TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, PA. -Purchasing agent Tony Bell deployed to Afghanistan to support the CREW (Counter Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare) mission. He works for the CECOM Contracting Center-Sector T.
While there, the Effort resident managed a multi-million dollar account for Joint Task Force Paladin CREW and its associated forwarding operating bases. Bell also maintained absolute property accountability of all assigned assets.
For eight months, Bell made sure the Soldiers had the correct equipment to convoy outside the wire.
"I'm retired military and know what it's like to be on deployment and have to depend on the support of others," Bell said.
There are challenges according to Bell. Keeping track of the electronic countermeasure equipment meant he had to be at the "top of his A game" at all times.
"It's a fierce and challenging environment," he said, knowing that deploying is not a decision to be taken lightly. "This was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. I was able to meet people from all over the world and use skills I learned in the military."
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.
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