RDECOM senior NCO discusses command's support in Afghanistan

By Mr. Dan Lafontaine (RDECOM)May 17, 2012

RDECOM senior NCO discusses command's support in Afghanistan
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Samuel Corsolini, 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, pulls security with other Pathfinders as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter takes off after unloading his team and members of 2nd Afghan National Civil Order Patro... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
RDECOM senior NCO discusses command's support in Afghanistan
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ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- Command Sgt. Maj. Lebert Beharie, the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command's senior noncommissioned officer, returned May 13 from a nine-day mission to Afghanistan.

In an interview with RDECOM public affairs, Beharie discussed how the command is providing the technological edge to Soldiers deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

What were your objectives during your first visit to Operation Enduring Freedom as RDECOM's command sergeant major?

"It was two-fold. First, we have folks who are doing great work in harm's way, supporting the Warfighter. I wanted to pay them a visit, let them know who I am, and talk with them; get their concerns and issues they are dealing with; hear about some of the opportunities they had to support our Warfighter; technologies they were able to help field.

Second, [I wanted] to meet the senior enlisted Soldiers in the battlespace and hear from them how [RDECOM is] doing providing them the resources and technology to fight on the battlefield. That part is just as important. If they don't know that we're there or don't know what value we add, we quickly become low-hanging fruit. As [the Army] ramps down in theater, we become the first to go home. That would be a tragedy to leave the Soldiers without the technology or the connection to the technology that we are able to give from our labs."

As you talked with the Soldiers and civilians supporting OEF, what support do they need from RDECOM?

"When I was a Warfighter, I did not know what RDECOM provided me. Throughout the [Army Force Generation] process and the re-set process, there was a lot of technology that came my way that we, as a unit, had to integrate into our organization.

It's the same thing with the Soldiers currently in theater. Some do not know RDECOM existed. They received technology and support from RDECOM, but we need to do better with our strategic communications and getting the word out. Part of my reasoning for going to theater is to get the word out [what] we, as RDECOM, provide and how we can better assist our Soldiers."

How can RDECOM's scientists and engineers in the United States do better to provide timely solutions to address these needs?

"I think the lines of communication, the resources that we have, and the reachback capability that we have to our labs, scientists and engineers -- I think that is what we need to do better.

Our scientists and engineers are doing a fabulous job supporting our Warfighters. They come to work every day energized. For us to have the reachback from [Soldiers and commanders in] theater, our [Logistics Assistance Representative and Field Service Representatives] help by telling us where the gaps are. [We] fill those gaps in our labs with an emerging technology or [with] equipment we already built to increase capabilities on the battlefield. I think our scientists and engineers are doing a great job."

Where in Afghanistan did you go?

"I had the opportunity to tour the entire breadth of Afghanistan where major commands are. Those are the hubs. If you get the commands and hubs to understand the type of support that we provide on a daily basis, that will proliferate across the subordinate commands.

We met with [Regional Command]-South and talked with them about our lines of effort and support. [We made] sure we are linked [for] them reaching back to us. They have several ways to get to us. The [Rapid Equipping Force] 10-liner will come back to us. The [Operational Needs Statement] [Joint Urgent Operational Needs Statement] process will come back to us. Our [Science and Technology Assistance Teams] in theater will bring stuff back to us to action and provide material solutions to Warfighters."

How does the RDECOM Field Assistance in Science and Technology-Center accomplish its mission of providing engineering solutions to Soldiers directly in theater?

"What a tremendous capability to our Soldiers. This is a big win for the Army. This is a battlefield enabler having the RFAST-C that forward in theater. In six months, they have done over 177 projects for theater. That is throughout the [Combined Joint Operation Area], throughout the battlespace. While I was there, they were working on projects for the [Afghanistan Working Group] for the Afghan Army. They are working on engineering projects for the Air Force's AC-130.

You name it, they are working on it. You have a Soldier who walks up to the RFAST-C and says, 'Hey, I have a problem.' I met that Soldier, a specialist. He showed me how he came up with the design, his drawings, what he envisioned, and the problem he had. He walked up to one of our engineers and said, 'Hey, here is a problem that I have. Here is what I think a solution could be. Can you do something about this?' Our scientist said, 'Absolutely we can do something about it.' They put the engineering mental muscle behind it and came up with a great product to fill that Soldier's problem. This proliferates on the battlefield. It was a game-changer. This was an adjustment that had to be made because of new technology that we sent to theater to protect our Soldiers. We had to adjust how we placed certain items on vehicles.

I cannot speak enough about how great of a resource [the RFAST-C] it is for theater. I spoke to RC-South, RC-East, RC-Capital. I've talked to every command, all the way through [International Security Assistance Force] Command, and they all are singing the praises of what we are doing in theater."

How will RDECOM leverage the experience gained from establishing RFAST-C in OEF to set up a similar capability for future Army or joint operations?

"The Army is looking at what it calls 'RFAST-C in a Box.' It probably will not have all the capabilities that our current RFAST-C has, but it will have a lot of those capabilities. There are some capabilities that the Army had previously within the [Army Field Support Brigades] that are provided in theater; however, not in the quality and quantity that is provided through the RFAST-C. With our emerging technologies, I can see sometime in the future that we are going to have an 'RFAST-C in a Box' traveling around the battlespace. I think this was the birth of a great idea that will help the Warfighter for a long time to come."

How can RDECOM continue to share its initiatives and contributions with the Army?

"[RDECOM Director] Mr. [Dale] Ormond sat down with the Board of Directors and came up with six lines of effort. One of the lines of effort is strategic communications. I think I can impact that in a big way through the senior enlisted leaders engagement throughout the Army.

Seeing the senior enlisted leaders in theater is great. However, I think that communication needs to start back here at home. One of the initiatives that I have started is to go out and see the divisions and the major unit commands at home before they go to theater. Let them know what we are and what we do. The Army has an educational process for deployers. Give them ways that they can enhance the performance of their Soldiers and equipment on the battlefield. One of those resources is RDECOM.

I think that we need to make ourselves part of that educational process. Let RDECOM be one of those stops that those commands will make prior to going to theater. There is no doubt in my mind that it will be an enormous game-changing opportunity for those commands. I will take the message out and let them know what we are, who we are, and what we can do for them as they fight our nation's wars."

Related Links:

RDECOM on Twitter

Deployed Soldiers connect with Army scientists for technical solutions

Army engineering team builds solutions in Afghanistan

Research, Development and Engineering Command

RDECOM on Facebook

RDECOM on Flickr

RDECOM on YouTube