u.s. army sustainment command At the same time during the process, 401st Army Field Support Brigade personnel are preparing and verifying shipping instructions to CONUS depots with Army Materiel Command subordinate commands and coordinating with the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command [SDDC] for carrier pick-up. Finally, we synchronize the fielding actions of the program managers and the sustainment of their fielded systems. We do this by providing mission command for over 46,000 military, DoD civilian and contract personnel at 38 locations across Afghanistan. In addition to what we do in theater, we also provide reachback to ASC and its capabilities as the Army’s lead materiel integrator, providing us with guidance on disposition of equipment, maintenance and property book issues as well as base support. This reachback also connects us, through ASC, with the full range of the Army Materiel The 401st Army Field Support Brigade is responsible for all theater property equipment, which is roughly 20,000 pieces of rolling stock Command’s logistics capabilities. By doing and 413,000 pieces of non-rolling stock equipment valued at $16.7 billion. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army] this we bridge the national sustainment base with the operational commanders. Our brigade also manages the Logistics Civil Augmentation A: The 401st Army Field Support Brigade, located at Bagram Air Program, or LOGCAP, which fills the gap in lieu of using combat Base, Afghanistan, is a subordinate brigade to the U.S. Army Sustainsupport units for base support and services to the warfighter. ment Command, whose mission is to sustain Army and joint forces Through the program, we build bases and take them down, we around the world in support of combatant commanders. We are one provide dining facilities, laundry, warehousing, transportation, of seven regionally aligned field support brigades located around the base maintenance, emergency services, and morale, welfare world to support units within the Central Command [CENTCOM] and recreation for Army, joint and allied forces in theater. This area of responsibility, specifically the U.S. forces in Afghanistan provides us with the flexibility to expand or contract services as and coalition forces. The 401st provides the strategic link from the needed and frees our military to perform their combat mission. national industrial base to the tactical commander in the field. We do this as the Army’s executing agent with Title 10 responOur primary missions in theater are field level sustainment— sibilities. consisting of maintenance, supply, base support and distribution services—property accountability, retrograde operations and Q: How does the balance look between inbound supplies and synchronization of PMs and their programs in support of the equipment to maintain operations versus outbound retrograding warfighter. We provide command and control for over 45,000 materiel? servicemembers, Department of Defense civilians, and contractors across the Combined Joint Operations Area-Afghanistan [CJOA-A] A: We continue to reduce the inbound flow of supplies and mateand serve as AMC’s face to the field for support to the Army, joint rial as forces redeploy and requirements shrink. The scale has and coalition forces. First, we sustain combat operations by equipdefinitely shifted in favor of retrograde as outbound cargo now ping and uparming units rotating into and out of Afghanistan, exceeds inbound. provide basic life support and services, and maintain an incredWe will see a large reduction in our Joint Program Officeible 95 percent equipment readiness rate for intensively managed MRAP footprint this summer. At the same time, we are culling items across the CJOA-A. the fleet to retain only the best equipment and divesting of the Second, we are responsible for all theater property equipremaining materiel in accordance with DA guidance through the ment, which is roughly 20,000 pieces of rolling stock and 413, Defense Logistics Agency Disposal Services right here in Afghani000 pieces of non-rolling stock equipment valued at $16.7 billion. stan. Third, we operate eight retrograde property assistance team Along the same line of effort, we are fielding Capability Set [RPAT] sites where we relieve units of accountability and prepare 13 [CS-13], a package of integrated communication capability to equipment for transportation to the continental U.S. via land, deliver voice and data throughout a brigade combat team. CS-13 sea and air. This is a labor-intensive process as each vehicle goes represents the last big program we have underway and the high through equipment de-install stations, four ammo abatement water mark for new programs on the battlefield. From here on inspections, and thorough cleanings in order to pass customs out, all the program executive offices/program managers have inspections. 4 | MLF 7.6 | U.S. Army Sustainment Command
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