Photo By Sgt. David Freydin | Soldiers from Division Artillery, 4th Infantry Division, sort excess equipment for...... read more read more
“Operation Ironhorse Tilt is an on-going, division-wide event that has been 240 days in the making, in which we expect to put 23,000 pieces of excess equipment back into the Army’s inventory by January 2017,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rob Steingruber, G4 assets disability chief, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson. “This event also allowed outside agencies (Defense Logistics Agency) to help consolidate a process that would normally take 30 days into just two and a half days.”
The equipment turned in ranged from common items like tools, radios and tents, to generators, weapons and even vehicles.
“The excess equipment was just getting in the way, collecting dust, and causing unnecessary work for Soldiers,” said Staff Sgt. Marcus Williams, supply management noncommissioned officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Special Troops Battalion, 4th SB, 4th Inf. Div. “It’s a huge relief to be able to take the equipment off our books and allow somebody else to use it that needs it.”
Excess equipment has been an on-going obstacle in the Army.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert Lehman, brigade Class VII Cell officer in charge, 4th SB, said some of the reasons 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson has amassed so much excess is due to equipment upgrades, personnel changes, unit deactivations and deployments.
In response, United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) initiated a campaign called the Unit Equipping and Reuse Working Group-Expanded (UERWG-E).
“UERWG-E is designed to identify equipment shortages and to identify excess equipment for transfer or turn-in,” said Steingruber.
The Department of the Army identified Fort Carson as one of the installations to execute UERWG-E, better known as Operation Ironhorse Tilt, and 4th SB was tasked to oversee the logistics and operations.
“We chose 4th Sustainment Brigade to run the operation because they have all the logistical assets to make this successful,” explained Steingruber.
Unlike putting household items on a curb and conducting a successful garage sale, turning in military equipment is not easy as it sounds.
“I wanted everything in support of Operation Ironhorse Tilt performed professionally and in an expedient manner using proactive and innovative matters,” said Col. Ronald Ragin, commander, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Inf. Div. “I empowered my battalions to accomplish these tasks. With the influence from our higher commands and a lot of communication and coordination we were able to complete our goals which in turn will help units across the Army with filling their equipment shortages.”
Leading the ground efforts, Capt. Thorin Parris, plans officer in charge, HHC, 4SB, representing TAC-1, one of the sustainment brigade’s three forward-deploying elements ready to deploy at a moment’s notice, said it’s been a huge endeavor but really shows the strength of the sustainment community.
“We thoroughly walked all the units through the entire operation so we could synchronize efforts,” said Parris. “From conducting classes, to setting up the site, to staging equipment, we are confident everything will go smoothly.”
Class VII liaison’s from 4th SB regularly touched base with all the units weeks prior to OIT, conducting classes with supply sergeants and rehearsal drills with each unit.
Spc. Donald Thompson, multichannel transmission systems operator-maintainer, 534th Signal Company, 4th STB, 4th SB, said he set up two tactical-communication systems two weeks prior to OIT to make sure he could work out any foreseeable problems.
“With our mission command and communications center set up, the majority of our work will be oversight and troubleshooting to prevent any units from getting kicked backed for infractions,” said Parris.
Soldiers were very pleased with the support they received from 4th SB.
“The 4th Sustainment Brigade helped us in the process by briefing what needs to happen, and giving us an entire walk through the process,” said Spc. Kevin De la Pena, acting supply sergeant, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 4th Inf. Div. “What could have been a very difficult process was quite easy with the guidance they provided.”
Alongside 4th SB, military contracted employees from the DLA provided on-site support, making the process more manageable for Soldiers.
“We were asked to come here to accept Army material for turn-in and transfer it to the DLA and Army depots,” said Peter Todd, supply systems analyst, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, DLA. “Our main objectives are to validate paperwork and confirm that everything matches. We then pack up the equipment and prepare it for transport.”
Lehman says that as units turn in items the DLA then takes responsibility for that piece of equipment and from there they decide if it’s going to be used for reutilization or transfer. Regardless of where the equipment goes, he says it won’t be draining the system with all the money that goes into maintenance.
“This is our eighth time doing this, so we have learned a lot of lessons along the way,” said Todd. “Overall, we have had great support from 4th Sustainment. This is the first installation that had someone waiting to meet us on day one. But, what we were most impressed by was the organization, planning and implementation provided.”
Several V.I.P. guests, including Maj. Gen. Ryan F. Gonsalves, commanding general, 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson, Col. Christopher T. Donahue, deputy commander, 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson, Col. Jeff Martin, G4 plans, U.S. Army Europe, and Joe West, G4, FORSCOM, dropped by throughout the week to view operations.
“This is the best executed turn-in that I have witnessed and will recommend that the rest of the Army follow this protocol,” said West.
In the end, a total of 30 containers were packed for turn-in and sent to Sierra Army Depot, Tobyhanna Depot, and DLA DS,
“The success of this mission wasn’t just achieving a 10 percent reduction in excess, but to set the standard for how to properly execute this operation,” said Steingruber. “What we accomplished this week is the model that all divisions in the Army will need to follow to set themselves up for success.”
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| Date Taken: | 10.26.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 11.08.2016 12:13 |
| Story ID: | 214143 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 116 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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