DEPARTMENT
OF THE ARMY
316th EXPEDITIONARY SUSTAINMENT COMMAND
99 SOLDIERS LANE
CORAOPOLIS, PA 15108-2550
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MR-003-24JAN2011
Contact: Maj. Kevin McNamara Duty Phone: 412-523-1478 Email: ESC316PAOFTS@usar.army.mil
MEDIA RELEASE:
Local Army Reserve Brigade Prepares for Deployment
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ (Jan. 24, 2011)
– Over 200 Army Reserve Soldiers from New Jersey, New York and
Pennsylvania participated in a deployment ceremony here yesterday.
The 77th Sustainment Brigade is the last U.S. Army Reserve
sustainment brigade scheduled to deploy to the Iraq theater of
operations. Called Operation New Dawn as of Sep-tember 2010, the
77th will be handling all logistical support for the units currently
in theater. Sustainment and support operations consist of providing
food, fuel, ammunition, transportation and other logistical support
to forces still serving in Iraq.
The ceremony was hosted by Brigade Commander Col. Stephen J.
Falcone and Bri-gade Command Sgt. Maj. Nagee Lunde. The reviewing
officer was Brig. Gen. Peter S. Len-non, 316th Sustainment Command
(Expeditionary) Commander. The 77SB is one of seven brigades that
make up the 316th ESC. Headquartered at Joint Base
McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, the 77SB has been training here
since Sept. 2010.
The 77SB traces it’s roots to the former 77th Infantry
Division which fought valiantly in World War I and World War II.
Known as the “liberty warriors”, the 77th continues the historical
legacy of the division by wearing the “Statue of Liberty” patch on
the left sleeve.
During yesterdays’ ceremony, Falcone said, “The intent of
today's ceremony is to show Families and Soldiers that we’re in a
phase in our mobilization and deployment where we’re now saying
goodbye. We are saying goodbye to Family and friends and casing our
colors.” As part of the ceremony, the 77th cased their historical
colors for all to see. The colors will be un-cased upon arrival in
theater.
Falcone, a native of Massachusetts, is a civilian employee of
the Department of the Air Force at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass. He
is deploying to Iraq for
the first time. He was commissioned through
the Army ROTC program at the University of Rhode Island in 1983. He
is a graduate of the U.S. Army Signal Officer basic and advanced
courses. He also completed Command and General Staff College.
The ceremony was attended by over 200 Family Members and
friends. Congressman Jon Runyan, (R-Mount Laurel) of New Jerseys’
third congressional district also spoke. Runyan represents Joint
Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in the U.S. House of Representatives. He
is a member of the House Armed Services and Veteran Affairs
Committees. Other attendees in-cluded Maj. Gen. Glenn K. Reith,
Adjutant General of the New Jersey National Guard and Col.(P) Gina
Grosso, Commander, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and 87th Air
Base Wing .
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ —Col. Stephen Falcon (left)
rolls up the 77 SB unit colors in prepa-ration for movement to Iraq.
Falcon is assisted by Brig. Gen. Peter S. Lennon, Commander, 316th
ESC as the col-ors are about to be cased. (Photo by Sgt. Allyson J.
Parla, 316th ESC HQ’s Public Affairs Office)
Story and Photos by Sgt. Allyson J. Parla
*Headquartered in Coraopolis, Pa., the 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC) has command and control of seven major subordinate commands (MSCs) and two direct reporting units (DRU) that com-prise a total of 120 units with approximately 10,000 soldiers. The stateside mission of the 316th ESC is to provide command and control of Army Reserve combat service support units (logistics). When deployed, the headquarters provides command and control of sustainment units for a combatant theater commander. The 316th ESC was the first modular logistics command sustainment deployed to a combat zone when it deployed to Iraq in 2007-2008. The 316th ESC commands all Army Reserve logistical units from Virginia to Maine. In 2009, the 316th was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation (MUC) for distinguished service in the Iraqi theater of operations.