CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – An Iraqi Army helicopter hovers over an outer defense cordon created by armored vehicles from 12th IA Division during a live fire exercise for Operation Lion’s Leap, April 19, 2011. The live fire exercise, a practice event for the main operation later this month, culminated as Iraqi Special Operations moved in on the final objective after an air assault insertion.

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

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)

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. (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)

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

Virginia National Guard Soldiers from the Virginia Beach-based 1940th and 1945th Contingency Contracting Teams participate in a six-day, joint, multi-state, contracting exercise Nov. 15, 2013, at Camp Pendleton, Va. The exercise, Vital Pledge, also includes Air and Army Guard personnel in Maine, Minnesota and South Dakota, as well as civilians from the Defense Logistics Agency. In addition to improving the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s familiarity with contracting systems and equipment, the exercise served to help prepare the four Soldiers of the 1945 CCT for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan in early 2014. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

Lt. Col. Ash Groves, commander of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Maintenance Squadron, briefs members of the Civil Air Patrol Paducah Composite Squadron, Great Lakes Region Kentucky 011, and Boy Scout Troop 4, about the emergency-response capabilities of the 123rd Contingency Response Group 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 Master Sgt. Charles Wilding, an aerial porter from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, tightens the chains on a pallet of cargo outside the Joint Operations Center at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 24, 2014. Wilding 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)

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Staff Sgt. Ryan Boyles, an aircraft maintenance craftsman from the 621st Contingency Response Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. waits during 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)

Quilla Constance 'Teasing out Contingencies' banner. An ongoing project directed by Quilla Constance, opening at Tate Exchange, Tate Modern, and touring to The Higgins Bedford, Sir William Harpur Gallery. Funded by Arts Council England and Bedford Creative Arts. Photo by Quilla Constance.

Members of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group offload equipment from a Mississippi Air National Guard C-17 at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Ill., on Aug. 6, 2013, as part of Exercise Gateway Relief, a U.S. Transportation Command-directed earthquake-response scenario. The 123rd is joining forces with 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. 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)

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)

Virginia National Guard Soldiers from the Virginia Beach-based 1940th and 1945th Contingency Contracting Teams participate in a six-day, joint, multi-state, contracting exercise Nov. 15, 2013, at Camp Pendleton, Va. The exercise, Vital Pledge, also includes Air and Army Guard personnel in Maine, Minnesota and South Dakota, as well as civilians from the Defense Logistics Agency. In addition to improving the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s familiarity with contracting systems and equipment, the exercise served to help prepare the four Soldiers of the 1945 CCT for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan in early 2014. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

Col. Kevin Oliver, left, and Lt. Col. Shawn Underwood check a mission timeline during JOAX 12-02. Both are assigned to the 621st CRW at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. Oliver is the joint task force-port opening commander, and Underwood is the 621st Contingency Response Wing exercise evaluator. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Edward Gyokeres)

Coin hand-off.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Major General David Perkins and Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Dailey, 4th Infantry Division and United States Division-North command group, award Sgt. 1st Class Kelly Gillespie, a network manager from Rockymount, Va., assigned to 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, a Task Force Ironhorse Coin for Excellence during an award ceremony at Contingency Operating Site Warrior Sept. 15, 2011. “It was an honor,” said Gillespie, after receiving the coin. “The coin represents the hard work of an individual. The coin is also a reflection of the leadership or the team that instilled in the Soldier the values that lead to their achievement.”

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

U.S. Army soldiers prepare to unveil the Henry Mayfield Jr. Dining Facility during the building’s grand opening and dedication ceremony at Baledogle Military Airfield (BMA), Somalia, May 1, 2020. The facility was named for U.S. Army Spc. Henry J. “Mitch” Mayfield Jr., who was killed in action Jan. 5, 2020, during an attack on Manda Bay Airfield, Kenya, by a terrorist organization. Mayfield, a Chicago native, was deployed to Kenya with the 1st Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment, 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group, from Fort Rucker, Alabama. (U.S. Navy photo by Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Toniece Lurch)

Challenging a pro.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPIECHER, Iraq – Chief Warrant Officer Sherwin Macalibo, a field artillery intelligence officer from San Jose, Calif., assigned to Fires and Stability Operations Cell, 4th Infantry Division and U.S. Division-North, plays ping-pong with Drew Bennett, a retired National Football League wide receiver, at the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Center on Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, during the Super Sunday Tour, Feb 4, 2011. During the tour, Bennett, who played with the Saint Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans, joined fellow NFL players and cheerleaders visiting posts across Iraq to thank U.S. Soldiers for the sacrifices made in support of Operation New Dawn and boost morale during Super Bowl weekend.

