Members of the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Contingency Response Group coordinate with higher headquarters to control the airflow of simulated disaster-relief supplies into 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 coordination is conducted from a portable structure called a HELAMS, which is short for Hard-sided Expandable Lightweight Air Mobile Shelter. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer/Released)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Sergeant Kevin Chapman, an infantryman and squad leader assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, leaves the Emergency Services Unit headquarters after a mission in Kirkuk, Iraq, July 16, 2011.

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

Collecting the evidence.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq – Members of the Diyala Provincial Police Force Crime Scene Management Team mark, document and collect evidence at a simulated murder scene during a training exercise in Baquba, Iraq, May 15, 2011. CSM team members enter crime scenes already secured by first responders, such as the Emergency Response Force, and immediately begin preserving the integrity of the crime scene to collect and process evidence, take witness statements and begin an investigation leading to an arrest warrant.

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

Master Sgt. Daniel Graham, 621st Contingency Response Squadron air traffic controller, boards a C-17 Globemaster III at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Oct. 6, 2016. Graham is one of more than 30 Airmen, consisting of command and control, airfield assessment, aerial port, aircraft maintenance, contracting, and security forces, from the 621st Contingency Response Wing deploying to Port Au Prince International Airport, Haiti, in response to Hurricane Matthew. (Photo by A1C Zachary Martyn)

Bump, set, Speicher.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Soldiers of U.S. Division-North came together on the first day of 2011 to compete in friendly sporting events hosted at the Contingency Operating Base Speicher Main Gymnasium Jan. 1, 2011. During the Volleyball games, Soldiers jockeyed for position, spiked for points and broke a sweat in the heat of competition but did not leave out the traditional post-game hand shake as a sign of good sportsmanship. Many U.S. Division-North Soldiers serving at COB Speicher in support of Operation New Dawn, took a break from the busy routine of work and operations to participate in volleyball, dodge ball and basketball games organized especially for New Year’s Day.

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

This beautiful bowl is by Israeli ceramicist Marcelle Klein from her 'contingency' line. I love how they reflect the texture and feel of nature despite a smooth marble-like exterior and abstracted organic shape. Simple and clean yet evocative and dreamy. My favorite. Read more about Israeli ceramics and art at www.designistdream.com

USF was named the "Most Fabulous Contingent" of 2015 by the SF Pride judges. Get involved: www.usfca.edu/clubsorgs/lgbtq_caucus/

Rare visitor at Orebro-Bofors Airport. A cargo charter flight to Baku with supplies from Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB).

We arrived Quito a day earlier than suggested, even though an extra day was already built into the itinerary as a contingency for delays. Our first day was spent recovering from our flight (made more difficult by the altitude). While we were exploring Old Town, we wandered into a tourist information place where I immediately noted some beautiful hummingbird figurines. I remarked that too bad there weren't hummingbirds in the Galapagos! Knowing how much I love hummingbirds, my husband suggested that we go on a tour to the cloud forest the next day. "But we're supposed to meet up with our group tomorrow morning," I demurred. "Oh, Stephen and Ellie already know us, and we can get the details when we get back for dinner. We can leave them a message," he reassured me.

Hah! Can you imagine that I had to be convinced to see hummingbirds? My husband insisted that he'd rather see the cloud forest than do more street photography. So we went to Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve for the day and really enjoyed ourselves. We were informed that there weren't as many hummingbirds around because it was summer. In the winter, the rain dilutes the nectar content of the flowers, so many come visit the feeders at the Reserve. Still, there were enough hummingbirds visiting to make me happy.

This is a Gorgeted Sunangel. Not sure if he's angelic, as we know hum birds can be feisty. But he is certainly gorgeous.

Assistant.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Chaplain (Cpt.) Young Jin Jung, chaplain, 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, talking with Pfc. William Norris, his assistant, at the chapel on Contingency Operating Site Warrior, Iraq, Sept. 16, 2011.

