AFSBn-Stewart helps make room for new tech

By Kelly Haertjens, ASC Public Affairs

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – From weapons to radios, the U.S. Army is focused on making sure the latest and greatest is in the hands of its Soldiers on the ground. Rapid Removal of Excess, or R2E, helps get rid of thousands of pieces of old equipment to make room for cutting edge technology, saving staff hours in the process.

"The primary benefit of R2E is it unburdens the unit of immediate property accountability by transferring excess equipment to the Army Field Support Battalion, in addition to providing relief of maintenance and storage responsibility," said Jerryl Randolph, Army Field Support Battalion-Stewart base executive officer. "The units spend time and money attempting to upkeep obsolete equipment to standard."

AFSBn-Stewart is underneath the 406th Army Field Support Brigade, which delivers readiness to various supported organizations in garrison, joint and interagency environments through synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology. Their goal is to enable combat readiness in all Army units in the eastern part of the U.S. The 406th AFSB falls underneath the Army Sustainment Command, which focuses on providing any items a Soldier needs to perform. If a Soldier shoots it, eats it, wears it or flies it, ASC provides it.

In this case, ASC also is involved in R2E efforts since they are the experts in getting supplies to and from locations efficiently. "That money and time could be re-allocated towards training and upkeep on new, more modern equipment," added Maj. Daniel Amato, AFSBn-Stewart Support Operations officer.

Equipment – which includes weapons, rolling stock, radios, night vision, sights, computers, medical equipment, tractors and more – can be turned in regardless of its condition and age. Most items turned in range from 10 to 40 years old.

The AFSBn-Stewart in Fort Stewart, Georgia, has been hard at work on this initiative. They recently wrapped up an eight-day turn-in with the 7th Special Forces Group and Support Operations. In that time, more than 2,000 excess items were turned into the primary R2E site – many arriving via line haul and tactical road march. The 7th SFG is responsible for many remote areas including parts of Latin America, the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, so items had to be transported from far away to Fort Stewart. The group took in an average of 252 items a day without a single item being turned away.

In fact, they handle as many as 860 items per day, according to Amato. Throughout the 2024 fiscal year, more than 10,000 items were taken in throughout the process. Every year, there is a 30 day period where items are turned in. The recent turn-in with the 7th SFG was just one part of the puzzle.

"Our biggest challenges with R2E are ensuring we maintain the desired throughput of the unit," said Kevin Lewis, AFSBn-Stewart R2E chief and senior R2E advisor. "As we induct items, our team must also be simultaneously preparing outbound shipments in order to free up warehouse space. Physical security and accountability are our number one priority."

After induction, items can be transferred to another military organization, repurposed, or sent to various depots throughout the U.S. if they still serve a purpose.

AFSBn-Stewart is made up of two induction locations with 26 employees – all but three of them contractors.

"The contract workforce have performed above and beyond, maintaining accountability and ensuring induction operations were maintained according to regulatory guidelines and the government intent," Lewis said. However, he hopes that facility improvements will continue to allow them to "enhance the operational process for our customers and employees."

AFSBn-Stewart has already invested in process and facility upgrades, with increased physical security measures within the installation arms room and additional caging to make more room for storage items. The R2E process received "extremely positive feedback" from the 7th SFG this year, according to Don Lopes, the AFSBn-Stewart deputy SPO director.

"R2E operations are vital to the overall modernization of forces throughout the Army," Lopes explained. "We continue to refine our R2E process and adapt to requirements through deliberate planning and direct coordination with geographically remote units such as the 7th SFG.”

In fact, the 403rd AFSB is working with AFSBn-Stewart and others from the 406th AFSB to learn best practices for future R2E efforts on the Korean peninsula. They look forward to sharing their knowledge and to continuously improve the R2E process at Fort Stewart and beyond.