Wichita-based U.S. Army reserve soldiers to deploy to Kuwait

A Wichita-based U.S. Army Reserve unit is preparing for its first overseas deployment in 2016.

The 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command was activated in Wichita in September 2011 and is one of eight ESCs that operate within the reserves.

What does an ESC do?

It makes sure that the troops in the field have adequate supplies and that those supplies are delivered safely to the troops – rations, ammunition, fuel and other necessities.

Essentially, the 451st will provide logistical support for Army troops in the Middle East while it is deployed in Kuwait.

It’s responsible for logistics operations through the Central Command’s “area of responsibility,” which includes soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, Egypt and similar areas, said Brig. Gen. Gerard Schwartz, who commands the 451st.

The 451st Army reserve soldiers were in Salina on Saturday to receive their weapons qualifications, certifying that they can fire a gun accurately and safely. It’s an annual requirement for all Army reserve soldiers, even though some, like the 451st, are primarily based in a headquarters setting.

The unit has to go through multiple training sessions to prepare for their early spring deployment, and it will be traveling to California and Texas to be trained by First Army and the 75th Training Command, organizations that help prepare Army reserve soldiers for deployments.

“The American people obviously take care of us really well,” Schwartz said. “We have to make sure that ... that money’s spent well and that we get the supplies and the food to the soldiers the way it’s designed to be.”

Schwartz and other ranking officers in the unit expressed optimism on Saturday about the upcoming nine-month deployment.

“I have great confidence in this unit and the people that are in it, and I know we’ll be ready,” Schwartz said.

This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Wichita-based U.S. Army reserve soldiers to deploy to Kuwait."