Around the Army

By Army News ServiceAugust 7, 2013

ARMY VICE CHIEF TALKS 'READY AND RESILIENT AT FORT DRUM

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Aug. 7, 2013) -- As part of the "Health of the Force" trip, Gen. John Campbell, vice chief of staff of the Army, visited Fort Drum, July 31-Aug. 1, to review Fort Drum's Ready and Resilient Campaign, known as R2C.

"Following guidance from the Department of the Army," Campbell said, "we are looking at how we are implementing decisions, policies and resources around the Army and what we can do at the Headquarters of the Army level to help facilitate R2C."

Topics discussed included subjects important to Soldiers and civilians such as sexual harassment, resiliency, child care and furlough.

"We really believe that with all the stresses out there," Campbell said. "We have to take our Soldiers from the time they come into the Army and build resiliency within them all the way until the time they get out, not only with our Soldiers and their Families, but with our great civilians."

Speaking about R2C, Campbell said that it was not a new program and that the Army did not have a cookie-cutter approach to it, because what works on Fort Drum may not work at Fort Benning or Fort Bragg, N.C.

On the topic of civilian furloughs, Campbell said Army officials are working to lessen the impact.

"We understand the impact that has on Families and the people (who) are furloughed," he said. "The Department of the Army is working hard to make sure that we can hopefully buy back some of the days.

BRADLEYS LEAVE GERMANY

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany (Aug. 7, 2013) -- Civilian and military logisticians from the 21st Theater Sustainment Command's Theater Logistics Support Center-Europe and Maintenance Activity Kaiserslautern are at Kaiserslautern Army Depot preparing M2A2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles for retrograde and transportation to the U.S.

The departure of the 88 Bradleys coincides with the departure of M1 Abrams tanks earlier this year, with the inactivation of the 170th and 172nd Infantry Brigades.

Bradleys and Abrams main battle tanks remaining in Germany will be available to the European Rotational Force and the NATO Response Force. Both of those missions are currently assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, at Fort Hood, Texas.

Twenty-two of the Bradleys have already started the journey to Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas. The vehicles, valued at $1.3 million apiece, were assigned to U.S. Army Europe combat units, including the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), and the inactivated 172nd Infantry Brigade. From Kaiserslautern, the Bradleys are transported by rail or truck to the port at Bremerhaven, Germany, for shipment to the U.S.

"The vehicles will go through retrograde at the depot in Texas and be refitted with the newest equipment," said Jürgen E. Phillips, Supply Activity Europe operations specialist.

"Once the update is complete, the vehicles will be reassigned to other units in the Army that need them. By updating and reassigning these vehicles instead of buying new ones, the Army is saving money."