FORT BRAGG, North Carolina -- (April 18, 2016) The 419th Contracting Support Brigade assumed command of the Army Expeditionary Contracting Command-Afghanistan during a transfer of authority ceremony April 10.
Approximately a dozen Soldiers from the 419th CSB headquarters departed in March for a nine-month deployment to serve as the command and control element of Expeditionary Contracting Command-Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
The 419th CSB takes on the command and control mission from members of the ECC's 410th CSB that deployed in August 2015 from Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
"Soldiers and leaders from the 419th CSB continuously conducted demanding training throughout their time at Fort Bragg, which has prepared them and their families for this deployment," said Col. Carol Tschida, commander of the 419th CSB. "Command Sgt. Maj. (Eliecer) Quintero and I are extremely confident in our Soldiers, because we have some of the best contracting professionals the Army has to offer."
Operation Freedom's Sentinel encompasses two missions in support of the Afghan government and its people. U.S. armed forces continue to train, advise and assist Afghan security forces as part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission. OFS also aims to help secure and build upon gains as a follow-on to Operation Enduring Freedom.
The deployment of the 419th CSB marks the second Mission and Installation Contracting Command CSB headquarters to deploy. In February 2015, members of the 418th CSB from Fort Hood, Texas, deployed in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel to transition contracting operations from a joint construct to that of the Army as the lead service for contracting and standup of ECC-Afghanistan.
Subordinate to the MICC, the 419th CSB provides core contracting customer service through strategically aligned support to commands and installations. The brigade is made up of approximately 250 Soldiers assigned to six installation-level contracting offices and three contracting battalions.
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Related: U.S. Army ECC-Afghanistan transfer of authority from 41
Mission and Installation Contracting Command
Statement on Operation Freedom's Sentinel
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