MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga -- Lieutenant Col. James E. Brown was recently presented with one of the military's highest honors during a public ceremony aboard Marine Corps Logistic Base Albany.
Brown received the Bronze Star medal for distinguishing himself through meritorious performance while serving as the officer-in-charge, Intermediate Supply Support Activity, and 2nd Supply Battalion, Marine Logistics Command, United States Marine Corps Forces, Central Command, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from Feb. 5 to June 15, 2003.
Throughout that period, Brown ensured continuous combat service support to Marine Forces and the Marine Logistics Command in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
According to his summary of action, Brown developed a supply support concept of operations to support operational level logistics for all Marine Forces in theater. This achievement was historic in itself, as it is the first time that an operational logistics organization was deployed in support of combat operations. Brown's coordination with 1st Force Service Support Group and the Marine Corps Materiel Command to establish deployed supply accounts for units supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom provided combat service support elements with necessary tools to fulfill their requirements in an accurate and timely manner.
Brown spearheaded a joint effort between the Army's 321st Materiel Management Center and the Marine Logistics Command with a platform to use in theater stocks before passing requirements back to the United States. The successful exchange of data between both services provided the Marine Logistics Command the visibility to move critical parts and supplies to forward deployed units, which enhanced the velocity of the operation. Brown's concept was instrumental to the foundation of future supply support operations in a joint and multinational environment.
In the early stages of OIF, a malfunction in the supply software system caused support to I Marine Expeditionary Force to degrade rapidly.
Using his indepth technical expertise and knowledge, LtCol. Brown facilitated an alternate solution for inventory management of more than 13,000 critical parts.
Brown's dynamic leadership and superior technical expertise to foresee the needs of the warfighter and provide a framework to meet those demands in a timely manner led to ISSA's success.
To date, ISSA has processed more than 75,000 requisitions, issued more than 50,000 support items and spent in excess of $102 million in less than three months. This volume is unprecedented, as it is over twice the annual volume during peacetime operations.
Brown greatly contributed in helping accomplish this monumental achievement, using two thirds of the ISSA's staff in an austere environment.