Chicago-based Illinois National Guard Brigade Returns Home from Kuwait

SPRINGFIELD, IL (10/25/2014)(readMedia)-- CHICAGO – More than 200 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers who served in Kuwait returned home to their families today. Homecoming ceremonies for the 108th Sustainment Brigade were held Oct. 25 in Bridgeview, Illinois and Springfield, Illinois.

The 108th, led by Col. Drew Dukett of Roodhouse, Illinois, and Command Sgt. Maj. John Burns Benld, Illinois, deployed to Kuwait in January. Most were headquartered at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, while several Soldiers served in other locations throughout the region.

In Kuwait, the 108th provided mission command and conducted logistical support operations, including Army watercraft, finance, human resources, land transportation, contract oversight and U.S. Army postal operations in support of the servicemembers and civilians serving in the Central Command area of operation.

Along with sustainment support on multiple military installations, the 108th supported retrograde operations from Afghanistan, moving more than 51,000 pieces of rolling and non-rolling stock out of Afghanistan during the deployment. The 108th provided postal operations, financial and administrative support to servicemembers and contractors in Iraq, as well as assisting with humanitarian aid and preparing bundles for air drops in Iraq. The brigade also conducted more than 50 key-leader engagements with its counterparts in the Kuwait National Guard, Kuwait Naval Force and Kuwait Ministry of the Interior.

The 108th provided theater mission support to major commands across the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, including support to the Kuwait Navy. It managed 31 different units ranging from active duty, Army Reserves and Army National Guard during its 10 months in theater. The brigade managed the Theater Gateway along with joint reception, staging, onward movement and integration of servicemembers and civilian contactors flowing through Kuwait.

The108th Special Troops Battalion, which deployed as part of the brigade, played a role in the 108th's sustainment mission throughout the Arabian Peninsula and provided all internal support and medical operations within the brigade.

Led by Lt. Col. Ron A. Jeanblanc of Athens, Illinois, and Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Ramirez of Jacksonville, Florida, the battalion oversaw as many as 25 subordinate units with about 700 Soldiers. The unit was based in Kuwait and included elements in Qatar, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Afghanistan and Iraq.

The battalion also assumed accountability for financial operations in Afghanistan, overseeing more than $600 million in financial transactions and more than 220 financial missions throughout the Middle East. It oversaw the processing of close to five million pounds of mail flowing into and out of theater, representing approximately 400,000 individual pieces of mail. The battalion also established the first Army Post Office in Iraq since 2011. Additionally, the unit oversaw the Theater Gateway accounting for more than 100,000 people traveling in and out of theater.

As the higher headquarters for Army watercraft, the battalion oversaw more than 90 watercraft missions including the transportation of more than 7 million tons of cargo across 75,000 nautical miles.

The Soldiers trained for a brief time at Fort Hood, Texas, before deploying overseas for about 10 months. In preparation for the deployment, the unit participated in training exercises at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and the Illinois National Guard's Marseilles Training Center.

The 108th includes Soldiers from throughout Illinois, with a large concentration of Soldiers from Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Officially opened in 1941, the unit's armory is on the city's northwest side.