FORT CARSON, Colo. – Gen. Gustave Perna, commander of the U.S. Army Materiel Command recently met with sustainment professionals at the Supply Support Activities facility at Fort Carson Oct. 17, 2018. During his visit, Perna stressed the importance of readiness and proper operations training for both garrison and deployment environments. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Scott J. Evans)
By Staff Sgt. Scott J. Evans
4th Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Gen. Gustave Perna, the U.S. Army Materiel Command commander at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, met with supply and equipment management leaders to discuss training and readiness at Fort Carson Oct. 17, 2018.
The visit included a tour to the Supply Support Activities (SSA) facility for the leadership to gain insight into Fort Carson’s sustainment operations, as well as Soldier and leader occupational training.
“In strategic locations around the globe, we are upgrading Army Prepositioned Stocks with the weapons systems and enablers that will allow (personnel) to draw (equipment) and move out within 96 hours,” Perna said. “These combat-ready sets, complete with the most modern command, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment will lighten the load for deploying units and increase response time.”
The logisticians that met with Perna discussed how both military and contract personnel transported hazardous material and provided an overview of how replacement parts and materiel was moved efficiently to supporting units.
“It was a great opportunity to spend a couple of hours to hear the senior sustainment officer in the Army give his thoughts and provide guidance on how we do business,” said Lt. Col Joseph Grande, support operations officer, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Inf. Div. “A lot of the discussions were about how we are individually and collectively increasing readiness throughout the division.”
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Pvt. Tyrek Gordon, an automated logistical specialist assigned to 247th Composite Supply Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, gives an overview of supply support activities to Gen. Gustave Perna, commander, U.S Army Materiel Command, at the Supply Support Activities facility at Fort Carson Oct. 17, 2018. Perna met with 4th Inf. Div. sustainment teams to gain perspective of their daily operations and training. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Scott J. Evans)
While receiving numerous briefings on the division’s sustainment operations, Perna highlighted some of the Army materiel command’s accomplishments to emphasize its commitment in helping to better guarantee that the Army has the supplies and equipment it needs to complete the mission.
In the past two years alone, the Army materiel command has moved nearly 600,000 pieces of equipment around the Army, while divesting nearly 1 million pieces of equipment — determined to be excess, Perna said.
Sustainment forces are responsible for moving large amounts of equipment continuously, so Soldiers have the required supplies and equipment.
“It’s important that everyone is disciplined so we can continue to improve,” Grande said.
Perna is a proponent of solid training for Soldiers and emphasized that leaders have solid processes in place, Perna said. It is necessary to achieve the goal of having equipment and supplies for Soldiers to best perform their duties.
“We need Soldiers to take pride and ownership in their equipment, spending time in motor pools and at railheads, learning and conducting proper maintenance, and logging the right data into the right systems,” Perna explained. “I was encouraged by the great progress in the past year to rebuild logistics and sustainment capabilities here at Fort Carson.”