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Co. A, 209th ASB Keeps Units Supplied

By Spc. Daniel Bearl  

As Soldiers in Multination Division-North go about their day-to-day duties, an unseen group of fellow service members works day and night to make the mission possible.

Sgt. Doraine McPherson, the turn-in noncommissioned officer in charge with Company A, 209th Aviation Support Battalion, packages items at the Supply Support Activity, Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq. The Soldiers at the SSA run a 24-hour operation to handle supply requisitions for over seven battalions in Northern Iraq.

The little-thought-of supplies that make the fight possible are part of a multimillion-dollar logistics operation that is the lifeblood of the war effort, and someone has to be responsible for ordering, tracking and delivering the vital equipment.

That's where Company A, 209th Aviation Support Battalion comes in.

From food to office supplies to vehicle parts, the Soldiers at the company's warehouse at Contingency Operating Base Speicher handle supply requests from over seven battalions operating in Iraq and Kuwait.

"We're like the combat Wal-Mart," said Warrant Officer Dempster Upshaw, from Company A, 209th ASB. "What you can get at Wal-Mart, you can get here."

Pfc. Frank Mitchell, a fork lift operator with Company A, 209th Aviation Support Battalion, moves palettes at the Supply Support Activity on Contingency Operating Base Speicher. The SSA handles supply orders for over 200 customers within Multinational Division-North, in Northern Iraq.

But handling that variety and volume of supplies presents its own problems and challenges.

"One of the biggest challenges is getting the right part to the customer," Upshaw said. "We track supplies from when the customer places the order, to getting it shipped from the U.S. to Iraq to when you're sitting at your desk and you sign the hand receipt for your new supplies."

And with as many as 50,000 requisitions coming from over 200 customers every day, it can get difficult, Upshaw said.

Another challenge faced by the company is the storage of supplies.

Spc. Matina Rogers, an automated logistics supply specialist, and Spc. Liliana Soto, a logistics specialist, both with Company A, 209th Aviation Support Battalion, inspect an incoming shipment for accuracy and defects at the Supply Support Activity on Contingency Operating Base Speicher. The SSA receives and distributes over $50 million of supplies to units in Multinational Division-North each day.

"We have to make sure it's stored properly so that it's protected from the elements," Upshaw said. "So when the costumer gets it, it works."

"There's a big difference between working here and in the rear," said Sgt. Missy Maye, the company's warehouse storage noncommissioned officer in charge. "In the rear we don't stock nearly as many lines. Over here it's quadrupled."

The care of the stored supplies is even more important when you take into account their value, Upshaw said.

"When I see parts like this [helicopter] engine here, I see money," Upshaw said.

Spc. Lakisha Long, a stock control clerk, and Sgt. Lazarus Cromartie, the warehouse assistant noncommissioned officer in charge, both with Company A, 209th Aviation Support Battalion, review the supply control system at the Supply Support Activity on Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq. Their warehouse stocks many classes of supplies from food items to complete aircraft engines.

With about $70 million worth of supplies at his main warehouse alone, and with as much as $50 million worth of equipment and supplies moving through every day, Upshaw has a lot to keep track of and take care of.

That takes dedication and drive.

"Sometimes you'll see me with a little shadow," Upshaw said, motioning at his jaw line. "I'm here that much. I live here and work here."

Fortunately, he doesn't have to handle the load on his own.

"I have outstanding NCOs and Soldiers," Upshaw said. "Sergeants and Soldiers are what make this place run."

So as the troops continue to fight in the Global War on Terror, the Soldiers of Company A, 209th ASB will continue to keep them supplied.

"We do it with integrity," Upshaw said. "I'm not going to let my Soldiers fall. I'm not going to let the Army down."

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