployed in support of Operation New Dawn. Graham said he enjoyed meeting the COB Speicher Soldiers and wished he could do more to show his appreciation for their efforts to keep the people of the U.S. safe.

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

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III conducts air mobility operations at Holland Drop Zone, Fort Bragg, N.C., during Joint Operations Access Exercise 12-02, June 7, 2012. JOAX is a two-week forcible entry and ground combat exercise to prepare Air Force and Army service members to respond to worldwide crises and contingencies.

EAST CHINA SEA (March 20, 2017) Seaman Summer Hurley, from Salisbury, Md., signals from the amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) to the Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4) during a replenishment-at-sea. Green Bay, part of the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, with embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is on a routine patrol, operating in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region to enhance partnerships and be a ready-response force for any type of contingency. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kaleb R. Staples/Released)

Soldiers and civilians volunteer to be hypnotized.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Soldiers and civilians stationed at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, volunteer to be hypnotized by Chuck Milligan during his performance at the North Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Center, Jan. 17, 2011. With the aid of music and crowd silence, Milligan sent his volunteers into a deep, sleep-like state. "Five minutes in the deep, hypnotized state is equivalent to one hour of deep, normal sleep," said Milligan. The performance tour across Iraq is Milligan's third since the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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