CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait (Nov. 26, 2014) -- Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno visited with Soldiers and leaders of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, at their headquarters at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Nov. 24. Odierno was accompanied by U.S. Army Central commanding general Lt. Gen. James L. Terry.
During his stay, his second in the country since taking over as the Army's top officer in September 2011, Odierno attended a briefing on current and future operations, witnessed a demonstration of one of the brigade's most critical missions, re-enlisted several Soldiers and finally shared a meal with selected "Devil" Brigade Soldiers. He spoke often of the importance of the brigade's mission as a contingency response force in the region.
"During this time of great uncertainty and turmoil in the Middle East, it's important that we have a capability here in Kuwait for several reasons," Odierno said while addressing Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment. "We want to have something here that can respond, whether it be in Iraq or Afghanistan or somewhere else."
A briefing from leaders around the brigade and from other units in the area, such as the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade, gave Odierno a current picture of the organization and capabilities of those units; while emphasizing their readiness.
"I can't tell you how important it is to be prepared," he said. "We simply don't know what might happen."
One of the advantages of having a brigade combat team in the area is its ability to adjust, he said.
"You can organize yourselves in a variety of ways to meet a wide range of challenges … it's a unique capability."
Another aspect of the "Devil" Brigade's mission is to cultivate partnerships with Kuwait's military, something Odierno was keen to highlight.
"We can't take for granted everything Kuwait does for us," he said. "They have been incredibly generous partners, which has helped us tremendously."
Following the briefing, Odierno witnessed Soldiers of 2nd Bn., 34th Armor Regt. perform a mock Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise, one of the brigade's most critical missions. Something "Devil" Brigade Soldiers have trained in repeatedly, EDREs test a unit's ability to prepare personnel and equipment to respond quickly to a disaster or emergency situation.
EDREs "are an important part of training which allows us to be ready for any contingency that might come along," said Capt. David Neveau, commander of Co. A, 2nd Bn., 34th Armor Regt. and a Dallas, Texas, native. "Like anything in the Army, we train to gain muscle memory in a task so in times of stress or reduced timelines we are able to execute to standard without thinking about it."
Odierno saw everything from an individual Soldier and his packing list, to a convoy of supply vehicles and the assembled baggage of an entire company.
"I hope that Gen. Odierno sees our company as a professional, competent organization that is prepared to accomplish any mission it is given and overcome any obstacle it encounters," Neveau said. "I think his presence conveys to the Soldiers the importance of the mission we have here."
After the EDRE demonstration, Odierno re-enlisted a group of Soldiers from 2nd Bn., 34th Armor Regt., and reiterated to the assembled Soldiers the importance of their mission.
The Army "remains incredibly busy. We are the foundation of all the joint response, no matter where it is in the world and you all are on the tip of that spear, being here in Kuwait," he said. "I know sometimes you might think, 'I'm not at war, this is not a real deployment,' I'm telling you this is probably the most important deployed force we have today."
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