Courtesy Photo | Spc. Mark Reali, a multiple launch rocket system specialist with the Corps...... read more read more
By Capt. Sonise Lumbaca, 1st Corps Support Command Public Affairs
FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Family and friends of deployed 1st Corps Support Command Soldiers have received the best gift anyone can receive for the upcoming holidays; a chance to spend it with their Soldiers.
More than 200 Soldiers assigned to the 1st COSCOM were welcomed home during a redeployment ceremony at Pope Air Force Base's Green Ramp Oct. 31 at 7:30 a.m.
"It's a great day and opportunity to welcome this element that represented the largest command in Iraq," said Maj. Gen. Virgil L. Packett II, the acting commander for the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg. "It is a great treat to have you all back here with your families."
Among the redeploying members was the commander of the 1st Corps Support Command, Brig. Gen. Yves J. Fontaine.
Members of the 1st COSCOM were deployed for a year to Iraq and Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Having spent a year away from their families, many of the Soldiers are in agreement that they are glad to be home.
"It's great [to be home]. I really missed [my children]," said Capt. Jamie Brunson, a members of the Corps Distribution Command. "You see that they are really young, so I was eager to get back and see them and see how they have grown."
"I missed them so much," said Sgt. 1st Class Vache Brooks, referring to her husband Robert and 3-year-old son Robert Jr. "It's great to be home."
Brooks is an intelligence analyst with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st COSCOM.
While in Iraq, the 1st COSCOM, which was based at five major logistical hubs spread throughout the country, was comprised of five corps support groups, one area support group, one brigade-sized corps distribution command and two brigade combat teams; totaling approximately 20,000 soldiers.
The 1st COSCOM's mission was to provide logistical support to the Multinational Corps-Iraq, which included combat logistics patrols pushing the mail, water, fuel and food needed to sustain the momentum of U.S. and Coalition Forces across Iraq and Kuwait.
"[COSCOM Soldiers completed about 150 combat logistics patrols a day," said Fontaine.
All of the vehicles conducting combat logistic patrols were up-armored, and 80 percent of the fleet had armor, which was the goal, he said.
Many of the up-armoring of vehicles was conducted by units within the 1st COSCOM.
Additional to their mission, the 1st COSCOM partnered with Iraqi forces to facilitate the development of the Iraqi army logistics system. This partnership involved three COSCOM corps support groups establishing and training Iraqi motor transport regiments to conduct their own independent logistical operations. These motor regiments are now conducting independent operations and have helped support Iraqi security forces in the recent constitutional referendum.
"It just feels really good to spend a year [in support of OIF] and accomplish so much and be able to come back to our families," said Lt. Col. Mitchell Johnson, a member of the Corps Distribution Command.
The 1st COSCOM continues to have more than 200 Soldier deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Over the course of the remainder of the year, these Soldiers are scheduled to redeploy, while others have recently deployed or are scheduled to.
Editor's notes: 1st COSCOM Statistics
-Supported over 180 units
-Drove and transported over 3,000 vehicles
-Moved over 1,000 containers totaling over 785 tons of supplies
-Transported over 134 million gallons of fuel, at an average of 1.1 million gallons per day; enough to fuel 57,000 vehicles daily
-Driven or flown over 20,000 Soldiers.
-Installed over 4,000 up-armor kits
-Completed more than 13,000 combat logistics patrols
-Drove an average of 12,000 miles per month (equal to what the average American drives per year) and covered more than 29 million miles during combat logistics patrols
-Maintained a 95% ready rate for its fleet of more than 6,000 up armored HMMWV
-Conducted over 5,000 security escort missions each month
-Trained over 2,000 Iraqi National Guard truck drivers
-Produced and issued over three million gallons of water
-Transported 190,000 cases of bottled water and over 200,000 meals to forward operating bases throughout Iraq daily.
-Repaired over 30,000 pieces of equipment and processed over 170,000 requests for repair parts
| Date Taken: | 11.01.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 11.01.2005 16:28 |
| Story ID: | 3562 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 148 |
| Downloads: | 35 |
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