Family and friends await the arrival of Soldiers from the 247th Composite Supply Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, Sunday at the Bill “Reed” Special Events Center Nov. 15, 2015. (Photo by Tony Mayne)
By Tony Mayne
Fort Carson Public Affairs Office
Soldiers from the 247th Composite Supply Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, were welcomed home in a ceremony Nov. 15, 2014, at 6 p.m. at the William “Bill” Reed Special Events Center.
The 149 Soldiers deployed in March in support of operations in Southwest Asia. The unit provided multi-class supply support activities for perishable and semi-perishable supply and retrograde support as well as petroleum and potable water purification.
“We are the only unit in the United States Central Command area of responsibility to provide water, fuel and Class 1 items,” said Capt. Audrey Extine, company
commander. “Our mission was very successful. Everyone came back happy and safe. It is good to be here. We are happy to be back and see our Families again.
We could not do our jobs without their support.”
The company provided sustainment support of multiple classes of supply throughout the area of operation to include forwarding food, water and fuel to U.S. forces in Iraq. The Soldiers managed a munitions storage area in Iraq providing a receiving and shipping point and a basic ammunition holding area for 12 coalition countries.
While deployed the company conducted area support for echelons above brigade level as well as backup support for brigade combat teams and support brigades. It also set up an Expeditionary Supply Support Activity in Iraq which included stock control, issue, turn-in, shipping and receiving sections and established a forward issue supply transfer point at the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center in Iraq.
“This welcome home event is important because it is reconnecting Soldiers with their Families and Soldiers back with their units,” said Col. Ronald Ragin, 4th SB commander. “That is why this event is so important to me. Any given day we have Soldiers all over the world, whether Eastern Europe, the Middle East or doing different things (such as) fighting fires or out training. Anytime you can bring a Soldier and Family back and reconnect them, to me that’s magic. I want the Soldiers to know that the 4th Inf. Div. and the nation recognizes that they are standing on freedom’s frontier and that we are extremely proud of them. Welcome home.”