# Log Barn makes U.S. Special Forces mission possible



## Ravage (Apr 21, 2011)

http://www.soc.mil/UNS/Releases/2011/April/110420-01.html

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (Courtesy of  CJFSOTF-A MOC, April 20,  2011) – United States Special Forces Operational  Detachments Alpha  operate in some of the most remote locations of Afghanistan.  The narrow  valleys and mountaintops make constant access to these locations   extremely difficult.

         Despite the rough terrain SF ODAs require constant resupply of  the basics such  as ammo, food, water and clothing. The Logistics Barn,  referred to as the Log  Barn for short, out of Camp Montrond, Bagram  Airfield, keep the supplies  rolling in so that operations can continue.

         “Without the Log Barn the ODAs mission will ultimately fail,”  said Staff Sgt.  Nathan Edwards, the service detachment non-commissioned  officer in charge for  Headquarters Support Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd  Special Forces Group.  “Everything they need or want comes through the  Log Barn.”

         Over the past year the Log Barn has moved approximately nine  million pounds of  supplies and equipment to the ODAs operating in  forward locations throughout  Special Operations Task Force – East.  Approximately half million to a million  pounds are shipped each month.

         First, the request for supplies or equipment is sent up to the  supply sergeant  on Camp Montrond by the USSF Soldiers on the ground in  dozens of locations  within the eastern and northern provinces. The  supply sergeant then  requisitions the items from the proper channels,  either locally or from back in  the states. Lastly, the supplies are  then packaged and shipped out to their  ultimate destination by the Log  Barn.

         Supplies are moved by either ground or air out of Bagram  Airfield depending on  what is being moved and how difficult it is to  reach the destination.

         “The preferred method is always by ground,” said Edwards. 

         The typical convoy employs local truckers to move the items to  their  destination in what the Soldiers stationed in Afghanistan  affectionately refer  to as “jingle trucks,” due to the grandiose and  colorful decorations that adorn  them.

         However, some items require an armed escort to make sure they  arrive at their  destination safely; in these occasions the Log Barn  employs the Tactical Fleet  Logistical Escort of which Edwards is a  member.

         “When the ODA can’t come and pick the item up, the TACFLE will bring it to  them,” said Edwards.

         Through the Log Barn, USSF have a reliable and capable means of  getting their  need for basic supplies fulfilled, however not every  request is as mundane as  beans and bullets. A special request for items  like a barbecue grill and steaks  keeps morale high and improves the  quality of life at the sites where amenities  are minimal, if not  non-existent.

         “No request is unusual or impossible to us,” said Edwards. “With  the high level  of training and responsibility that the ODAs have,  whatever they want [if  validated] , they deserve it and they will get  it.”







> A C-130 Hercules airdrops supplies into Forward Operating Base Todd,  Bala Murghab district, Badghis province, Afghanistan, April 14. (Photo  by Staff Sgt. Michael Zimmerman, CJFSOTF-MOC)


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## surgicalcric (Apr 21, 2011)

Its the men who make Special Forces missions possible, not the Log Barn; I assure you.

While the Log Barn serves a purpose, it is nothing which should be, IMNSHO, considered  news or worthy of praise for that matter...but that's just me.

Next thing ya know there will be a story "S1 makes US Special Forces missions possible" by assuring soldiers get paid on time thus alleviating the worry associated with "no pay due" notices allowing them to concentrate on the ridiculous reporting requirements...


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## DA SWO (Apr 21, 2011)

surgicalcric said:


> Its the men who make Special Forces missions possible, not the Log Barn; I assure you.
> 
> While the Log Barn serves a purpose, it is nothing which should be, IMNSHO, considered news or worthy of praise for that matter...but that's just me.
> 
> Next thing ya know there will be a story "S1 makes US Special Forces missions possible" by assuring soldiers get paid on time thus alleviating the worry associated with "no pay due" notices allowing them to concentrate on the ridiculous reporting requirements...



1st-Probably a slow week; so they needed a story an this was easy.
2nd- Story says anything is GTG (if validated).  I take the  'if valadated" statement to mean three levels of officers have to approve any "non-standard" request?


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## surgicalcric (Apr 21, 2011)

SOWT said:


> 1st-Probably a slow week; so they needed a story an this was easy.
> 2nd- Story says anything is GTG (if validated).  I take the  'if valadated" statement to mean three levels of officers have to approve any "non-standard" request?



If there is no news to report (slow week) then there is NSTR.

"If validated" means the approving authority decides if the ODA needs what is being requisitioned based on "their" experience(s) or whether they can sift a few of item "X" off the order to plus up the G/BSCs need to have whiz bang gear.  Or at least that has been my "experience;" OEMV...

Crip


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## x SF med (Apr 21, 2011)

I think I should take one of those contract logistics positions I've seen....  I'll make sure my Teams get their shit.


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## AWP (Apr 21, 2011)

At the risk of drawing fire, this is typical Service Det chest thumping. You'd think that the BSC was nothing more than the Service Det and a few orphans from other MOS'.

LOL, back in 2005 my guys would take small boxes of fruit and cereal to some ODAs because the loggies couldn't find a way to place resupply on the ring flights; we did that as a favor to one of the LNOs. Where is your Log Barn now?

The Service Det....LOL


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## Ravage (Apr 22, 2011)

So if I'm getting this right, the article is about logistics guys adding super hero idiology to their work ?


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## pardus (Apr 22, 2011)

No Rav, it's highlighting that all SF do when they're deployed is sit around BBQing


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## Ravage (Apr 22, 2011)

That sounds pretty nice to me :)


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## Rapid (Apr 25, 2011)

Personally, I 'liked' this thread because I appreciate the time Ravage spends on posting all these news bits (in general). That being said, I agree that the actual news story isn't terribly interesting.


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