ASC welcomes USTRANSCOM commander for visit, highlights enterprise logistic support in Poland

By Capt. Ego Ekenta, ASC Public AffairsApril 19, 2023

ASC welcomes USTRANSCOM commander for visit, highlights enterprise logistic support in Poland
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, and Matt Sannito, Army Sustainment Command deputy to the commanding general, listen to a brief on ASC’s logistical support to Poland and its wartime readiness April 10, 2023, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Ego Ekenta) (Photo Credit: Capt. Ego Ekenta) VIEW ORIGINAL
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, listens to a brief on ASC’s logistical support to Poland and its wartime readiness April 10, at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois.
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, listens to a brief on ASC’s logistical support to Poland and its wartime readiness April 10, at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. (Photo Credit: Photo by Capt. Ego Ekenta, ASC Public Affairs ) VIEW ORIGINAL
Lt. Col. Steven Robinette, Lead Material Integration Directorate executive officer, receives a coin for excellence from Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of U.S Transportation Command, April 10, at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois.
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Col. Steven Robinette, Lead Material Integration Directorate executive officer, receives a coin for excellence from Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of U.S Transportation Command, April 10, at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. (Photo Credit: Photo by Capt. Ego Ekenta, ASC Public Affairs) VIEW ORIGINAL
Sgt. 1st Class Alonte Washington, senior movement manger in the Transportation Readiness Directorate, receives a coin for excellence from Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of U.S Transportation Command, April 10, at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois.
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. 1st Class Alonte Washington, senior movement manger in the Transportation Readiness Directorate, receives a coin for excellence from Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of U.S Transportation Command, April 10, at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. (Photo Credit: Photo by Capt. Ego Ekenta, ASC Public Affairs) VIEW ORIGINAL

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. --- Behind every military operation lies an integrated logistics machine, and the Army Sustainment Command is one driving force behind this effort. On April 10, ASC hosted Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, to discuss ASC’s efforts in providing enterprise logistics support and its wartime readiness.

During the visit, the Deputy of the Commanding General, Matt Sannito; Executive Director of Support Operations Directorate, Dan Riley; Chief of Plans and Exercises, Col. Joe Parker; provided Van Ovost with a mission command update.

The discussion focused on ASC's materiel enterprise support during U.S. European Command operations, specifically the establishment of a remote maintenance and distribution cell in Poland, known as RDC-U. This facility aims to support coalition partner allies.

The RDC-U allows ASC to integrate and synchronize key sustainment capabilities from across the logistics enterprise, enabling real-time troubleshooting and validation of maintenance requirements. It also facilitates the coordination of repair parts and equipment distribution to meet operational needs.

Sannito told Van Ovost that ASC is proud to see how effective RDC-U has been in synchronizing military and commercial sustainment elements to support our coalition partners.

Parker also shared his excitement, saying “the remote maintenance capabilities have given us an expanded reach. This cell not only supports our coalition partners, but we're also seeing considerable interest in this method from other units in other training centers as they adapt to the current threat environment, and remote maintenance provides that flexibility.”

The visit concluded with a discussion on the collaborative efforts between ASC and USTRANSCOM, focusing on the capabilities of how each command supports the Army, such as through household goods movements, transportation requirements, and the Army prepositioned stock program.

Before the discussion, Van Ovost presented six ASC members with a coin of excellence, recognizing their outstanding achievements and their support in Poland. The members highlighted were:

— Kenneth Frye, chief of asset management division in the Supply Operation Directorate. Frye created a strategic plan that tracked the movement of all prepositioned stock equipment in Poland. While deployed, Frye and his team inventoried over 500 national item identification numbers, organized stocks into labeled bins and accounted for them in the logistics information systems.

— Lt. Col. Steven Robinette, executive officer in the Lead Material Integration Directorate. Robinette was pivotal in issuing and delivering Army Prepositioned Stock equipment to U.S. forces in under 30 days. He also collaborated with internal and external organizations to manage and synchronize the global movement of 5,000 pieces of equipment.

— Then Capt. Carl Whitley, a materiel management integrator in the Lead Material Integration Directorate. Whitley found solutions for Fires and Air Defense Artillery systems, allowing for timely movements to meet mission constraints. Whitley also provided $819 million worth of precision field artillery capabilities to collation partners.

— Sgt. 1st Class Alonte Washington, a senior movement manger in the Transportation Readiness Directorate. Washington was crucial in establishing the first Area Port of Debarkation in Poland and the movement of donated equipment to the U.S. and coalition partners. Washington’s efforts reduced the amount of backlogged equipment shipped to the Remote Distribution Center throughout Poland.

— Sgt. 1st Class Victor Hernandez, a senior material manger in the Support Operation Directorate, received a coin for his technical expertise and leadership in establishing daily operations, including training inbound soldiers on effective processes while deployed in Poland. He trained and certified a team of three noncommissioned officers, two Soldiers, and seven civilians, ensuring accurate reporting within the Army Global Combat Support System and maintaining mission execution despite turnover within the section.

— Sgt. 1st Class Angelica Bridges, a material management noncommissioned officer in the Support Operations Directorate. Bridges processed $400 million worth of equipment for RDC-U and provided shipments to Soldiers. Bridges also contributed to the cataloging of maintenance parts and managing of supply chain complications, promoting productivity in maintenance shipments to warfighters.

At the end of her visit, Van Ovost emphasized the importance of teamwork, explaining that the team's efforts to expedite the delivery of critical equipment made a significant difference.

“The work you and your team have done to expedite the delivery of critical equipment has made a significant difference,” Van Ovost said. “We cannot do anything alone and everyone here is a star performer.”