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

Paratroopers of the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, take cover behind a building during a wire-obstacle breach explosion on Fort Bragg, Sept. 9, 2013. The White Falcons, currently part of the Global Response Force, conducted a two-week intensive training cycle designed to reinforce combat skills for the nation’s airborne assault-capable, contingency unit.

(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Hull)

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)

Joe List entertains crowd.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Comedian Joe List gets the crowd of troops and civilian contractors laughing during the Comics Ready to Entertain tour at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, March 5, 2011. List joined fellow comedians Nate Bargatze and Scott Kennedy during the Armed Forces Entertainment-sponsored tour in support of troops across Iraq and Kuwait. Armed Forces Entertainment is the Department of Defense’s official agency for providing entertainment to troops deployed overseas.

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

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces launch artillery rounds into one of the objectives at Khor Al Zubair, April 28, during Operation Lions Leap. The one-hour exercise, which occurred in five phases, involved air, land and sea assets of the Iraqi Security Forces. (Photo by Sgt. James Kennedy Benjamin)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Soldiers assigned to Commando Battalion, 12th Iraqi Army Division, converge on a mock hostage situation with humvees during a rehearsal for Operation Lion’s Leap, at Mahgoor Training Site in Kirkuk province, Iraq, April 10, 2011. During Operation Lion’s Leap, an exercise designed to showcase the Iraqi military’s combat prowess, Iraqi forces plan to integrate mortars, ground troops and air assets during a live fire operation.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrew Ingram, 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)

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)

by signpros ift.tt/1PYqppw

Aerial porters from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group push pallets of humanitarian aid from the cargo hold of 747 aircraft onto a waiting Halvorsen Loader 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)

Tech. Sgt. Mitchell Thompson, 921st Contingency Response Squadron ramp coordinator, talks to other members of the Contingency Response Team while off loading CH-47 Chinook helicopters during Exercise Swift Response 16 at Bydgoszcz Airport, Poland, June 8, 2016. Contingency Response units are self-sufficient and can deploy with all personnel, equipment and supplies to execute the mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Joseph Swafford/Released)

Airmen from the 821st Contingency Response Group load a pallet onto a C-130J Super Hercules during Exercise Swift Response 16 at the Bydgoszcz Airport, Poland, June 8, 2016. Exercise SR16 is one of the premier military crisis response training events for multinational airborne forces in the world, the exercise has more than 5,000 participants from 10 NATO nations. Contingency Response units are self-sufficient and can deploy with all personnel, equipment and supplies to execute the mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Joseph Swafford/Released)

The Airmen of the 615th Contingency Response Wing work alongside Soldiers of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command to direct the loading of cargo belonging to the 172nd Infantry Brigade onto a Boeing 747 aircraft at Mihail Kogalniceanu Airfield in Romania, July 19. 21st TSC personnel helped ensure over 300 containers weighing over 1,000 tons originating out of Grafenwoehr, Germany were inspected, secured and transported onto railcars for movement downrange. (Photo by Sgt. Frank Sanchez III, 21st TSC Public Affairs Office)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq -- Lieutenant Colonel Steven Hughes, Team Chief of the Provincial Police Transition Team, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, toured facilities at the Dibbis police station with Lt. Col. Moayed Bakir Sidiq (right), Police Chief for the Dibbis police district, Kirkuk province, Iraq, July 6, 2011. During the visit, Hughes met with the newly instated police chief to discuss the current state of operations in the district, progress made over past few months, and plans for the future.

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

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Specialist Michael Acosta, top, a multi-channel transmissions systems operator maintainer, assists Sgt. Matthew Cogburn, senior information systems noncommissioned officer assigned to Company B, 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, as they test a Harris 7800W radio at Contingency Operating Site Marez, Iraq, July 21, 2011. Cogburn, a native of Round Rock, Texas, earned recognition as “Long Knife Strong” Soldier of the Week for his exceptional performance while deployed in support of Operation New Dawn.

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

Final inspection.

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)

Members of the Wisconsin National Guard’s 1967th Contingency Contracting Team stand in formation while being greeted by state leadership at Volk Field, Dec. 18 after returning home from an 11 month deployment to The Horn of Africa. The unit provided contracting support services to U.S. forces in the region. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Sgt. Alice Ripberger

A contingency New Flyer seen staged just north of Rose Quarter Transit Center (on Wheeler, Soutbound next to the Moda Center). It was sent there to assist with the steel bridge closure MAX Shuttles, but they ended up not being needed on the day when this photo was taken.

