Photo By Staff Sgt. Walter Lowell | New 17th Sustainment Brigade commander Col. Eric G. Wishart addresses his brigade...... read more read more
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nevada ⎯ Col. Eric G. Wishart assumed command of the Nevada National Guard’s 17th Sustainment Brigade in a ceremony at the North Las Vegas Readiness Center, April 2, 2017.
The 17SB has operational control of the 17th Special Troops Battalion and 757th Combat Sustainment and Support Battalion and has subordinate units stationed in both Northern and Southern Nevada. Over 1,500 Soldiers, around half of the Soldiers in the Nevada Army National Guard, now fall under Wishart’s command.
“This is the most dynamic formation in the state,” said Wishart. “This is the most called on brigade for military support to civilian authorities. You’re Governor (Brian) Sandoval’s fire brigade.
“That’s what we’re going to continue to do.”
Wishart is the fourth commander in 17SB history. The unit formed in 2009 and completed its first deployment ⎯ a nine-month mission running sustainment operations throughout the Middle East ⎯ in 2016. Under the leadership of outgoing commander Col. Vernon L. Scarbrough, the 17SB was the first National Guard unit to complete that mission, which Maj. Gen. Paul C. Hurley, commander of 1st Sustainment Command (Theater), has described as the “most difficult sustainment mission” in the Army.
“What I see before me is a force that is incredibly competent,” said Scarbrough. “I once held up the active Army as the ideal, (but) … it takes three months total to where we’re better than they (active Army) are because of the civilian skill set you bring to the table,” Scarbrough told the Soldiers. “As brigade staff, you all rock. You killed it.”
The 17SB’s responsibilities included providing supplies and services in over six countries throughout CENTCOM. Its most high-profile mission was providing over $500 million worth of weapons, supplies, and vehicles to allied forces in Iraq through the Iraq Train and Equip Fund. In all, 17SB Soldiers tracked over 2,000 missions, transported over $200 million worth of ammunition weighing over 1.5 million pounds, processed over 3 million pounds of mail, and delivered over 2 million bottles of water.
During the ceremony, Brig. Gen. Michael Hanifan, Nevada’s commanding general, presented Scarbrough and outgoing brigade Command Sgt. Maj. James Richardson with Meritorious Services Medals for their service as the 17th Sustainment Brigade command team.
“It is obvious that this (outgoing) command team has contributed to the security of this great nation,” said Hanifan. “The brigade will be getting great leadership with Colonel Wishart and Command Sergeant Major (Juan) Rangel.”
The ceremony also included a change of responsibility with Command Sgt. Maj. Juan Rangel assuming the role of top enlisted Soldier in the brigade from Richardson.
“I’ll give you my undying effort to harness the raw talent we all know exists out there,” said Wishart. “We will continue to add chapters to (the history of) this great brigade.”
| Date Taken: | 04.02.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.02.2017 18:21 |
| Story ID: | 228912 |
| Location: | NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, US |
| Web Views: | 331 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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