A group of Soldiers assigned to the 18th Financial Support Center gathered outside the 1st Theater Sustainment Command Headquarters, Oct. 5, for a deployment ceremony hosted by Maj. Gen. Michel M. Russell Sr., commanding general, 1st TSC.

The team, led by director Col. Kevin Pierce and Sgt. Maj. Stephanie Ellis, senior enlisted advisor, 18th FISC, will support U.S. Army Central and the 1st TSC by providing cash management, internal controls, accounting, automation, and technical oversight for all the Army’s deployed financial management support units and their subordinate detachments operating in the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility while deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

Soldiers assigned to the 18th FISC will reconcile accounts, clear unmatched transactions, and adjudicate unliquidated obligations. They will also coordinate training with partnered Reserve FISCs as part of the U.S. Army Reserve Command Total Force Policy Partnership.

The Soldiers also excelled during their 8-week pre-deployment training, achieving a rare 100% clean sheet during their July 2022 validating mission rehearsal exercise conducted by the U.S. Army Financial Management Command from Indianapolis.

The commanding general offered words of encouragement to the deploying troops, remarking “You are absolutely ready for this assignment. You have been trained, tested, and passed with flying colors.

“Only you can do your job, accounting for and moving millions of dollars across 21 countries throughout the USCENTCOM AOR,” he added.

Russell then addressed the assembled family members, stressing that leaders here at the main command post are here for them if they need anything. He then asked each of them to stand as he identified the battalion commander, sergeant major, company commander and first sergeant.

“If you need anything at all, contact the special troops battalion chain of command and they will take care of anything that you require,” Russell said.

He also thanked the family members of the deploying Soldiers for their sacrifices as they take on all the duties required to run a household by themselves.

After the ceremony, Russell and Command Sgt. Maj. Albert E. Richardson Jr., senior enlisted advisor, 1st TSC, spoke to Soldiers from the 18th FISC, shook their hands, and wished them well as they prepare for their time serving at the operational command post at Camp Arifjan.

The Soldiers will return to Fort Knox and their families in the spring of 2023.

The 1st TSC provides sustainment mission command and executes anticipatory operational-level sustainment support to Army, Joint, Interagency, and Multinational Forces; sets the theater; and conducts theater security cooperation within the USCENTCOM AOR in order to enable unified land operations in support of Combatant Command directives.

They provide sustainment to USCENTCOM and USARCENT for all U.S. Army forces in the USCENTCOM AOR, to include Combined Joint Task Force – Iraq, and Task Force Sinai in Egypt. The 1st TSC also coordinates with USARCENT to produce military plans, improve relationships and interoperability with partner nations through exercises, and facilitate the seamless transition of joint forces in and out of the theater.