CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq - With less than two months to go before redeployment, supply Soldiers in the 1st Cavalry Division's Special Troops Battalion are in the midst of helping to ensure Soldiers, their luggage and their equipment make it back to Fort Hood, Texas safely and on schedule.
While the supply shop recently oversaw the battalion's movement to a more centralized location on the base camp, Soldiers will not have much time at all to settle there before it's time to head home to Fort Hood, Texas.
Even though, the Soldiers have not had much of a chance to rest since the relocation, the thought of returning home to see their families seems to help keep them motivated for the redeployment work they have ahead of them.
"It's another tick mark toward going home," said Waco, Texas native, Sgt. 1st Class Suree Valenzuela, the supply shop noncommissioned-officer-in-charge, Headquarters Support Company, STB, 1st Cav. Div.
The supply shop began the process of sending equipment back to Fort Hood in September.
"Early retrogrades, or equipment that units brought with them, but didn't need, have already been packed," said Milwaukee native, Cpt. Robert Kotecki, the supply shop's officer-in-charge.
Right now, supply is helping units to pack the main body of equipment that is returning to Fort Hood.
"Unit commanders inventory everything before it is packed up in containers. After the containers have been filled, customs goes through everything before the containers are sealed," said Valenzuela.
From here, the containers are transported to Kuwait where an advanced party will make sure every container gets loaded onto a ship headed back to Texas, Valenzuela added.
"In addition to making sure that all of our containers are loaded onto the ships," said Kotecki, "(supply Soldiers) also help with getting Soldiers and their equipment onto flights."
There is equipment that will not be packed up until it is nearer to the time the STB will be leaving here.
"Some of the equipment at the motor pool will need to stay operational until 4th (Infantry Division) gets their equipment up and running," said Valenzuela
In addition to managing the equipment leaving with the 1st Cav. Div. Soldiers, the supply shop must also manage the equipment remaining here after the 4th ID, STB arrives.
This theater-provided-equipment (TPE) is left to help set up the 4th ID for success, Valenzuela said.
The 1st Cav. Div. STB supply shop will oversee the redirection of orders to transfer the TPE from the outgoing 1st Cav. units to the incoming 4th ID units.
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