AMC commander visits Iraq, Afghanistan, inspects progress

By Sgt. Jessica RohrOctober 4, 2010

AMC commander visits Iraq, Afghanistan, inspects progress
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
AMC commander visits Iraq, Afghanistan, inspects progress
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Frank Muth, commander of the Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, greets Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, the Army’s first female four-star general, as she arrives on Camp Taji, Iraq to attend a briefing on the brigade’s mission and pro... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
AMC commander visits Iraq, Afghanistan, inspects progress
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Frank Muth and Soldiers of the Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division stand ready to receive Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody and Malcolm Ross O’Neill, assistant secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology), on Camp Taji, ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (Army News Service, Oct. 4, 2010) -- The commanding general of Army Materiel Command and the assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, visited Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Sept. 26 to get an inside perspective of the logistical situation in the field, first-hand.

AMC commander Gen. Ann Dunwoody and Assistant Secretary Malcolm OAca,!a,,cNeill also visited Camp Taji while in Iraq and a few days later they visited Afghanistan.

"We are here to connect the industrial base to the foxhole,Aca,!A? said Dunwoody during her speech at a key leaderAca,!a,,cs luncheon in Balad. Aca,!A"This way we are getting the feedback directly from servicemembers on the ground. This is where to be to hear the truth straight from the field."

Dunwoody and OAca,!a,,cNeill gave their guidance and vision for sustainment in Iraq during the final 14 months ahead, said Maj. Rachel Humphrey, ordnance branch chief with the 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command.

Aca,!A"It was an honor to meet the senior logistician in the Army,Aca,!A? Humphrey said. Aca,!A"It's important for the Army's senior leadership to get on the ground here and see for themselves what the current issues and concerns are as we move from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn.Aca,!A?

After the luncheon in their honor, OAca,!a,,cNeill and Dunwoody stopped for briefings with the 103rd ESC and the 36th Engineer Brigade, to receive an overview of their logistical stability. Much of the discussion was focused on what the AMC can do to help facilitate the mission for Soldiers on ground.

Aca,!A"General Dunwoody is truly committed to assisting deployed units with all of our unique materiel requirements,Aca,!A? said Col. Kent Savre, commander of the 36th Engineer Brigade. Aca,!A"As engineers, we have specialized route clearance and construction equipment that has evolved through the last eight years to counter the improvised explosive device threat. The Army Materiel Command's assistance with the fielding of new technologies, in theater maintenance support and home station servicing of left-behind equipment, is critical to our successful mission accomplishment.Aca,!A?

A tour of the 402nd Army Field Support BrigadeAca,!a,,cs platforms at JBB followed meetings with 103rd ESC and 36th EB. The guests were taken through the Assured Mobility Systems Route Clearance Regional Support Center, Stryker Regional Support Area, Life Cycle Extension for the Rough Terrain Container Handler, and the RG-33 independent suspension system upgrade under the Joint Program Office MRAP. Each platform provides maintenance support for their assigned military vehicles.

OAca,!a,,cNeill and Dunwoody took a look at how the 402nd AFSB managed the drawdown of equipment while sustaining the war fighters.

Their visit ended with a goodbye greeting by Air Force Maj. Gen. Craig A. Franklin, commander of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing.

Aca,!A"First, I would like to say how proud I am of the Acquisition, Logistics and Technology community Aca,!A| for getting us to this opportunity for New Dawn,Aca,!A? said Dunwoody. Aca,!A"There has been a huge undertaking that has been below the radar to get to where we are, down to 50,000, and retrograding millions of pieces of equipment out of this theater responsibly so we can reset it and prepare for the next ten to 15 years.Aca,!A?

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