THESUSTAINERSUSTAINMENT WARRIORS SUSTAIN THE FIGHT

November 6, 2013 Vol. 2 Issue 5

Ohio National GuardHonors Fallen Comrade

Theater GatewayGoes Mobile

Mechanics Train withKuwaiti Partners

Learn Brazilian Jiu JitSu in Kuwait

Soldiers of the 371st SB organizeshadow Dublin, Ohio 5K to honorfallen Ohio Guardsmen

Story and Photo by Staff Sgt.Kimberly Hill

Soldiers with the 371stSustainment Brigade, an OhioArmy National Guard unit,organized a shadow run of theDublin, Ohio 5K and raised $1,250for the Nicholas RozanskiMemorial Foundation and theDublin 5K at Camp Arifjan, Kuwaiton Oct. 12, 2013.

The shadow race honors thememory of three Ohio NationalGuard soldiers, Capt. NicholasRozanski, Master Sgt. ShawnHannon and Master Sgt. Jeff Rieck

who were killed while deployed toAfghanistan on April 4, 2012.

“The 371st put on this particularshadow run because it gave us anopportunity to pause and honor ourfallen comrades,” said Capt. KarisaA. Myers, a human resourceoperations branch officer with the371st Sus. Bde. and a Newark, Ohionative. “The loss of those threeguys hit close to home for a lot ofus.”

Many soldiers within the 371st Sus.Bde. knew, served with or deployedwith the three fallen heroes, andwanted to honor their memories,said 1st Lt Kevin Mcgee,distribution integration operationsofficer for the 371st Sus. Bde. anda Hilliard, Ohio native.

“I met Capt. Rozanski when he wasan Officer Candidate Schoolinstructor in Ohio's RegionalTraining Institute, said Mcgee,who helped organize the race.“When he was killed, it impacted somany of us who knew him.”

Runners raised over $1,250 for theDublin 5K and the Nick RozanskiMemorial Foundation, whichbenefits students and families inthe local Dublin, Ohio communitythrough scholarships and othercharitable foundations.

“The shadow run was a way for somany of us to get involved inremembering Capt. Rozanski andto show support for his family backin Dublin, Ohio,” said Mcgee.

Soldiers begin running at the start line ofthe shadow run of the Dublin 5K tohonor Capt. Nicholas Rozanski on Oct.12, 2013 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Theshadow race, organized by the 371stSustainment Brigade, an Ohio ArmyNational Guard unit, honors three Ohioguardsmen who were killed whiledeployed to Afghanistan with the OhioArmy National Guard in 2012.

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Theater Gateway Ribbon Cutting

Story and Photos By Staff Sgt.Kimberly Hill

A ribbon cutting ceremony for the newtheatergatewayatCampArifjan,Kuwaitwasconducted onOct. 1, 2013 atCampArifjan,Kuwait.

The ribbon cutting ceremony marks theofficial opening of the theater gateway thatwas moved from Ali Al Salem Air base toCampArifjan inAugust, 2013.

Themove fromAliAl Salem has saved theArmyanestimated2milliondollarsamonth,saidLt.Col.ChristopherM.Pfaff,thedirectorofthe138ththeatergatewayatCampArifjan.

During peak operations, the gatewayprocessesonaverage2,000weekly travelersthroughinboundandoutboundoperations,headded.

Brig. Gen. Donald B.Tatum, the commander ofthe 135th ExpeditionarySustainment Command

speaks to attendeesduring the theater

gateway ribbon cuttingceremony on Oct. 1, 2013at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

From left to right: Col. Gregory W. Robinette, the commander of the 371st Sustainment Brigade, Brig. Gen.Donald B. Tatum, the commander of the 135th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, Maj. Gen Kurt J. Stein,the commander of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, and Lt. Col. Christopher M. Pfaff, the director of the138th theater gateway cut the ribbon of the new theater gateway on Oct. 1, 2013 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

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Brazilian Jiu Jit Su

Photos and Story by Staff Sgt.Kimberly Hill

Students from a variety of services,backgrounds and ages roll around theblue mats on the floor of the gymgrappling with their fighting partners.

Some wear the traditional gi of martialarts; others wear their military uniformwith their blouses and boots removed,but all listen intently as their instructorleads them through different martialarts moves.

While the students practice with theirpartners, trying outmoves they learned

a few minutes ago as the tall brown-haired instructor walks among thegroup, stopping occasionally to correctforms or give advice.

Often the instructor simply rolls aroundor grapples with one of his students,patiently talking them through eachmove until they are comfortableenough to do it on their own or withtheir partner.

At the end of the class, the students aresweating and clearly exhausted, yetthey smile as they bow to the white giclad instructormaking theirwayoff themats and out of the gym.

