080 S05 Ep 01 – How to Sustain the Brigade Fight in Large Scale Combat Operations w/Three Senior Sustainers

The Crucible - The JRTC Experience Podcast

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the eightieth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Task Force Senior for the Leader Training Program, LTC Drew Zabriskie on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are two senior sustainers, LTC Bruce Roett & LTC Daniel Belzer. LTC Bruce Roett is the Task Force Senior for TF Sustainment (BSB / CSSB). LTC Daniel Belzer is the Commander of 526th Light Support Battalion of 2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

The 526th Light Support Battalion, formerly known as the 526th Brigade Support Battalion, is a vital sustainment unit within the 101st Airborne Division, providing logistical and operational support to ensure combat effectiveness. With a history dating back to its inception in World War II, the battalion has evolved alongside modern military needs, transitioning from traditional support roles to a lighter, more agile sustainment structure. Over decades of service, the 526th has supported operations in conflicts such as World War II, Iraq, and Afghanistan, consistently demonstrating its capability to adapt and provide critical logistical support under diverse and challenging conditions. They have the Hollywood call-sign of “Performance” and the brigade’s motto of “Best by Performance.”

In this episode we discuss on the logistical challenges and best practices encountered during operations at the JRTC. The focus centers on the experiences of leaders managing sustainment functions in a Brigade Support Battalion (BSB) or Logistics Support Battalion (LSB) and in a Combat Sustainment Support Battalion or Division Sustainment Support Battalion. Key lessons learned include the critical importance of proactive terrain management, the need to decentralize base clusters for survivability, and leveraging innovative practices like additive manufacturing for rapid repair and supply replenishment. The episode highlights the necessity of balancing mobility with operational needs, emphasizing modular approaches to sustainment and security while managing resource constraints.

At the company and platoon leadership levels, a recurring theme is the requirement for clear communication, disciplined planning, and adaptive execution. Leaders must ensure small-unit proficiency in tasks like logistics planning, convoy operations, and decentralized sustainment support, particularly under high-stress, resource-limited conditions. The discussions stress the importance of rehearsing operations extensively, building redundancy into communication and logistics plans, and maintaining flexibility to respond to dynamic enemy actions and environmental factors. These insights collectively underscore the complexity and criticality of sustainment operations in large-scale combat scenarios.

Due to operational security concerns this is the “cut edition” made for the general public. For the “uncut edition,” please checkout our MilSuite and Microsoft Teams’ channels.

Part of S05 “Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids, Batteries, Water, & Fuel” series.

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“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.