FORT HOOD, Texas — Braving the heat and humidity, Soldiers from the 4th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), teamed up with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment to prepare and move equipment and vehicles for the Brave Rifles’ upcoming deployment in support of Operation New Dawn.

“We’ve been out here since day one,” said Sgt. Michael Matusiak, with the 602nd Maintenance Company, 553rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. “We have been providing maintenance support, safety, traffic control, and anything else it takes to make sure these vehicles get on the trains.”

Several units from the 4th Sust. Bde. provided support operations from July 7 through July 21 to move approximately 750 pieces of equipment from motor pools to the railhead, where the equipment will be taken to the Port of Beaumont for transportation to Iraq.

Soldiers from the 3rd ACR, who are preparing to deploy later this summer, will spend a year in Iraq supporting Operation New Dawn. Their equipment will travel to the Port of Beaumont on four trains.

“The Wrangler Brigade often provides support for deploying units,” Matusiak said. “We are experienced with helping them move equipment and supporting them as far as vehicle maintenance. Basically we do whatever needs to be done.”

As the Brave Rifles moved their vehicles to the deployment readiness reaction field for inspection, Wrangler Brigade Soldiers helped direct traffic. The 4th Sust. Bde. also provided the equipment needed to load everything on the trains after the vehicles were moved to the railhead.

Soldiers from the 4th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), helped support the troops of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment as they prepared their vehicles for inspection July 19 at Fort Hood, Texas prior to the equipment’s movement to the Port of Beaumont for shipment to Iraq. The 3rd ACR Soldiers are deploying later this summer in support of Operation New Dawn. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Amy M. Lane)