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

Members of the Wisconsin National Guard’s 1967th Contingency Contracting Team is serving at Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, providing contracting support services to U.S. forces in the region, and is currently responsible for 74 contracts worth more than $10 million. Pictured are, left to right: Capt. James Hedman, Sgt. 1st Class Curtis Clements, Capt. Gary Brown, Sgt. Brookelyn Nelson and Master Sgt. Zachary Tevis. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dylan Murakami

Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, augmented by troops from the active-duty Air Force and Air National Guard units in multiple states, dowload relief supplies from aircraft around the clock at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the wake of Hurricane Maria Oct. 6, 2017. The unit’s Airmen established an aerial port of debarkation upon arrival here Sept. 23, and have processed more than 7.2 million pounds of cargo and humanitarian aid for distribution in the first three weeks of the operation. (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-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)

Soldiers of U.S. Army Africa Contingency Command Post go over a battle task for a scenario with a South African National Defense Force soldier during a CCP exercise in preparation for Shared Accord 13, a joint peace keeping and humanitarian exercise. The intent for the CCP exercise was to familiarize the SANDF with the Combined Joint Task Force Headquarters capabilities so U.S. and South African soldiers will have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities as a CJTF during SA13. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Terysa M. King)

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

A paratrooper assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, conducts live fire 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)

“Ops Town” serves as the command, control and communications headquarters for airfield operations at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Ill., on Aug. 7, 2013, in support of Exercise Gateway Relief, a U.S. Transportation Command-directed earthquake-relief scenario. The Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group is teaming up with the U.S. Army’s 689th Rapid Port Opening Element in Fort Eustis, Va., through Aug. 9, for the exercise, providing for the reception and distribution of disaster-relief supplies. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer/Released)

U.S. Navy Sailors with 3rd Medical Battalion (Med. Bn.), 3rd Marine Logistics Group (MLG), search for an exit wound on a simulated casualty’s back at the Medical Skills Training Center, Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan, October 29, 2020. Sailors with 3rd Med. Bn. participated in an Alert Contingency Marine Air-Ground Task Force training evolution to practice their combat lifesaving skills in an expeditionary environment. 3rd MLG, based out of Okinawa, Japan, is a forward deployed combat unit that serves as III Marine Expeditionary Force’s comprehensive logistics and combat service support backbone for operations throughout the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ryan Harvey)

The dive team waits just in case... Tacoma Freedom Fair's crew is just tops!

Thank You.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Major General David Perkins, commander, 4th Infantry Division and U.S. Division-North, speaks to “Thunderhorse,” 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, during its end-of-tour award ceremony at Contingency Operating Site Warrior, Iraq, Aug. 6, 2011. Perkins presented awards and coins to Soldiers, and thanked them for supporting Operation New Dawn.

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

Pallets of water are among the 7.2 million pounds of cargo processed through an aerial port of debarkation at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 6, 2017, following Hurricane Maria. The port is staffed by 39 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. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Dale Greer)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq – Captain Louis-Philippe Hammond, (left), commander of Company C, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, U.S. Division – North, speaks to Shawkat Kareem, Sheikh of Septia, Iraq, about the canal project outside of Contingency Operating Base Warhorse, Iraq, Aug. 29, 2011. Soldiers from Company C, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, U.S. Division – North, provided security during the month-long project.

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

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – U.S. Division-North and 4th Infantry Division deputy commanding general-support, Brig. Gen. James F. Pasquarette, shakes hands with Iraqi soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 9th Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division after the soldiers completed their month-long training rotation at Ghuzlani Warrior Training Center, May 26, 2011. Iraqi soldiers showcased their enhanced fire and maneuver combat skills during a culminating battalion-level live fire exercise as part of Tadreeb al Shamil, Arabic for All Inclusive Training. Tadreeb al Shamil is an Iraqi Ground Forces Command training initiative to develop and strengthen IA units’ capabilities to secure and defend the people of Iraq from external threats.