“Anyone could walk in off the streetand plug right in and still get somethingout of the class,” the instructor says ashis students leave.

The class is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and istaught byArmyMaj. Brandon Tackett,the deputy chief of support operationsfor the 371st Sustainment Brigade, anOhio Army National Guard unit basedout of Springfield, Ohio and currentlydeployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwaitsince July, 2013.

“Before I got here I started researchingbecause I knew I wanted to start [aclass], luckily there was a guy alreadyteaching so after he left I took the

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classes over,” said Tackett, aColumbus, Ohio native.

Tackett, who holds a brown belt, hasbeen practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu forover 13 years and wrestled throughouthigh school and college, thought thatteaching classes would not only be agreat way to spread his passion andimprove service members’ physicaland mental fitness, but also to improvehis own skills.

While Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is ademanding form of martial arts andtakes years of practice to develop theskills it teaches, Tackett’s classes areopen to all levels, from beginners to

advanced, he said.

“It takes a very long time to get good at;comparatively speaking it would takeabout three years to get a black belt inTae Kwan Do. In Jiu Jitsu it takesanywhere from 10 to 15 years to get ablack belt,” Tackett said.

The instruction is physicallydemanding, however, Tackett does anoutstanding job training the class at abeginner level and working with eachstudent individually so their ability andskills continue to improve throughoutthe training, saidChiefWarrantOfficer2 Kyle Gettys, the supply and servicesofficer with the 371st Sus. Bde. and a

Cardington, Ohio native.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is used in the worldofUltimate Fighting andmixedmartialarts events, and a scaled down versionis even used in Army combatives,which was written by a purple beltpractitioner of Jiu Jitsu, said Tackett.

The class offers not only physical butmental benefits for practitioners,helpful for deployed service memberswho may have trouble dealing withstress, saidMaster Sgt. ColeDerringer,a the fleet manager with the 371st Sus.Bde. and a Springfield, Ohio native.

While the class benefits service

Army Maj. Brandon Tackett, a Columbus, Ohio native and the deputy chief of support operations for the 371stSustainment Brigade stretches out with his students before beginning his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class on Oct. 25, 2013 atCamp, Arifjan, Kuwait. Tackett is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has been practicing the martial arts form forover 13 years.

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e membe r s ’ p h y s i c a l a n dmen t a l f i t n e s s a n d p r o v i d e s av a l u a b l e r e s o u r c e t o t h o s ed e p l o y e d t o C amp A r i f j a n ,T a c k e t t a l s o b e n e f i t s f r omt e a c h i n g o t h e r s .

H e h o p e s t o c omp e t e i n t h eWo r l d Ch amp i o n s h i p f o rB r a z i l a i n J i u J i t s u i n J u n e ,2 0 1 4 a n d b e l i e v e s t h a t h e i sa t t h e l e v e l o f t r a i n i n g a n ds k i l l w h e r e i n o r d e r t o l e a r nmo r e a n d c o n t i n u eimp r o v i n g , h e n e e d s t o t e a c ho t h e r s , s a i d T a c k e t t .

“ T h i s i s t h e t im e i n my J i uJ i t s u j o u r n e y wh e r e I n e e d t ob e t e a c h i n g , b e f o r e I t e a c he v e r y c l a s s I ’ v e a l r e a d ys t u d i e d t h a t c l a s s tw i c e a n dt a k e n n o t e s o n i t , ” h e s a i d .

T a c k e t t w a n t s h i s s t u d e n t s t ou n d e r s t a n d t h a t B r a z i l i a n J i uJ i t s u i s n o t a b o u t b e i n g at o u g h g u y o r a b o u t b e a t i n gy o u r o p p o n e n t d own , h e s a i d .

“ S ome o f t h e c h a l l e n g e s a r ep e o p l e w i t h a n x i e t y whod o n ’ t l i k e p h y s i c a lc omp e t i t i o n a n d t o u g h g u y swho j u s t w a n t t o b e a t p e o p l eu p , ” h e s a i d .

B r a z i l i a n J i u J i t s u i s a“ g e n t l e ” ma r t i a l a r t s t h a tf o c u s e s o n d i s a rm i n g a n ds u b d u i n g y o u r o p p o n e n t a n dl e s s o n p h y s i c a l l y h u r t i n gt h em , s a i d T a c k e t t .

“ P e o p l e n e e d t o u n d e r s t a n dt h a t i t ’ s n o t wh a t t h e y t h i n ki t i s , ” h e s a i d .

