BAMBERG, Germany - The 16th Sustainment Brigade, a logistics unit based here, exceeded reenlistment objectives by large margins for fiscal year 2009, despite the brigade being deployed to Iraq during the fiscal year, and revisions to the Army retention policies.

"The retention team did an outstanding job," said Master Sgt. Craig Gransbery, senior career counselor, 16th Sust. Bde.

The brigade exceeded its reenlistment objective by 146 percent, the highest reenlistment rate in the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, which is the 16th Sust. Bde.'s higher headquarters, based in Kaiserslautern, Germany," said Gransbery.

Counselors reenlisted 431 brigade Soldiers, he said.

Sgt. 1st Class Arthur Wade, career counselor, 16th Special Troops Battalion, 16th Sust. Bde., was honored for a 94 percent improvement in the rate of Soldiers who reenlisted from the battalion and for exceeding battalion reenlistment objectives by 160 percent.

Col. Martin B. Pitts, commander, 16th Sust. Bde., presented Wade with a trophy during a meeting with brigade leaders Dec. 9.

Wade, a native of Toledo, Ohio, and 19-year veteran of the Army who has served through two deployments to Iraq, said he takes his job seriously.

"I believe in helping Soldiers. It's a personal preference whether you want to continue to serve or get out, but we keep experienced Soldiers in the fight. Somebody's got to protect the world," said Wade.

Wade said he reenlisted to serve his country and because his wife, Yasmin, wanted him to stay in.

"She's always proud of me," Wade said. "My wife's a strong supporter of the military."
Wade's accomplishment, and that of other career counselors within the brigade, was significant, Gransbery said.

"The 16th Sust. Bde. is such a diverse unit," Gransbery said. "Companies and detachments deploy independently of each other and are then located in multiple locations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, Soldiers within the brigade are located in 18 different communities within U.S. Army Europe."

Gransbery credited the success of his counselors to diligence and drive.

"The success of the brigade can be directly attributed to the leaders and retention personnel ensuring their Soldiers are thoroughly taken care of in all theatres of operation," Gransbery said. "My career counselors continually display the dedication and drive to succeed, which is the epitome of the career counselor badge that they so proudly wear. They strive to live by the 'Career Counselor Creed' as the honest brokers for their battalion and brigade commanders."