Afghan surge, Iraq exit pose logistic challenge

Afghan surge, Iraq exit pose logistic challenge
By Matthew Cox - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Dec 20, 2009 11:42:48 EST

The task before Army logistics gurus managing the drawdown in Iraq just got more complicated. In the midst of counting, collecting and shipping equipment home from Iraq, they are now scrambling to support the surge of thousands of fresh troops headed to Afghanistan.

For the past seven months, planners in Iraq and Kuwait have been sorting through millions of pieces of military equipment, identifying what will go home and what will be left behind in preparation for the December 2011 pullout of U.S. troops.

The game dramatically changed Dec. 1 when President Barack Obama announced his plan to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. Now, the priority for the next few months will be to pull serviceable engineer equipment, mine-resistant vehicles and communications equipment out of Iraq and ship it to Afghanistan.

“Equipment has already started moving to Afghanistan,” Third Army spokesman Col. Jerry O’Hara told Army Times. “Frankly, Third Army had anticipated the increase of forces to Operation Enduring Freedom. I’m not going to say it’s not going to be a challenge.”

Citing security concerns, O’Hara wouldn’t get into specifics on the amount of war materiel being sent from Iraq to Afghanistan, but said it would be “vast amounts of wheeled equipment and communications and support equipment.”


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/12/army_moving_gear_121909w/