Logistics company commander leads distribution and supply

Photo By Sgt. David Hodge | Capt. John Friel, commander of Company A, 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad, stands in front of his headquarters Oct. 30, 2008 at Forward Operating Base Falcon in southern Baghdad. Friel, who hails from Warrensburg, Mo., was recently selected to be a Foreign Area Officer and attend the Defense Language Institute to learn the German language.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

10.31.2008

Story by Sgt. David Hodge 

1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

By Sgt. David Hodge
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq – The logistics world in the U.S. Army can seem overwhelming to many Soldiers with different sections and platoons operating independently and in conjunction with multiple units on the ground.

At Forward Operating Base Falcon in southern Baghdad's Rashid district, commanding Company A, 4th Support Battalion, a supply and distribution company, falls into the hands of Capt. John Friel, commander of Co. A, 4th Supt. Bn., 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad.

Company A provides logistical support of supplies to all units operating in the 1st BCT area of operations, said Friel, who hails from Warrensburg, Mo.

The company operates around the clock to provide a plethora of essential services to Soldiers living both on and off the FOB.

Co. A, or the "Anacondas," provides personnel and equipment for combat logistics patrols and fulfills force protection requirements.

"We operate the fuel system supply point to provide bulk fuel to all maneuver units and contractors," Friel explained. "Also, the Soldiers deliver water to the combat outposts and joints security stations throughout the Rashid district."

Other operations the Anacondas are responsible for are the FOB ammunition holding area, the supply-support activity yard, and the Tactical Water Purification System, which produces potable water for showers and other uses across the FOB.

Friel stated that the TWPS has produced close to a million gallons of water since arriving in Iraq.

"It's a very dynamic mission for us on FOB Falcon," explained Friel, a U.S. Army veteran of 12 years.

In addition to the missions on the FOB, the Anaconda's are also responsible for providing convoy security for detainees-related missions, said Friel.

First Lt. Anna Glandorf, executive officer of Co. C., described Friel as a great logistician, who puts a lot of faith into both his platoon leaders and platoon sergeants.

"Each platoon has a completely separate mission," said Glandorf, a native of Grand Rapids, Mich. "Capt. Friel gives them enough room to execute the mission while still providing oversight."

Friel, whose father served as a major in the U.S. Army in Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, enlisted in 1992 as a crew member for the Multiple Launch Rocket System.

While stationed in Babenhausen, Germany, with the 41st Fires Brigade, Friel met and married his wife, Ellen, a German citizen, in 1995.

Friel separated from the Army to attend college at Central Missouri State University and re-entered the Army as an officer in the Transportation Corps branch.

While at college, John and Ellen had their first child, Jonah. As a lieutenant, the couple had their second child, Shannon.

Friel has commanded Co. A for approximately 20 months. Afterwards, he said, he will branch out to a functional area as many officers do.

Friel was recently selected to be a Foreign Area Officer for his next assignment in the Army. An FAO is similar to a liaison between foreign governments and militaries and the U.S. Government, explained Friel.

Since he lived in Germany from the age of 8-12 with his family and married a German citizen, Friel selected Western Europe as his area of concentration while learning his FAO responsibilities.

"I have a pretty good background in the German language," stated Friel, who will attend the Defense Language Institute after the deployment to study the German language.

Friel said he is very proud to be selected to represent the Army and the United States on an international level in Germany.

"Ellen looks forward to going back home to Germany again," Friel explained. "She is happy with everything we've done in the Army.

• Date Taken: 10.31.2008
• Date Posted: 10.31.2008 04:21
• Story ID: 25760
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