VICENZA--The purpose of an Army garrison is to support service members and their families by providing a place to work, play and live. U.S. Army Garrison Italy does that for the Vicenza and Darby military communities by supplying residents with safe workplaces, schools, shopping areas, fitness facilities and much more.
But they also help service members in Vicenza and Darby when it comes time for them to leave the installation-- when they deploy.
USAG Italy coordinates between the many different assets that are crucial to a successful deployment. First Lt. Jess Tobergte, garrison mobility officer, says the mission is to incorporate that support into everything they do.
"We do so by integrating deployment mission command, support requirements, base support, and services to the diverse communities that enable mission readiness and enhance quality of life," she said.
This includes coordination between key agencies including logistics, human resources, the health clinic and Army Community Service, Tobergate said
Unlike operations in other locations, deployments from Italy have additional complications because of the Status of Forces Agreement with Italy, local laws, and the fragmented operating environment that covers much of Northern Italy. Just moving between different bases in country can require the same coordination as a short deployment to another country.
"They have enduring relationships with the different agencies across Italy as well as inter-service agreements," said Capt. Brennan Roorda, S-4 functions officer for 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne). He added that these relationships include coordinating with Aviano Air Base and the heavy rigging facility located there. "That allows us to deploy from Aviano," he said.
Throughout the entire process of sending the troops out to whatever missions they are asked to do, USAG Italy must also continue to support the families the deploying service members leave behind. This is crucial for the brigade to have successful missions around the world.
"I think that we have identified that garrison has a lot of resources and can support us," said Roorda. "We look forward to the future to build a stronger relationship with garrison."
Because of the high level of service the garrison provides, the organization has been frequently recognized by the Army as part of the Deployment Excellence Award program. The garrison received top honors in the All-Army Installation Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) category for 2014. The unit is also competing this year. Results of the judging should be released in the next month or two.
Tobergate says the competition is about more than just receiving accolades.
"The program also provides an Armywide platform to share innovative deployment initiatives and deployment trends to help enhance deployment skills and proficiency," she said.
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