Weeks before the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team left for training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, earlier this year, the unit undertook an even more daunting task.

It was the first brigade in the active Army to receive a new logistics system that will eventually permeate across the force.

The brigade's several weeks at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk in the spring was a crash course on the new system, known as the Global Combat Support System - Army.

Earlier this month, the brigade's logistical leaders shared what they learned with other Fort Bragg units that are set to transition to the system in the near future.

Lt. Col. Pete Gilbert, commander of the 307th Brigade Support Battalion, said the May 19 event was meant to help prepare six brigades for GCSS-A by sharing 1st Brigade's challenges and how they were overcome.

"We learned a tremendous amount," Gilbert said. "This is just the start of a collaborate effort with groups on Fort Bragg.“

Embracing the system

Gilbert said the key was unit leadership embracing the new logistical system, which replaces up to eight other programs to create a unified system for logistical management.

Bringing all that information together into one place was "hectic," Gilbert said, especially doing so in the field.

But ultimately, he said, the Army would be better off with the new program.

"We're building the airplane while in flight, but it only makes sense," Gilbert said.

The symposium included brigade, 18th Airborne Corps and Army leadership.

Lt. Col. Christopher Romero, project manager for the GCCS-A, praised the 1st Brigade for being the first active-duty unit to adopt the new system.

He called the GCCS-A the most significant logistics transformation the Army has undertaken.

The goal is to create one system that streamlines the decision-making process, allowing leaders to see the big picture and allowing for wiser choices.

"It's challenging to say the least," said Harold Whittington, who works with Romero.

And 1st Brigade is helping to smooth those challenges for future units, an important step given the program is still so new that even the most experienced users are still learning it.

"There's a lot of homework," Whittington said. "There is no expert team to help.“

Col. Trevor Bredenkamp, who commanded the 1st Brigade until Thursday, said the adoption was an enormous undertaking.

He cautioned other units to take it seriously and include the program on the brigade's training schedule.

"It needs to be operationalized," he said. "If it's not a priority for the organization, then it's not going to happen.“

Officials said it will take three to five years for GCCS-A to be fielded across the Army.