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

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

Master Sgt. Jermey Yates, a security forces team member with the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Contingency Response Group, drives a disaster assessment vehicle near a C-130H aircraft assigned to the Texas Air National Guard's 136th Airlift Wing at NAS JRB Fort Worth, in advance of the Coastal Bend Regional Evacuation Exercise (CBREE) at Corpus Christi International Airport, in Corpus Christi, Texas, on May 15, 2012. (National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Phil Fountain / Released)

Dismantling at dusk.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION K1, Iraq – Specialist Richard Baggerly, left, and Pfc. Cody Saenz, both combat engineers with Company C, Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, work into dusk dismantling the Light-weight Counter Mortar Radar system at Contingency Operating Location K1, Kirkuk province, Iraq, July 24, 2011. Soldiers worked throughout the day and into the evening hours to disconnect all non-essential electrical systems at the U.S.-controlled portion of COL K1 in preparation for the official transfer of the facility to Iraqi control.

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

Pre-packing inspections.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION K1, Iraq – Electrical and security equipment lays ready for inspection before being packed and moved during the first stage of transition at Contingency Operating Location K1, Kirkuk province, Iraq, July 24, 2011. U.S. forces packed up gear and moved all personnel from COL K1 as Iraqi Security Forces assumed responsibility of the base.

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

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Major Colin J. Williams, primary advisor to the 1st Kurdish Regional Guard Brigade, is greeted by key RGB leaders during a visit to the RGB headquarters in Kirkuk province, Aug. 24, 2011. Williams, a Binghamton, N.Y., native, works to maintain a positive relationship between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the United States Division – North in support of Operation New Dawn.

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

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – After rescuing simulated hostages, Iraqi Special Operation Forces assigned to 7th Regional Commando Battalion, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, bring out a suspected criminal during Operation Iron Lion at Ghuzlani Warrior Training Center, June 27, 2011. Iraqi Security Forces demonstrated their tactical capabilities and their ability to work together to protect Ninewa province and the civilian population. As part of their Operation New Dawn mission, U.S. Soldiers assigned to 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, assisted the ISF in developing a sustainable force.

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

Soldiers’ session.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Soldiers of Company G, 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, read a psychological first aid slide during resiliency training class held at the Contingency Operating Site Marez Memorial Dining Facility, Jan. 7, 2011. The deployed 4th AAB Soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, participated in the combat stress-related class during their lunch period. The training class was part of the “Rebooting Your Mind for the New Year” Program, intended to reach out to Soldiers who may need or are seeking behavioral help.

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

Wishing a safe return.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Major General David Perkins, commander, 4th Infantry Division and U.S. Division-North, wishes a safe return to Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, during their end-of-tour award ceremony at Contingency Operating Site Warrior, Iraq, Aug. 6, 2011. Perkins encouraged them to maintain the same discipline and readiness, while redeploying, that kept them safe during their advise, train, and assist mission.

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

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Maj. Mohammad, executive officer of 1st Battalion, 9th Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division, expresses his gratitude to Lt. Col. Robert Reynolds, commander, 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, during a ceremony marking the transfer of Joint Security Station Heider to the Iraqi Army, April 1, 2011. Manned by U.S. and Iraqi forces since 2004, IA leaders now plan to base command and control units at JSS Heider to continue border security operations in Iraq.

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

Col. Ronald Kapral, the 81st Brigade Combat Team commander, visits with Soldiers from the 81st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 81st BCT, during training 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.

Four tents contain the majority of airfield operations for Exercise Gateway Relief at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Ill., on Aug. 7, 2013. The Kentucky Air Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group is teaming up with the U.S. Army’s 689th Rapid Port Opening Element from Fort Eustis, Va., through Aug. 9 to operate a Joint Task Force-Port Opening in support of the exercise, an earthquake-relief scenario directed by U.S. Transportation Command. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer/Released)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq – Soldiers from 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, take the Functional Academic Skills Training at the Deployed Digital Training Center, Aug. 20, 2011. The brigade is deployed to Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq and has the first operational DDTC in the U.S. Army. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Omar Estrada, 3rd AAB PAO, 1st Cav. Div.)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq – Soldiers from 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, carry a Soldier with simulated third-degree burns to a landing zone during combat lifesaver training at the Teal Medical Clinic on Contingency Operating Base Warhorse, Iraq, July 13, 2011. More than 25 Soldiers completed the four-day combat lifesaver course.

