A shock to the system: How 1CDSB turns excess to readiness

By Ashleigh TorresAugust 12, 2020

As part of 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade’s Operation Pegasus Harvest, three M978A4 fuel servicing trucks ¬wait for departure in a motor pool July 30 on Fort Hood, TX. The operation focuses on reducing excess across the 1st Cavalry Division to improve equipment readiness. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel)
1 / 10 Show Caption + Hide Caption – As part of 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade’s Operation Pegasus Harvest, three M978A4 fuel servicing trucks ¬wait for departure in a motor pool July 30 on Fort Hood, TX. The operation focuses on reducing excess across the 1st Cavalry Division to improve equipment readiness. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel) (Photo Credit: Pvt. Brayton Daniel) VIEW ORIGINAL
Wagonmaster Soldiers with the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade move throughout the Operation Pegasus Harvest motor pool July 30 on Fort Hood, TX, in support of the operation’s mission to reduce excess equipment and vehicles as well as minimize costs. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel)
2 / 10 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Wagonmaster Soldiers with the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade move throughout the Operation Pegasus Harvest motor pool July 30 on Fort Hood, TX, in support of the operation’s mission to reduce excess equipment and vehicles as well as minimize costs. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel) (Photo Credit: Pvt. Brayton Daniel) VIEW ORIGINAL
As part of Operation Pegasus Harvest, a M978A4 fuel servicing truck waits for departure in a motor pool July 30 on Fort Hood, TX. The operation focuses on reducing excess equipment and vehicles to minimize costs. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel)
3 / 10 Show Caption + Hide Caption – As part of Operation Pegasus Harvest, a M978A4 fuel servicing truck waits for departure in a motor pool July 30 on Fort Hood, TX. The operation focuses on reducing excess equipment and vehicles to minimize costs. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel) (Photo Credit: Pvt. Brayton Daniel) VIEW ORIGINAL
As part of Operation Pegasus Harvest, a line of M978A4 fuel servicing trucks wait for departure in a motor pool July 30 on Fort Hood, TX. The operation focuses on reducing excess equipment and vehicles to minimize costs. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel)
4 / 10 Show Caption + Hide Caption – As part of Operation Pegasus Harvest, a line of M978A4 fuel servicing trucks wait for departure in a motor pool July 30 on Fort Hood, TX. The operation focuses on reducing excess equipment and vehicles to minimize costs. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel) (Photo Credit: Pvt. Brayton Daniel) VIEW ORIGINAL
As part of Operation Pegasus Harvest, a line of Humvees (HMMWV) wait for departure in a motor pool July 30 on Fort Hood, TX. The operation focuses on reducing excess equipment and vehicles to minimize costs. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel)
5 / 10 Show Caption + Hide Caption – As part of Operation Pegasus Harvest, a line of Humvees (HMMWV) wait for departure in a motor pool July 30 on Fort Hood, TX. The operation focuses on reducing excess equipment and vehicles to minimize costs. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel) (Photo Credit: Pvt. Brayton Daniel) VIEW ORIGINAL
As part of Operation Pegasus Harvest, a M978A4 fuel servicing truck waits for departure in a motor pool July 30 on Fort Hood, TX. The operation focuses on reducing excess equipment and vehicles to minimize costs. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel)
6 / 10 Show Caption + Hide Caption – As part of Operation Pegasus Harvest, a M978A4 fuel servicing truck waits for departure in a motor pool July 30 on Fort Hood, TX. The operation focuses on reducing excess equipment and vehicles to minimize costs. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel) (Photo Credit: Pvt. Brayton Daniel) VIEW ORIGINAL
The Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command (AMC), Gen. Edward M. Daly greets Soldiers in the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade’s Operation Pegasus Harvest motor pool at Fort Hood, TX, July 30. The operation targets equipment readiness by reducing excess and costs. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel)
7 / 10 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command (AMC), Gen. Edward M. Daly greets Soldiers in the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade’s Operation Pegasus Harvest motor pool at Fort Hood, TX, July 30. The operation targets equipment readiness by reducing excess and costs. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel) (Photo Credit: Pvt. Brayton Daniel) VIEW ORIGINAL
Capt. Miguel J. Denis, lead officer for the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade’s Operation Pegasus Harvest, stands by while Gen. Edward M. Daly, commander, Army Materiel Command and Col. Patrick A. Disney, commander, 1st Cav. Div. Sust. Bde., begin their walk through of the operation’s motor pool on Fort Hood, TX, July 30. Denis says the operation consolidates the division’s excess equipment to improve readiness and prepare the First Team for modernization. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel)
8 / 10 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Miguel J. Denis, lead officer for the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade’s Operation Pegasus Harvest, stands by while Gen. Edward M. Daly, commander, Army Materiel Command and Col. Patrick A. Disney, commander, 1st Cav. Div. Sust. Bde., begin their walk through of the operation’s motor pool on Fort Hood, TX, July 30. Denis says the operation consolidates the division’s excess equipment to improve readiness and prepare the First Team for modernization. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel) (Photo Credit: Pvt. Brayton Daniel) VIEW ORIGINAL
The Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command (AMC), Gen. Edward M. Daly conversates with Soldiers in the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade’s Operation Pegasus Harvest motor pool at Fort Hood, TX, July 30. The operation targets equipment readiness by reducing excess and costs. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel)
9 / 10 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command (AMC), Gen. Edward M. Daly conversates with Soldiers in the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade’s Operation Pegasus Harvest motor pool at Fort Hood, TX, July 30. The operation targets equipment readiness by reducing excess and costs. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel) (Photo Credit: Pvt. Brayton Daniel) VIEW ORIGINAL
The Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command (AMC), Gen. Edward M. Daly conversates with Col. Patrick A. Disney, commander, 1st Cav. Div. Sust. Bde., and Capt. Miguel J. Denis, lead officer for the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade’s Operation Pegasus Harvest, Fort Hood, TX, July 30. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel)
10 / 10 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command (AMC), Gen. Edward M. Daly conversates with Col. Patrick A. Disney, commander, 1st Cav. Div. Sust. Bde., and Capt. Miguel J. Denis, lead officer for the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade’s Operation Pegasus Harvest, Fort Hood, TX, July 30. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Brayton Daniel) (Photo Credit: Pvt. Brayton Daniel) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT HOOD, Texas – Army Materiel Command (AMC) Commanding General, General Edward M. Daly, visited Wagonmaster Troopers with 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade as they begin Operation Pegasus Harvest on base, July 30.

