Defense logistics agency issue - KMI Media Group
Defense logistics agency issue - KMI Media Group
Defense logistics agency issue - KMI Media Group
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Q: In terms of the equipment that came out of Iraq, how much is<br />
still in Kuwait?<br />
A: We started the big drawdown last year when the president [gave<br />
orders on] October 21, and we were done by December 18—about 58<br />
days. During that time, we’ve been clearing out all that gear. Our last<br />
vehicle left on March 25, was loaded on the ship out of Kuwait and<br />
headed back to the States. We just made a video news clip of it being<br />
offloaded at the Port of Beaumont, Texas, and then transported to its<br />
final destination—the 1st Cavalry Museum at Fort Hood.<br />
Of the total pieces, we moved well over 4,900 pieces of rolling<br />
stock, [which were] out of Kuwait in less than 100 days. We had<br />
some very great systems in line from the Army Materiel Command<br />
[AMC] and the <strong>Defense</strong> Logistics Agency [DLA], so we’re able to<br />
account for the items here in theater. Everything that came out of<br />
Iraq has been shipped to CONUS or incorporated into other stocks.<br />
12 | MLF 6.5<br />
The 1st Sustainment Command<br />
(Theater) was a focal point<br />
for the smooth retrograde of people<br />
and equipment from Iraq. That<br />
success and the lessons learned<br />
are being used as a model for planning<br />
the Afghanistan drawdown.<br />
In the October 2011 <strong>issue</strong> of Military<br />
Logistics Forum, we had the<br />
chance to sit down with Major General<br />
Kenneth Dowd and talk about<br />
the elements of the command that<br />
came together to get the job done.<br />
As Dowd prepares to leave 1TSC<br />
for his new job as the director of<br />
<strong>logistics</strong> operations for the <strong>Defense</strong><br />
Logistics Agency, we wanted to do<br />
an exit interview of sorts to see<br />
where the command will go from<br />
here and how his experiences have<br />
prepared him for DLA.<br />
Major General Kenneth S. Dowd is the commander<br />
of the 1st Sustainment Command (Theater).<br />
He was commissioned through the ROTC program<br />
upon graduation from Cumberland College,<br />
Williamsburg, Ky., in 1979. His military education<br />
includes the Quartermaster Basic and Advanced<br />
Course, Logistics Executive Development Course,<br />
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Armed Forces Staff College<br />
and the U.S. Army War College. In addition, he holds a master’s degree<br />
in <strong>logistics</strong> management from the Florida Institute of Technology.<br />
Dowd has served in numerous command and staff positions throughout<br />
his career. His assignments include: commander, 299th Forward Support<br />
Battalion, Schweinfurt, Germany (with operational deployment to<br />
Bosnia); chief, Logistics Operation Center, and DA DCSLOG, Washington,<br />
D.C.; commander of the 1st Armored Division Support Command (with<br />
combat deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom); assistant<br />
deputy chief of staff for <strong>logistics</strong>, U.S. Army Europe, and the executive<br />
officer to the Army G4; director of <strong>logistics</strong>, engineering and security assistance,<br />
U.S. Pacific Command, Camp Smith, Hawaii; director for <strong>logistics</strong>,<br />
U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., where he directed all<br />
<strong>logistics</strong> and engineering planning and operations in support of Operations<br />
Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. While there, he led the development<br />
and planning for the significant and historical <strong>logistics</strong> efforts that<br />
the 1st Sustainment Command (Theater).<br />
Dowd’s awards and decorations include the <strong>Defense</strong> Superior Service<br />
Medal, Legion of Merit with one Oak Leaf Cluster, <strong>Defense</strong> Meritorious<br />
Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters,<br />
Army Commendation Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Army<br />
Achievement medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters.<br />
The job has been completed. As you know, during the first Gulf War, all<br />
that accounting was done back in CONUS, so pushing this capability<br />
forward allowed us greater efficiency and effectiveness in retrograding,<br />
redeploying or reposturing all U.S. property and equipment here.<br />
Q: Geography is the biggest obvious difference between retrograde<br />
from Afghanistan versus that in Iraq. That being said, how will the<br />
system processes that were so successful coming out of Iraq and<br />
Kuwait work in the Afghanistan scenario?<br />
A: We had a couple of ROC [rehearsal of concept] drills earlier this<br />
spring in which we highlighted the requirements for this drawdown<br />
effort and were able to take lessons learned and apply them<br />
to Afghanistan. As you know, Afghanistan is landlocked, and the<br />
PAKGLOC [Pakistan ground lines of communications] is closed right<br />
now.<br />
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