Maj. Gen. Flem “Donnie” Walker, Jr., commanding general, 1st Theater Sustainment Command (TSC), visited the Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas, Aug. 23, to check the progress of rebuilding critical sustainment support vehicles.

Walker began his visit with a meeting with Red River Army Depot Commander Col. Stephen M. York. They discussed how the 1st TSC currently has three Heavy Equipment Transport (HET) vehicles at the facility and nine more are on the way. Ten of the HET vehicles will deploy to the United States Central Command area of responsibility (USCENTCOM) to sustain combat operations, while the other two will go to United States Army Forces Command to offset Army equipment shortages.

Following discussions with York, Walker spent his time talking to and thanking the employees, rewarding 11 highly motivated and skilled personnel with the 1st TSC command coin. He learned several of the employees working on the HETs have family members deployed to the USCENTCOM region.

 The HET reset is part of a larger initiative called The Enduring Equipment Set, or E2S. This will enable uninterrupted logistical support to the warfighter where they deploy.
“Establishing an Enduring Equipment Set forward in the CENTCOM AOR postures USARCENT with a Table of Distribution and Allowances authorization that is validated and resourced in the Program Objective Memorandum to properly sustain it over the long term,” Maj. Gen. Walker said.

Before completion of the tour, Walker also received a tour of the Rough Terrain Container Handler (RTCH) production area. A RTCH is a military unique integration of commercial components, a modified commercial truck composed of parts from a Caterpillar model 988B wheel loader and a CAT model AH60. These are the next set of equipment scheduled for rebuilding under E2S.

With E2S, 1st TSC is focusing on modernization to provide Soldiers and units the unmatched lethality in order to win our nations wars and come home safely.
According to The United States Army chief of staff, Gen. Mark Milley values readiness as one of his top three priorities.

"Our fundamental task is like no other – it is to win in the unforgiving crucible of ground combat," Milley wrote. "We must ensure the Army remains ready as the world's premier combat force. Readiness for ground combat is – and will remain – the U.S. Army's #1 priority."

Walker also spoke about the importance of having readiness equipment that continues to endure over time.