This was also the last day that 2540 was ever used in a public setting. It is also one of the very few times that a 2500 was seen in public with replaced windows (some of the windows on this bus were swapped out with ones on LFRs).

There is also an older Gillig BRT to the right of the photo

Rendering honors.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq – Spc. Mario Bravo, right, a military policeman assigned to 512th Military Police Company, attached to 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, salutes Col. Malcolm Frost, brigade commander of 2nd AAB, 25th Inf. Div., during an award ceremony at the Salie Gym on Contingency Operating Base Warhorse, Diyala province, Iraq, Jan. 23, 2011. The 512th MP Company conducted missions with their Iraqi Police counterparts in the Diyala, Salah ad Din and Kirkuk provinces during the final months of Operation Iraqi Freedom through Operation New Dawn. The 272nd Military Police Company, based out of Mannheim, Germany, will replace the 512th MP Company, which will return to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., in February.

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

Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group set up a mobile airfield operations center at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 17, 2014, in support 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 Airmen are operating an Intermediate Staging Base in Dakar to funnel humanitarian aid into affected areas, working in concert with Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 689th Rapid Port Opening Element to staff a Joint Task Force-Port Opening. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer)

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)

44th Baltimore LGBTQ Pride Parade March down North Charles Street in Baltimore MD on Saturday afternoon, 15 June 2019 by Elvert Barnes Photography

BGE EXELON Contingency

www.facebook.com/myBGE/posts/2720519397959143

Elvert Barnes 44th Baltimore LGTBQ Pride 2019 docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/BmoreGayPride2019.html

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Specialist Charles Porowski, a cannon crewmember assigned to Forward Support Company G, 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, locates a target by plotting grid coordinates on a map during a “Spur Ride” at Contingency Operating Site Marez, Iraq, Aug. 3, 2011. In addition to a nighttime map reading skills test, Porowski, a native of Cincinnati, completed a combat lifesaver, automations, communications, and weapons skills test to earn the honor of being inducted into the Order of the Spur.

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

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – First Lieutenant Peter Curtin, an operations officer assigned to 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, sprints the last mile of an Army Physical Fitness Test at Contingency Operating Site Marez, Iraq, Aug. 2, 2011. Curtin, a native of Boston, Mass., completed the APFT as a prerequisite for the battalion’s “Spur Ride”. The Fort Hood trooper participated in the cavalry tradition to earn the privilege of wearing silver spurs and being inducted into the Order of the Spur.

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

Soldiers vibe to Hip-hop performance

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Soldiers assigned to 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, wave their hands in the air and enjoy a musical performance from hip-hop rapper Chingy during a concert at Contingency Operating Site Marez, Iraq, May 27, 2011. The American rapper performed popular hip-hop songs during a two-hour concert for the Soldiers, Department of Defense civilians, and contractors. After the show, Chingy thanked the deployed Fort Hood Soldiers for their services and sacrifices made while serving their country. The St. Louis musician also handed out autographed CDs and T-shirts to 4th AAB Soldiers.

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

Sgt. 1st Class Robert J. Absher from Dallas, Tex. an Operations Noncommissioned Officer for United States Army Africa Command Contingency Control Point helps set up the Deployable Rapid Assembly Shelter Aug. 7. (U.S. Army Africa photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class William 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

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Sergeant James Quatro, right, a military policeman assigned to 105th Military Police Company, Task Force Shield, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, instructs Iraqi Police assigned to the 2nd and 4th Emergency Response Battalions, how to stand properly when firing their AK47 rifles. Quatro, a native of Rochester, N.Y., also trained the policemen on how to assemble and disassemble the weapon, and basic rifle marksmanship.

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

Paratroopers of the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, conduct live-fire, urban operations training on Fort Bragg, Sept. 9, 2013. The White Falcons, currently part of the Global Response Force, conducted a two-week intensive training cycle designed to reinforce combat skills for the nation’s airborne assault-capable, contingency unit.

(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Hull)

Four members of the Bismarck-based 1919th Contingency Contracting Team were recognized for their overseas service during a Freedom Salute ceremony Dec. 7 at Raymond J. Bohn Armory in Bismarck. Soldiers 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 Spc. Zach Schuster/Released)

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

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U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jarrod Blanford, an aerial porter from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, directs the placement of humanitarian cargo in a storage warehouse at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 28, 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)

Master Sgt. Joaquim Chacon, 571st Contingency Response Group based out of Travis Air Force Base, Ca, pulls on a chain to secure a vehicle inside a C-17 Globemaster III in Rwanda, Africa 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)

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert Shipp, a power production specialist with the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, fills fuel canisters outside the Joint Operations Center at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 24, 2014. Shipp 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)

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)