Photo By Spc. Samuel Signor | U.S. Army Soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division,...... read more read more
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GDYNIA, Poland – Several Soldiers assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division huddled in the freezing and salty night air around a pair of USO-Poland employees while one tore open and quickly began distributing a box of chemically-activated hand warmer packs.
Hundreds of U.S. Army Soldiers, federal civilian employees, commercially contracted stevedores, and transportation personnel arrived at the Port of Gdynia in the dark of night on Jan. 17 to offload approximately 250 pieces of equipment, including howitzers, Humvees and M1 Abrams tanks, from the Logistics Naval Vessel Cape Texas in support of the Reception and Staging portions of the RSOM mission.
The ship offload was just one of the dozens of port operation spread throughout the Baltic, Black, and Mediterranean Seas that serve to facilitate the overarching reception, staging, and onward movement (RSOM) mission in the European Theater annually.
“This mission is unique to us because not only do we have the rotational forces’ equipment needed for their deployment, but we also have foreign military sales vehicles that will go to the Polish Army. So the execution of this mission directly supports the NATO alliance and also strengthens our partnership and bonds with our Polish allies,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin Van Fleet, the 839th Transportation Battalion’s mobility officer.
RSOM missions like the port operation at Gdynia are the mechanism that feeds U.S. Army units with vehicles and other materials needed to accomplish its missions. These missions typically incorporate seaports, commercial trucking ground transportation, and the use of railways. Recently, as an example of the commitment to RSOM, the 21st Theater Sustainment Command has processed and moved more than 500,000 tons of equipment through Europe, which is an equivalent of nine brigade combat teams.
“This is my second year in this position. I have been on quite a few missions, and we have already brought in numerous teams into the theaters. It feels great to flex our battalion’s abilities to assist in a region that we don’t normally operate in,” said Maj. Michelle Su, the mission commander for the RSOM. “These missions are important and serve as a beginning step into helping many units accomplish their mission while in theater,” said Su, “These missions help the U.S. fulfill its objectives in Europe.”
The ports of Gdansk and Gdynia on the Baltic Sea in Northern Poland are important geographically. Recently, Gdansk was named part of the top ten commercial ports in Europe due to the volume of cargo it can process and in 2021 it was named the largest EU port on the Baltic Sea, according to the Port of Gdansk website.
“The accomplishment of this mission here in Poland feels great. I was a mobility officer for a rotational unit last year. So, I was on the receiving end where my cargo was coming off the ship. Now, I am on the other side and assisting the unit by helping them efficiently and effectively receive their cargo. We are the foothold for when units come into the theater. Making sure this mission is done right, on time, and in the right location is paramount to the future operations this unit will conduct during their time here,” Van Fleet.
1/3 ACBT’s deployment is the latest iteration of U.S. rotational units that serve to support Operation Atlantic Resolve (OAR) and the stronger together ethos of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. (OAR) is the U.S. contingency operation to deter Russian aggression against NATO and to reassure and bolster the alliance in the wake of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
| Date Taken: | 01.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.24.2025 11:11 |
| Story ID: | 489511 |
| Location: | PL |
| Web Views: | 241 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Tidal wave of partnership, deterrence reaches the shores of Poland, by Brian Lamar, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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