More sustainers needed in Eastern Europe, 21st Theater Sustainment Command leaders say

By Gary SheftickOctober 19, 2015

More sustainers needed in Eastern Europe, 21st Theater Sustainment Command leaders say
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The 2nd Cavalry Regiment's 1st Platoon, Iron Troop arrives arrives in a Latvian community with its Strykers and support vehicles during Dragoon Ride, as a part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a road march covering more than 1,800 kilometers and crossi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
More sustainers needed in Eastern Europe, 21st Theater Sustainment Command leaders say
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gen. Duane Gamble, 21st Theater Sustainment Command commander, discusses the need for more sustainment capability for U.S. forces deployed across Eastern Europe during a media roundtable at the Association of the United States Army's Annual Meet... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Oct. 13, 2015) -- With U.S. forces deployed from Latvia to Ukraine to help allies counter the fear of Russian aggression, more sustainment capabilities are needed in Europe, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, or TSC, leaders said.

U.S. forces in Europe are "sized to a reality that just doesn't exist today," said Maj. Gen. Duane Gamble, 21st TSC commander, during a media roundtable at the Association of the United States Army's Annual Meeting and Exposition.

Just under 30,000 U.S. troops in Europe are working to look like 300,000, Gamble said. A couple of years ago, "we sized Europe not for operations we're seeing today, but for operations that reflect the peace we thought would be the reality," he explained.

The 21st TSC provides planning, oversight and deconfliction of sustainment operations not only for the U.S. Army in Europe, but for joint forces and in some cases NATO allies.

They must sustain units deployed across Eastern Europe for Operation Atlantic Resolve and other operations to reassure allies, he said.

Company-sized units and other U.S. elements need to be sustained in:

-- Latvia

-- Estonia

-- Lithuania

-- Poland

-- Bulgaria

-- Romania

-- Hungary (in the near future, he said)

-- Ukraine, where Soldiers of the 173rd Infantry Brigade, are conducting "Fearless Guardian" to help train Ukrainian forces

U.S. forces are spread across a vast frontage, Gamble said. For instance, repair parts must be moved from central Germany to units in Latvia and Estonia, a distance of about 2,000 kilometers, Gamble said.

Fuel must be provided, along with medical support, food and a host of other sustainment requirements.

Young motor sergeants and junior officers are making crucial decisions every day on sustainment in Eastern Europe, said Command Sgt. Maj. Rodney Rhodes of the 21st TSC. Junior leaders are making an impact working with allies, he said.

But their mission is "unsustainable" in the long run, Gamble said, without more capability and capacity.

"The good news is we're not doing it alone," he said. There's help from joint forces and from the Army Reserve and National Guard, he said. About 1,000 Reserve-component troops are deployed in Europe, according to a command spokesman.

Right now engineering units from the Tennessee and Mississippi National Guard are deployed, Gamble said. Active-duty postal platoons are deployed for six-month rotations to bring mail to U.S. troops in Eastern Europe.

The 1st Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division has elements that recently deployed as the regionally- aligned force for Europe. The Army Reserve's 1st Mission Support Command, or MSC, from Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, is deployed to Europe, along with the 9th MSC from Fort Shafter, Hawaii.

More use must be made in Europe of Army Reserve and National Guard forces, Gamble said. An expeditionary sustainment command would help, he said. More engineer units need to be assigned to theater, especially ones with bridge-building capability, he said. The many rivers throughout Eastern Europe necessitate this capability, he said, especially if tensions increase.

Right now, under a "semi-permissive" peaceful environment, national sovereignty and bureaucracy slow sustainment operations across borders, Gamble said. More movement control teams are needed, he said, adding that he's confident if tensions increase, "reigns will loosen" to enable speedier logistics.

"The aggression and challenges in Europe ... are just making us better and smarter," said Rhodes, adding that the young leaders on the ground are adapting and growing.

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