New directorate presides over worldwide mission

By Jacqueline BoucherDecember 21, 2010

A new directorate will preside over workload executed outside the Defense Department's largest full service electronics maintenance facility.

Tobyhanna recently stood up the provisional Field Logistics Support (FLS) Directorate to carry out worldwide and expeditionary field logistics support and services of C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) systems and equipment to the warfighter. The organization will consist of five divisions and 18 branches. The five divisions are Readiness Training, East/Europe, West, Pacific and Expeditionary.

The directorate operates its mission through a network of permanent and deployed personnel who provide quality products, logistical, maintenance and training services.

"There will be nearly 600 people assigned, attached or detailed to the organization," said Sue Rudat, director, explaining that the new directorate is aligned to provide a single face to the customer for planning and workload execution. "We're also structured for growth to meet future Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) requirements."

The ARFORGEN process is used to manage the force and ensure the ability to support demands for Army forces.

The following organizations were moved under the operational control of the new directorate office: New Equipment Training Division, ISR Deployments Branch and Forward Repair Activity Division effective Oct. 10. The Communications Systems Directorate's Field Service Branch will remain aligned under the Voice Communications Division.

Leadership positions will be assigned to key locations to help the customer.

Division chief positions will be geographically located at Forts Bragg, and Hood [in Texas], and Joint Base Lewis [in Washington], Rudat explained. Relocating to those locations enables Tobyhanna to provide on-site representation. In addition, the chiefs will be able to get more involved in the hiring and managing of employees in the field.

The expeditionary and training divisions will remain here.

Tobyhanna performs field level maintenance and sustainment of C4ISR systems and equipment at various forward locations. Equipment specialists provide services from new equipment fielding and training, to Reset, integration and inventory management.

"This organization will integrate similar services that benefit the warfighter," said Bernard Holmes, New Equipment Training Division chief.

For instance, NET's Mobile Training Teams that provide training to the warfighter now work in the same organization as the field service representatives (FSRs) who bring technical support to the warfighter, Holmes explained. He also pointed out that the division also trains the FSRs.

"Combining all these skills under a single directorate will create a one stop support shop."

Rudat spoke highly of the people working in the new directorate.

"I've never met a more dedicated bunch of people," she said. "They're so passionate about the work . . . they'd do anything to support the warfighter."

Tobyhanna Army Depot is the Defense Department's largest center for the repair, overhaul and fabrication of a wide variety of electronics systems and components, from tactical field radios to the ground terminals for the defense satellite communications network. Tobyhanna's missions support all branches of the Armed Forces.

About 5,600 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania.

Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army CECOM Life Cycle Management Command. Headquartered at Fort Monmouth, N.J., the command's mission is to research, develop, acquire, field and sustain communications, command, control computer, intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors capabilities for the Armed Forces.