Maj. Gen. Douglas Chalmers, right, deputy commanding general for support, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas, observes as Soldiers at the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, demonstrate their Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services on an M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle and provide a capabilities overview Dec. 15, 2016. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Ange Desinor)
By Sgt. David Freydin
4th Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
Col. Ronald Ragin, commander, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, briefs Maj. Gen. Douglas Chalmers, right, deputy commanding general for support, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas, in the Talent Management Room at the 4th SB headquarters Dec. 15, 2016. (Photo by Sgt. David Freydin)
The deputy commanding general for support of III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas, visited Fort Carson Dec. 14-16, 2016, to discuss ways to increase sustainment readiness for the 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson.
Maj. Gen. Douglas Chalmers, along with III Corps G4 Col. Joe Dixon, met with Fort Carson top officials; toured the headquarters of the 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Inf. Div.; and visited with Soldiers and command teams from 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div.; and 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div., during their trip to the Mountain Post.
During their visit to 4th SB, Chalmers and Dixon received an in-depth tour of the brigade headquarters, including the Division Sustainment Operations Center and Talent Management Room and participated in an operations, intelligence and logistics brief conducted by 4th SB’s commander Col. Ronald Ragin.
Maj. Gen. Douglas Chalmers, second from right, deputy commanding general for support, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas, visits with Soldiers at the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, motorpool Dec. 15, 2016. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Ange Desinor)
Topics discussed included creating an environment of shared intelligence; agility on the battlefield; linking strategic, operational and tactical methods; excess equipment; property accountability; solving readiness problems in real time and analyzing possible threats.
“This is what a sustainment brigade should look like,” Chalmers said. “4th Sustainment Brigade is ahead of the curve and is allowing us to be better predictive as a force. What is the most impressive is that nobody asked you guys to do it, you just did it on your own.”
Chalmers assumed his role at III Corps in July. The command is responsible for rapidly deploying and conducting the full range of military operations to seize, retain and exploit the initiative in order to deter or defeat any adversary. Chalmers has been visiting division installations that fall under III Corps command to conduct assessments of sustainment warfighting functions.
Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Bush, center, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Special Troops Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, briefs Maj. Gen. Douglas Chalmers, left, deputy commanding general for support, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas, at the Division Material Readiness Center Dec. 15, 2016. (Photo by Sgt. David Freydin)
“I asked to come here (and visit the 4th Sustainment Brigade) to make sure this actually exists, plus to make sure it works; but this is beyond my belief,” Chalmers said. “I am actually learning from 4th SB, rather than the other way around. What you guys are doing here is absolutely brilliant.”