Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, Commander, 82nd Airborne Division, toured the Division Outload Nodes, July 14, on Fort Bragg.
The purpose of the visit provided the new AA6 a visual overview of sustainment and deployment capabilities available to the “All American” division to successfully meet global operational requirements from Fort Bragg.
The tour consisted of site visits to the Deployment Readiness Center (DRC), Heavy Drop Rigging Facility (HDRS), Marshaling and Staging Area (MASA), Individual Issue Ammunition (IIA), Arrival/Departure Airfield Control Group (A/DACG) and ended with a stop at the Installation Transportation Deployment Support Area (ITDSA).
Leaders across the division and installation briefed the commanding general on their unit’s specific capabilities.
Lt. Col. Bernard Monroe, Commander 189th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade, oversees multiple nodes which significantly contributes to heavy drop missions and facilitating the Immediate Response Force (IRF) deployment when called upon.
“Our mission is to provide world-class support across the division. Our Paratroopers at HDRS, IIA, and MASA, do an outstanding job from rigging heavy drops, providing mission command and tracking pieces of equipment, to issuing out ammunition to the IRF,” said Monroe.
Each node plays an essential role specific for America’s Guard of Honor.
The Heavy Drop Rigging Facility in conjunction with the DRC coordinates movement of equipment from the deployment readiness center to the A/DACG, while also assist in rigging vehicles and equipment for air drops. HDRS also is responsible for managing movement of the global response force personnel to the IIA. IIA breaks down the ammunition, loads platforms with ballast, and facilitates the issue of ammunition and air items to personnel and vehicles. MASA tracks all pieces of equipment entering and leaving the staging area, and sends equipment status reports to the A/DACG.
The A/DACG is responsible for monitoring and reporting equipment as it arrives for joint inspection. The Outload Support Battalion lines up vehicles in chalks, and once vehicles pass inspection they are then weighted and inspected a final time by U.S. Airforce personnel prior to being loaded onto the aircraft.
“The IRF capability separates the 82nd Airborne Division from any other division in the Army and the amazing work of the support elements play a key role in the IRF mission”, said Monroe.
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