The 9 TS BN REME is an equipment support battalion of the British Army's Corps of Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers. (Courtesy Photo) VIEW ORIGINAL
The purpose of the convoy was to move personnel and equipment via convoy to link up with their U.K. Army counterparts during Operation Clydesdale Thunder. This convoy was the first time the U.S. Army has moved by ferry across the English Channel from continental Europe in more than 20 years. VIEW ORIGINAL
BAUMHOLDER, Germany — The 95th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion completed a historic convoy from mainland Europe with a ferry across the English Channel to the port of Hull.
The 95th CSSB moved onward to the U.K. Army’s Otterburn training area on April 7 and played a major role in the U.K.-led joint exercise, Operation Clydesdale Thunder, alongside the 9th Theatre Support Battalion, Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers. The exercise concluded on April 15, and U.S. forces redeployed back across the English Channel to their home station in Baumholder, Germany.
“What’s unique about this movement is we’re crossing over on the English Channel on a ferry, which the Army hasn’t done in over 20 years,” says U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Dustin Moody, an ammunition logistics non-commissioned officer who helped coordinate the convoy movement. “This demonstrates our freedom of movement and how quickly we can adjust operations to reach necessary locations.”
The 21st Theater Sustainment Command and its subordinate units, like the 95th CSSB, are continually working to converge their capabilities and operations with NATO allies at both the tactical and strategic levels. For Clydesdale Thunder, the goal was to align communication, interoperability, and operational concepts to enhance collective military power through coordinating sustainment operations and conducting joint tactical operations center events in a field environment.
To practice convergence, according to Moody, the 95th CSSB deployed personnel to conduct field feeding platoon activities alongside their British counterparts with mobile kitchens and also focused on combining water purification and vehicle maintenance.
Clydesdale Thunder also gave the 95th CSSB the opportunity to practice manufacturing vehicle parts in the field environment with 3D printers.
“The 95th CSSB has only been established for two years. In those two years, we have managed to grow from 15 people to over a thousand, and now we are doing a proof of principle of moving vehicles from the European continent all the way to the United Kingdom via ferry,” said Lt. Col. Robin Eskelson, the 95th CSSB commanding officer. “This exercise is a whole sustainment showcase. We are doing 3D printing together for our vehicles and welding operations with our U.K. partners. We are trading cooks to work alongside each other as well.”
“An important aspect of the mission is manufacturing at the point of need to add to our readiness. We are not winning any battle or war by ourselves. We have to test our interoperability aspects, like communications with our partner. It all adds to joint readiness with our allies,” said Eskelson.
According to Eskelson, the 95th is planning another convergence exercise in the fall with their 9th U.K. REME partners.
Social Sharing