Army Maj. Brandon Tackett, a Columbus, Ohio native and the deputychief of support operations for the 371st Sustainment Brigadedemonstrates a martial arts move with Army Sgt. Stephen Lacey, aShreveport, La. Native and a horizontal construction engineer with the844th Engineering Company during Tackett’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class onOct. 25, 2013 at Camp, Arifjan, Kuwait. Tackett is a brown belt inBrazilian Jiu Jitsu and has been practicing the martial arts form for over 13years.

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Mechanicsof the539thTCtrainwithKuwaiti Counterparts

Photos and story by Staff Sgt.Kimberly Hill

Soldiers with the 539th TransportationCompany, 371st Sustainment Brigadehosted mechanics of the KuwaitNational Guard at Camp Arifjan,Kuwait on Nov. 4, 2013 as part of anongoing maintenance collaborationbetween the 539th TC and the KuwaitNational Guard.

“We went over to their camp and sawhow they worked and their equipment,now they’re here seeing our equipmentand howwework;we’re trying to builda good communication base,” said Sgt.Juan Alvarez, a platoon sergeant withthe 539th TC and a Houston, Texasnative.

The collaboration between the KuwaitNational Guard and the 539th TC wasplanned in August 2014 by the leadersof the 371st Sus. Bde. and the 143rdCombat Service Support Battalion,said 1st Lt. Kevin McGee, an Akron,Ohio native and the Kuwait NationalGuard liaison officer for the 371st Sus.Bde.

This team of brigade liaisons plannedthis two-month long training exercisethrough a series of meetings with Col.Khaled Al Gharib, commander ofKuwait National Guard workshopelements stationed at Camp Tahreer,McGee added.

Soldiers of the 539th TransportationCompany, based out of FortWainwright, Alaska, gave the KuwaitNational guardsmen a tour of their

motor pool, explaining anddemonstrating the various capabilitiesof their vehicles with help fromtranslators, said Alvarez.

"It is gratifying to see this finally cometogether,” said McGee. “Seeing theKuwait National Guard soldiers andour maintenance soldiers in the 539thTC finally start to turn wrenchestogether is great.”

Members of the Kuwait NationalGuard were also excited by theopportunity to tour the motor pool andlearn about the processes of a U.S.Army maintenance company.

“It’s different; we want to learn howthey work and about their vehicles,”saidPvt.HoshanAlKhaldi, amechanicwith the Kuwait National Guard.

Soldiers with the 539th Transportation Company show members of the Kuwait National Guard a heavyequipment transporter system in their motor pool as part of an ongoing maintenance collaboration atCamp Arifjan, Kuwait on Nov. 4, 2013.

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The Mogadighu Mile

Story and photos by Sgt. AngelaBarney

Soldiers of the 371st SustainmentBrigade organized a MogadishuMile run on Oct 6, 2013 at CampArifjan, Kuwait.

This run, organized by ChiefWarrant Officer 3 JenniferHickman, the property book officerfor the 371st Sus. Bde. and aNorwich, Ohio nativecommemorates the members of TaskForce Ranger killed duringOperation Gothic Serpent on Oct. 3,1993.

The Mogadishu Mile refers to the

route that was run by AmericanRangers and Delta Force soldiersfrom a helicopter crash site to anappointed rally point held by the10th Mountain Division on NationalStreet, during the Battle ofMogadishu, Somalia.

Soldiers wore their gas mask andIOTV for the mile long run/walk tocommemorate the event.

LIKETHE371STSUSTAINMENTBRIGADE

ONFACEBOOK

Soldiers with the 371st SB participate in the Mogadishu Mile run on Oct. 6, 2013 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Soldiers woretheir gas mask and IOTV for the mile long run/walk to commemorate the members of Task Force Ranger killed duringOperation Gothic Serpent on Oct. 3, 1993.

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The Marathon of Deployment in theTradition of Excellence

By Chaplan James Lewis

Whilewecan'twait to see the flagsofhomeflying in an Ohio breeze, and can almosttaste a home-cooked meal, we've only justnow passed the halfway point. Let meencourage all, then, to maintain yourtenacity, yourmotivation, your endurance,as we massage this mission to itscompletion. Soon--though of course notsoon enough-- we can all then be finisherswith no apologies, and an abundance ofpraise for a job well done.

I know that cultivating the dream of thepeace, the music, the humor that thechangeover of our location will bring usonce we leave Camp Arifjan, gives us thepower to practice the habits of mind thathelps us handle the contest of this fartlek ofa mission which might otherwise leave usfeeling like zombies. But ever since weraised our colors from the very first, ourtraining has brought us through with aminimum of suffering, completing our

duty with outstanding character andrelentless balance. We have come too far,we have lost too much of the sweetcommunion with the ones we love to givein to weakness now. We have plenty ofcoffee in our cup, and ibuprofen ready athand to help us drive on through any painand confusion that might present theappearance of an insurmountable knot thatmight tie us down.

