by Sgt. Connie Jones, U.S. Army National Guard
Specialist Joel Ashcraft of West Harrison County is currently deployed with 184th Sustainment Command to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, as a visual information equipment operator-maintainer. In this role, he is responsible for installing, operating, maintaining and performing maintenance on visual information equipment and systems within the 1st Theater Sustainment Command’s area of responsibility. During his rotation, Ashcraft also completed the U.S. Army’s Basic Leader Course at Camp Beuhring, Kuwait.
The 184th Sustainment Command assumed responsibility of daily sustainment operations throughout the Middle East in December of 2018.
The unit serves as the operational command post for the Ft. Knox-based 1st Theater Sustainment Command and manages the day-to-day sustainment operations theater wide.
The area of responsibility includes 20 countries, with four ongoing U.S. military operations, covering 4.5 million square miles, 550 million people, and 22 ethnic groups speaking 18 different languages.
The 1st TSC supplies everything from food, water and medicine to vehicles and repair parts so warfighters can accomplish their mission. They manage the ports, flights, and customs points needed to keep people and equipment moving 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They also legal support as well as support in the areas of financial management, human resources, humanitarian aid distribution, host-nation engagements, and medical care for troops and civilians within the command.
The unit is expected to return later this year.