Email   Print   Share By Capt. Monika Comeaux, 13th ESC Public Affairs

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Command Sgt. Maj. Terry Parham, the command sergeant major for Deputy Command of Support Operations under NTM-A and the 13th ESC, talks with recently deployed members of the 49th MCB from Fort Hood at the Koehle Dining Facility at Bagram Air Base July 18. The 49th falls under the 13th at their home station, but is under a different chain of command in Afghanistan. Capt. Monika Comeaux, 13th ESC Public Affairs

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - The command team for the Deputy Command of Support Operations for NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan and the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) had breakfast with members of the 49th Movement Control Battalion July 17.

Brig. Gen. Clark LeMasters Jr. and Command Sgt. Maj. Terry Parham want to make sure that they reach out to Soldiers who fall under their command back at Fort Hood.

The leaders welcomed the Wranglers in theater, shared a few words of wisdom with them and explained how missions differ in Afghanistan.

LeMasters told Soldiers to make the most of being at one of the best-equipped base camps in Afghanistan, urging them to better themselves both physically and mentally so they can remain competitive in the Army.

“One of my old sergeants major used to say that you can do one of two things in the Army; you can get right sized or you can get downsized,” LeMasters said. “If you don’t think about education and professional development, you can get downsized.

“You have a great opportunity here,” the general continued. “You have an eight-mile track, so every single one of you should be running in the Army Ten-Miler shadow run,” which will be the Bagram version of the race in October, he said.

Parham encouraged the Soldiers to save money and go home smarter.

“Stay busy being constructive, and I assure you, time will go by fast,” he said.

He also alluded that he expects every one of the Soldiers to continue working out. With all the available gyms and ample space to run, there should be no reason for them to ask for waivers on the physical fitness test when it comes time for their annual evaluations, he said.

He also warned his troops to stay out of trouble. “Stay away from nonsense,” is how Parham put it, and he warned them to remain careful and vigilant on and off post at all times.

The Soldiers welcomed the leaders’ attention.

“It is very motivating to know that our leadership is willing to come out and see us and take time out to know what we are doing,” Pfc. Denisea Moore, transportation movement coordinator from Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 49th MCB, said.

Moore is 19 and joined the Army after graduating high school in Waco. She has been in the Army for one year, and this is her first deployment.

Moore set some high goals for herself not only during the deployment but also in her military career. She wants to take college courses while deployed, and eventually become an officer. She paid close attention to what she heard during the breakfast, and summed it up as follows: “You need to do school, school and school, do PT and be right sized but not downsized,” she said with a bright smile.

The 49th MCB will have a challenging mission overseeing movement control activities, transportation contracts, retrograde equipment moves and expanding their personnel from a little more than 50 to more than 480, by being in charge of 20 movement control teams across Afghanistan, said Maj. William Walker, the 49th MCB support operations officer for the south of Afghanistan.

Although LeMasters and Parham are not in the MCB’s chain of command in Afghanistan, they promised to keep an eye on the Wranglers of the 49th and try to visit them again when they travel through Bagram, as well as put them in touch with other elements of the 13th ESC currently deployed to the same theater.