It is our prayer aswe are contemplating thenext step in our journey toward the rock offaith of which our families are the source,that our decision toward assembling thisnote for your mail is the right thing to liftyour spirits. Perhaps it can paint a pictureof hope and beauty of our renewed normalroutine. Our service has been a test of theflesh, our teamwork has provided the keystoweather the tattoo of the groundhog-likerhythm (which of course we all know canbe poisonous!) that we've had to literallysweat through for all these months.

The 371st community will work like dogsto labor to inoculate ourselves against anethos of carelessness, lest we slip and

become complacent in this liminal timeuntil we make concrete progress in ourreadiness for our transition. As themessenger after the Battle of Marathon solong ago proclaimed victory with thatmemorable word "nike!" we mustmaintain a bit more patience until we, too,may continue that tradition and transitionto the welcome sight of home with thatsame timely proclamation. That'll bereally spiffy, won't it? HOOAHLUJAH!

(so howmany of ourWords of the Day didYOU find?)

THESUSTAINERPAOCapt. Scott DetlingLayoutStaff Sgt. Joel Gottke

VideoStaff Sgt. Jake Fadley

PrintStaff Sgt. Kimberly Hill

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Camp Arifjan’s Gateway to theater

Story and photos by Staff Sgt.Kimberly Hill

Over a 100 tired soldiers climb downthe steps of the dusty buses parked infront of the buildings that will serve astheir entrance into theater at CampBuehring, Kuwait.

They help each other with their bags,sling their weapons and beginmarching into one of the buildings tobegin in-processing at the base wherethey will be stationed during theirdeployment.

Although the soldiers are exhaustedafter a long trip from the U.S. to

Kuwait, they are thankfully spared along bus ride to Camp Arifjan, Kuwaitand back, where the gateway is locatedand the majority of soldiers andcivilians process into theater.

The 138th Theater Gateway of CampArifjan, Kuwait has come to greet thesoldiers instead.

“You feel accomplished at the end ofthe day, getting everyone in and out oftheater,” said Sgt. Shawanna Pouncey,the inbound operations sergeant withthe 138th Theater Gateway and part ofthe mobile gateway team.

The 138th Theater Gateway isresponsible for moving militarypersonnel and civilians in andout of the

Southwest Asia area of operationssinceAugust, 2013 at CampArifjan, aswell as setting up and operatingmobilegateways throughout Kuwait.

Soldiers working at the gateway areresponsible for processing incomingpersonnel into theater, redeployingpersonnel out of theater, briefing them,providing customer service andsupport and ensuring their monetaryentitlements and benefits are beganwhen arriving in theater, said Pouncey,a South Carolina native.

The theater gateway in Kuwait wasoriginally located at Ali Al Salem Airbase until August of this year, when thegateway was moved to Camp Arifjan,

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Kuwait, said Lt. Col. Christopher M.Pfaff, the director of the 138th theatergateway at Camp Arifjan.

Themove fromAliAl Salemhas savedthe Army an estimated $2 million amonth and during peak operations, thegateway processes on average 2,000weekly travelers through inbound andoutbound operations, he said.

While the theater gateway is based outof Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, thepersonnel who operate it also set upmobile gateways at bases throughoutKuwait to ensure that large brigadeshave a smoother transition whenleaving and entering theater, said Pfaff.

“Itmakes sense that in order to save the

time, the effort and the cost intransporting large numbers of troopsfromCampBuehring all the way downto Camp Arifjan that we would sendmobile personnel accountability teamsand mobile customs team to CampBuehring,” said Pfaff.

While setting up a mobile theatergateway is not without its challenges,Maj. Art Roque, a human resourcesofficer with the 1st Armored BrigadeCombat Team who coordinated withthe 138th Theater Gateway to set up amobile site atCampBuehring, believesthat it is well worth the effort, he said.

“We can reduce approximately sixhours of the process for the soldiers,

instead of them going down to CampArifjan, they can execute the outboundand inbound procedures from here[Camp Buehring] and we can reduceover 2,000 man hours,” said Roque.

Although it can be challenging tomoveequipment and personnel betweenbases in Kuwait, the man hours andtime saved, as well as the heartfeltthanks of the soldiers, make it wellworth the effort of the mobile gatewayteam.

“They are extremely appreciative thatwe were able to put this together andI’m glad that we were able toaccommodate them,” said Pfaff.

Soldiers with the 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division based out of Ft. Carson, Colo. file off of a bus after arriving intheater at Camp Buehring, Kuwait on Oct. 4, 2013. Soldiers with the 138th Theater Gateway set up a mobile gatewayto process the brigade into theater at Camp Buehring where they will be stationed instead of at Camp Arifjan where thetheater gateway is located.

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