ASC commanding general visits 402nd AFSB in Iraq

By Mr. Gayland Putnam (AMC)June 24, 2010

Fontaine visits 1st Bn., 402nd AFSB
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Warrant Officer Nathan Noel, Maintenance Operations officer with the Support Operations Office of the 1st Battalion, 402nd Army Field Support Brigade, explains the Rough Terrain Container Handler Life Cycle Extension Program while escorting Maj. Gen ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
MG Fontaine inspects Eye Ball Camera
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gen Yves Fontaine, commanding general, Army Sustainment Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Ill., checks out video transmitted to a monitor from an Eye Ball R1 camera as Lucas L. Rouse, Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Survei... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
ASC leaders check out Frag 7 Kit
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – John A. Bonham, logistics management specialist with the Support Operations Office of the 1st Battalion, 402nd Army Field Support Brigade, shows an M1151 vehicle fitted with a Fragmentation Kit 7 to Maj. Gen Yves Fontaine (center), commanding general... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - Senior leaders from the Army Sustainment Command, headquartered at Rock Island Arsenal, Ill., got a first-hand look at the 402nd Army Field Support Brigade during a whirlwind tour of Iraq and Kuwait June 4-7.

Maj. Gen. Yves J. Fontaine, ASC commanding general, led the contingent that also included Brig. Gen. Steven Feldmann, ASC deputy commanding general for operations, and ASC Command Sgt. Maj. Stephen D. Blake.

"We always welcome the opportunity to show our leadership the many capabilities of the 402nd AFSB," said W. Arnold Pindle, deputy to the commander, 402nd AFSB. "We are proud of the personnel who make up this organization and the effort they put forth every day. It is an honor to be able to showcase our workforce and accomplishments to the ASC command team."

The group experienced dust storms and indirect-fire attacks while on the ground here but were unfazed as they attended briefings on brigade operations and visited a number of sites to see for themselves how the 402nd AFSB operates in a combat environment.

"The 402nd AFSB is doing great. They exhibit fantastic teamwork while supporting the customers to the maximum extent," Fontaine said. "I think we are set for success in supporting the retrograde. I have no worries and no concerns."

While in Iraq, the party also visited 402nd AFSB assets in the U.S. Division - Center area of operations in Baghdad.

In addition to the 402nd AFSB's primary mission of sustainment logistics, Fontaine pointed out the organization has a multitude of lesser-known capabilities."The 402nd is the Army Materiel Command's face to the field," he said. "In that role, they incorporate all of the Materiel Enterprise - all of the new fieldings, the new programs, all of the new 'gadget' technology the Army comes up with to support the Soldier. They are involved with communications, weapons, and many other areas in addition to the trucks, Strykers, tanks and other systems they are best known for.

Any technological advances the Army introduces come through the 402nd on the way to the Soldier.

The dignitaries also participated in a Rehearsal of Concept drill in Kuwait to assess the 402nd AFSB's plan for conducting its drawdown mission.

"The 402nd AFSB is a fabulous organization - topnotch. They are professionals in every way - very efficient," said Feldmann. "Unless you get 'eyes-on' and talk to the operators and come in to see the RPAT (Redistribution Property Assistance Team) yards, the USETTI (U.S. Equipment Transfer to Iraq) yards and all of the other things we talk about at Army Sustainment Command, you really don't have a complete picture, so this was very beneficial from my perspective ."