The Logistics Support Activity has welcomed back Kevin Paulson, program manager and senior logistician from the Logistics Engineering Center, after his seven months in Iraq.
Paulson served as the AMC liaison officer representing LOGSA products and services, field logistics and Soldier support to the Iraq theater of operations. He was deployed to the 402nd AFSB at Victory Base Camp, Baghdad and Joint Base Balad.
While deployed, Paulson had the opportunity to work with Soldiers under combat conditions while supporting other Soldiers and commands in the use of LOGSA related products and services including LIW and ARMT training and execution and establishing a readiness and training lab in Baghdad.
While in the theater of operations, Paulson was involved in several unique situations regarding the Soldiers stationed in Iraq.
"The conditions and situations encountered over in Iraq were very unpredictable," he said. "Our JBB facilities when I got there were very small and inadequate for what we were trying to accomplish."
So, Paulson prepared authorizations and acquired newer and more up-to-date facilities located with the 402nd AFSB while at the same time setting up a brand new lab in Baghdad to support 40 percent of the UICs in theater.
"It took a while, but we (LOGSA and the 402nd) finally managed to get the new facilities established which allows us to do a better job of training for ARMT, LIW and supporting the Soldiers in their logistics endeavors in theater," he said.
The Army Materiel Command liaison officer position, to which Paulson was assigned, has evolved recently over the course of sending LOGSA representatives to Iraq. According to Paulson, it was a natural progression that he took from a basic training position of earlier times to more of a program management perspective since that is his background.
"This is now a high visibility position with the LNO managing more than just the training aspect that was focused on before," he said. "The LNO now has to deal with the home front, theater and contingencies that pop up continually. Everyone has a job to do to support that LNO in the field.
"As the next group of folks make their way over to Iraq, the LNO position will become more and more important to the Soldiers in the field and especially with the responsible drawdown in Iraq to Afghanistan," Paulson said. "It really gave me a different impression about the guys in the field and what our Soldiers have to face on a day-to-day basis over there. I have the utmost respect for every one of them."
Roughly 40 people were on hand at Huntsville International Airport on Aug. 5 as Paulson made his way back home after four and a half days of flights, mortar attacks, sand storms and weather delays.
"Unfortunately, I got stuck in Iraq for four days coming home after having two weeks of good weather prior," he told his boss, Col. James Rentz, as his fellow LOGSA employees greeted his return.
Paulson said he's glad to be home even though he's having a hard time getting adjusted to being back on Central time and being away from his team of Soldiers and contractors that supported him so well during his deployment. The best part about being home, he said, is having the chance to salvage a little part of the summer spending some quality time with his 13-year-old son Matthew and playing golf.
"This has been one of the most fulfilling assignments I have ever taken and will always remember the work that we accomplished during my tenure as the LOGSA Iraq LNO," Paulson said. "I will also never forget those Soldiers and staff over there that supported me. One mission, one fight!"
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