Commanders: US Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center is Excellent Planning Tool

By Capt. Kalen Arreola
79th SSC PAO

As we head into the new year, planning becomes one of the focuses of every command, commander, Soldier and Civilian staff member. To make things easier for the leader in all of us, the US Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center website is chock full of new resources.

Commanders can instill the value of safety and preparedness by downloading free presentations, administering safety courses and more.

Maj. Gen. William Frink, commander, 79th SSC, has seen firsthand the value of the site when he attended a conference last fall. He said he hopes that all commanders are aware of the tool and use it to plan and execute missions going forward.

Take a look at the site and see what great tools you can dig up:

We Are Official: Activation Ceremony Held at JFTB

Maj. Gen. William D. Frink Jr., right, and Command Sgt. Maj. Robert N. Roberson Jr. unfurl the flag of the 79th United States Army Reserve Sustainment Support Command at the Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos. When fully staffed, the headquarters will employ close to 200 people including full-time Army Reserve soldiers, drilling Reserve soldiers, and civilian support staff. U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Tracy Ellingsen

The 79th United States Army Reserve Sustainment Support Command will be the headquarters for more than 20,000 Army Reserve soldiers across 14 Western states that specialize in combat sustainment support.

On October 1, the command will take leadership of units in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Their mission includes supporting troops with transportation, medical support, finance, and administration, to name a few.

“Our 79th family consists of soldiers, civilian employees, family members, contractors, and community members working together to improve and sustain the lives of our soldiers so they can concentrate on their duties,” said Maj. Gen. William D. Frink Jr., commander of the 79th.

When fully staffed, the command headquarters will employ close to 200 people including full-time Army Reserve soldiers, drilling Reserve soldiers, and civilian support staff. Many of the full-time soldiers and civilians and their families live in the local community.

The new command is planned to have four subordinate, deployable units under it, called expeditionary sustainment commands. When deployed, these commands will provide support to fellow units in countries throughout the world.

It carries its lineage from the 79th Infantry Division, which fought in the Meuse-Argonne area of France in World War I and took part in the invasion of Normandy in World War II.

Members of Shura Council Visit to Discuss Islam

Kalen Arreola

79th SSC PAO

Every Army unit is required to complete equal opportunity training of some kind at least semi-annually, but it’s not often the training causes a buzz amongst a room full of Soldiers.

January’s training; however, has created quite a positive stir, and is just the beginning of a long-lasting relationship with the Army Reserve and the Islamic community in Southern California.

“It’s important that as Soldiers and citizens of the United States, we are cognizant and understanding of one another’s culture,” said Maj. Aaron Wilkes, equal opportunity advisor, 79th SSC.

Wilkes said he wanted to bring in a guest speaker who could fill in the gaps between true Islamic faith and negative stereotypes.

Army Reserve Soldiers called up for deployments are expected to work hand-in-hand with local people, and many of them are practicing Muslims.

Mr. Shakeel Syed, executive director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, spoke about Islamic faith and practices. He represents the more than 500,000 Muslims living in Southern California.

“I came by choice to the United States because it’s the only country in the world that welcomes any type of person from anywhere in the world,” said Syed, who was born and raised in India.

His work in the community crosses all faiths, and he stressed the importance of every person understanding other religious beliefs so there are no negative consequences due to ignorance.

Syed explained how prayer rugs and other objects are used during Islamic practices, the five pillars of Islam, and the five prayers performed by Muslims every day. Syed also explained the similarities and differences between Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

“It is critical that we learn about different cultures and understand the environment we are operating in from a military perspective,” said Wilkes. “We need to be astute, and aware of cultural differences we may encounter.”

Wilkes pointed out that Soldiers are often called on to perform in various jobs overseas, not knowing when they’ll be working hand-in-hand with people of Islamic faith.

“U.S. citizens have an awesome collective responsibility and opportunity to be able to undo those [negative] myths,” said Syed.