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

The sun sets behind Soldiers from the 239th Multi-Role Bridge Company, from Granite City, Ill., working to clear debris from the Qayyarah Bridge, before being able to remove the temporary bridge that has served the Qayyarah people for nearly four years, June 20.

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

Photo by Spc. Dustin Gautney

Date: 06.20.2010

Location: CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, IQ

Related Photos: dvidshub.net/r/jfweo6

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Lt. Col. Marcel Schneider, 15th Brigade Sustainment Transition Team, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, presents a plaque to Staff Brig. Gen. Abdulla Amir, 15th Brigade, 12th Iraqi Army Division, during a farewell ceremony at the 15th Bde. headquarters in Kirkuk province, Iraq, April 4, 2011. Schneider presented the plaque as a token of appreciation for the relationship Amir and his soldiers shared with Soldiers of 1st AATF recently.

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

Maj. Eric Burke (left), a contracting officer for the 903rd Contingency Contracting Battalion, and Sgt. Major Bentura Fernandez, the senior enlisted advisor for the 409th Contracting Support Brigade, talk with Kevin Volk, a U.S. Army Europe co-exercise director, and Lynn Davis, a U.S. Army Europe public affairs officer, during Exercise Rapid Trident 2011 in Yavoriv, Ukraine. Burke and Bentura were on site to discuss contract requirements for the exercise such as fuel for planes, dining facility and food support and various other needs. (Photo by Col. Debra Daniels, 409th CSB)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Sergeant Aaron Manis, casualty noncommissioned officer in charge, 101st Human Resources Company, 4th Infantry Division, works at his desk at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, Sept. 7, 2011. The Huntington, W.V., native successfully returned to active duty after being injured during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006.

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

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq –

Specialist Rebecca Seiler, imagery intelligence analyst, Company B, Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division from Cibolo, Texas:

“We use battle buddy teams and stay aware of our surroundings at all times, because we want ourselves and all of our team to make it home safe.”

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

Doing the heavy lifting.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION K1, Iraq – A recovery vehicle from 101st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, lifts and loads a pickup truck during the first stages of a base transfer mission at Contingency Operating Location K1, Kirkuk province, Iraq, July 22, 2011. U.S. forces vacated and signed over COL K1 to Iraqi Security Forces, who plan to use the center to continue training Iraqi Security Forces members.

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

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

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)

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)

Paratroopers of the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, arm a brazier charge, an improvised explosive tool used to blow through concertina wire, during live fire 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)

PHILIPPINE SEA (March 20, 2017) Sailors, assigned to amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), pay out a phone and distance line to the Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oiler USNS Pecos (T-AO 197) during a replenishment-at-sea. Bonhomme Richard, flagship of the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, with embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is on a routine patrol, operating in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region to enhance warfighting readiness and posture forward as a ready-response force for any type of contingency. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Jesse Marquez Magallanes/Released)

A qualified ISR soldier.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION K1, Iraq – Lt. Col. Samuel Calkins, commander, 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, from Ft. Riley, Kan., congratulates Distinguished Honor Graduate Sgt. Ali Ibrahim Mosul of the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Battalion, 12th IA Division, for earning the highest grade point average at the inaugural training class of the ISR Academy, during a graduation ceremony at the 12th IA Div. Headquarters Jan. 5. Soldiers of Company A, 1st BSTB, 1st AATF, 1st Inf. Div. served as cadre for the military intelligence training academy teaching Iraqi soldiers to collect and analyze military intelligence. “All of the instructors we had were amazing,” said Mosul. “They made it easy by breaking everything down for us and making sure we all understood before moving on.”

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

Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group carry whole blood to a waiting U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 22, 2014. The blood is being sent to Liberia to support U.S. troops deployed for Operation United Assistance, the U.S. Agency for International Development-led, whole-of-government effort to respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer)

130909-A-DP764-281

Spc. Joseph Rogers, an infantryman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, arms a brazier charge, an improvised explosive tool used to blow through concertina wire obstacles, during live fire training on Fort Bragg, N.C., Sept. 9. 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, 2/82 PAO NCOIC)