New Army Reserve unit stands up in Birmingham

By Sgt. 1st Class Gail E. AndersonNovember 9, 2007

New Army Reserve unit stands up in Birmingham
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The new colors of the Army Reserve Sustainment Command's Troop Program Unit are unfurled as the Army Materiel Command Commander Gen. Benjamin Griffin (left) and the TPU commander, Brig. Gen. Gary Bunch (center) watches. The flag uncasing ceremony wa... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
New Army Reserve unit stands up in Birmingham
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Materiel Command Commander Gen. Benjamin Griffin uncases the colors of the Army Reserve Sustainment Command's Troop Program Unit as the TPU commander, Brig. Gen. Gary Bunch (center) watches. The flag uncasing ceremony was held Nov. 3 in Birming... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

A stand-up ceremony Nov. 3 uncased the colors of the new Army Reserve Sustainment Command Troop Program Unit in Birmingham, Ala.

The unit will be in a 22 month carrier status beginning Nov. 16 and will become effective Sept. 16, 2009.

The ARSC TPU is a new organization consisting of Army Reserve Soldiers from the Army Materiel Command, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology and the Defense Contract Management Agency.

Keynote speakers at the flag uncasing ceremony were Gen. Benjamin S. Griffin, AMC commanding general, Maj. Gen. Harry J. Phillips, 377th Theater Sustainment Command commanding general, and Brig. Gen. Gary Bunch, ARSC TPU commander.

In his address to the audience, Griffin spelled out the need for this new command: Aca,!A"All of us in the Army, our military, Department of the Army civilians and contractors are fighting the Global War on Terrorism on a daily basis...the men and women of the Army Reserve Sustainment Command Troop Program Unit will enhance the readiness and provide a deployable capability, with trained and ready Soldiers, to help meet Army needs.Aca,!A?

The ARSC TPUAca,!a,,cs mission is to provide a trained unit that is combined, cross-trained, modular and functionally deployable.

When fully activated, the ARSC TPU will consist of 383 Soldiers aligned under the operational control of HQAMC, Fort Belvoir, Va., and under administrative control of the 377th Theater Sustainment Command, Belle Chasse, La. The unit will have subordinate elements stationed at various AMC, ASAALT and DCMA locations throughout the U.S.

Aca,!A"They will be stationed from Boston to Letterkenny, from Phoenix to Corpus Christi and from French Camp, California to here in Birmingham, Alabama. Army Reserve Sustainment Command TPU Soldiers will deploy or mobilize to support sustained contingency operations,Aca,!A? Griffin said.

The significance and magnitude of standing up this new unit is, Aca,!A"to capture AMC support along with DCMA support and ASAALT support in one unique organization, all focused on providing sustainment support to the warfighter, is in perfect keeping with the mission we have to transform the Army Reserve into an operational, functional reserve, and to do all of that in our 100th anniversary year,Aca,!A? said Phillips.

After his introduction as the new ARSC TPU commander, Bunch expressed his eagerness to get started.

Aca,!A"IAca,!a,,cm extremely humbled and honored to be here as the commander. It took a lot of hard work to bring this new unit into play, but that work has only begun,Aca,!A? Bunch said. Aca,!A"Now we have to recruit, train, employ, retain and most importantly, support these Soldiers and their families dispersed across 31 locations, in 14 states, as they execute their missions at home and abroad. It will not be easy, but it will be successful and IAca,!a,,cm excited to be a part of it. Now itAca,!a,,cs time to go to work.Aca,!A?