Partnership efficiently brings home equipment

Twenty-six Airmen from the 435th Contingency Response Group traveled to Romania in partnership with the 21st Theater Sustainment Command to re-deploy the 170th Brigade Combat team’s equipment from Afghanistan to their home unit in Baumholder, Germany.

The operation took less than a month with the 435th CRG and the 21st TSC loading more than 1,528 short tons of equipment onto 45 rail cars and 23 trucks.

“The speed and efficiency is critical to success so the Soldiers have their equipment back as soon as they have reconstituted from their deployment,” said Col. John Shapland, 435th Air Ground Operations Wing commander. “The mission was crucial to safely, effectively and efficiently returning the 170th BCT’s equipment.”

Made up of 15 Air Force specialty codes, the contingency response element provided specialized capabilities to safely offload commercial and military aircraft so the TSC was able to load the equipment onto rail and road transportation.

“Each person on the team is utilized in a cross-functional manner to accomplish the aerial port mission and cargo yard operations,” said Lt. Col. Rhett Champagne, 435th Air Mobility Squadron commander. “This is the core mission for the CRG and what makes it an effective force multiplier.”

Vehicles and equipment were loaded and returned on a variety of 22 cargo

aircraft.

The load equated to more than 2,023 car trains.

“This is about fiscal efficiency and cost savings,” Champagne said. “Multimodal operations seek out the most cost effective transportation solutions from getting our equipment from downrange, while maintaining flexibility, to dealing with challenges to our lines of communication.”

The operation also validated the Joint Task Force European Port Opening, an acknowledgement that European Command has the capability and resources assigned to its theater that can meet low to medium port opening capabilities before needing to reach out to Transportation Command.

“Ultimately, the undertaking highlighted the command and control of port operations while enabling the 21st TSC and 435th CRG to work together,” Champagne said.

Shapland explained the benefit of joint-service operations when it comes to mission focus.

“The teamwork between the 435th CRG and the 21st TSC demonstrates a critical air-land capability seamlessly moving personnel and equipment between various modes of transportation in a safe and expeditious manner,” he said.