BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The 1st Armored Sustainment Division Resolute Support Brigade provides logistics support for the entire Combined Joint Operations Area–Afghanistan (CJOA-A).
One instrumental part of getting the sustainment mission done is the National Afghan Trucking Services (NAT 3.0). Soldiers acting as the contracting officer’s representatives (CORs) provide contractor oversight and assess whether contractor performance is done according to standard operating procedures.
Currently Nat 3.0 is the only form of ground movement available in Afghanistan, so contracted trucking is critical to the movement of items that are unable to be moved by aerial delivery.
“All ground movements are controlled by our contracts; we review invoices every month making sure that transportation requests match with the actual costs of the working being done by the NAT driver’s.” says Staff Sgt. Alan Alvarado, NAT 3.0 COR
The CORs also, inspect the Afghan national’s trucks ensuring that they are mission capable and have the proper credentials and equipment to perform emergency repairs. The Afghan vendors provide ground transportation to move and distribute reconstruction material, equipment, fuel, miscellaneous dry cargo, and life support assets to and from forward operating bases and distribution sites where it’s needed.
“This is a little bit of a change from my MOS (military occupational specialty) duties as an 88M (truck driver) back at Fort Bliss, but I enjoy it,” said Staff Sgt. Ricardo Marin, NAT 3.0 COR. “I get to experience a different aspect of transportation, as well as travel and interact with the local nationals. They are a group of good guys, and I have even picked of some of the language from interacting with the driver’s whenever I inspect the trucks.”
“It’s a behind the scenes job but it matters because we ensure that all the goods that Soldiers need make it to their FOBs (forward operating bases)” said Capt. Christopher Lee, support operations (SPO) officer.
The Nat 3.0 is a reliable way to provide U.S. and Coalition forces with mission essential supplies in a complex sustainment environment.
| Date Taken: | 02.19.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 02.19.2020 09:23 |
| Story ID: | 363388 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 117 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Support Operations Transportation Branch in Afghanistan, by SSG Briaira Tolbert, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