The operation started in June, this year, and focuses on reducing excess equipment from across the 1st Cavalry Division to improve unit readiness and posture the First Team for modernization.

“We had to shock the system,” said 1st Cav. Div. Sus. Bde. Commander, COL Patrick A. Disney. “This is about saving resources, money and Troopers time to make a more ready and lethal force.”

Gen. Daly’s visit comes as AMC is making great strides in improving supply availability, managing excess and increasing supply chain efficiencies, bringing much needed breath, depth, and velocity into the supply chain – Operation Pegasus Harvest is on track to bring this readiness effort to the First Team. Disney says it’s a top down effort.

“They have been with us from day one of planning up to current operations,” Disney said. “What we’ve put together is a team of teams for the First Team. We have experts from every brigade, the 13th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, and the 407th Army Field Support Brigade … they are working hard to make this happen; I’m very proud of this team.”

Team Harvest is that “team of teams for the First Team,” led by Capt. Miguel Denis, operation officer in charge, who has transformed a motor pool into the operation’s headquarters. The Wagonmaster Brigade is trailblazing this readiness model that Denis says could change the way the force manages the issue of excess resources.

“The whole goal is to take away the excess from the brigades so that they can focus on organization, get ready for training for future deployments,” said Denis. “They don’t have to worry … it all falls down on sustainment brigade to turn in all the equipment for them.”

The exchange readies units and enables them to receive new modernized equipment. Denis added that the excess issue isn’t just a Fort Hood issue, but a total Army issue and seen across other installations.

“There’s been a culture of excess being built up and not being able to get rid of it because there’s so much of it,” Denis said. “The goal would be that they get the excess off [the units] hands and they maintain their current equipment.”

In the first few weeks of the operation, Team Harvest has processed more than four hundred pieces of equipment and the number keeps growing. It’s expected that tens of thousands of pieces will be processed and recycled by the time the operation is complete, which Disney says has the potential to save money, Troopers time and get the excess equipment to units that need it—or get it reset for future modernization efforts.

“We must be good stewards of the taxpayer’s dollar,” Disney said. “This takes out unnecessary maintenance costs for equipment not being used, saves time, space and improves unit readiness.”

Disney explained, while the operation is being looked at as a model for managing excess resources, and possibly applied throughout the Army, the goal would be to develop a sustainable system that keeps up with the pace of modernization efforts for years to come.

“Where can we gain velocity?” Disney asked. Adding, “The Army is always modernizing. There will always be a need to manage excess and help company commanders maintain their equipment and readiness.”

Disney and Denis have total flexibility to develop the process that could innovate the way the Army manages excess and enhances readiness and modernization for the entire force.

“Pegasus Harvest can come up with a formula to solve that issue across the Army,” said Denis. “AMC is helping me out with this, so they’re a part of the operation, and they can mimic that type of operation to all the other bases and expedite the process.”