Pearl Harbor, Hawaii -- To move an entire Army light infantry brigade and most of its war fighting equipment from one side of the globe to another takes time, manpower and planning.

On Jan. 8, 2017, the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, "Warrior Brigade", 25th Infantry Division successfully completed one of the critical steps in their deployment process for the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana, -- initiating movement of their equipment.

"Soldiers from every battalion in the Warrior Brigade are out here, pulling guard, driving vehicles and as a node we are responsible for taking all the brigade's equipment and loading it onto the vessel," said Maj. Joshua Wiles, executive officer for 1st Battalion, 27 Infantry Regiment, 2nd IBCT. "This is truly a joint fight, you can see Airforce, Navy and Army Reserve Soldiers all working together as a team."

The USNS Brittin departed the historic Pearl Harbor at approximately 8:00 a.m., destined for the Port of Beaumont, Texas, with over 1300 pieces of the brigade's war fighting equipment.

The race to catch the initial sail date started approximately six months ago; it involved coordination and planning from multiple military and civilian organizations.

"Planning for this type of operation does not only reside in the brigade logistics section," said Maj. Pedro Fernandez, the 2nd IBCT logistics officer. "It requires consistent oversight and input from all the primary brigade staff sections and constant communication with the Navy and other sustainment enablers throughout the Pacific."

The 25th Sustainment Brigade, 25th ID, active and reserve components from the 599th Transportation Brigade of the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command and the Naval Supply Command Fleet Logistics, Center at Pearl Harbor assisted the Warrior Brigade by providing the additional personnel support needed to conduct the load out operations.

The Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center, at Pearl Harbor, is one of the key players that played a vital role in the Warrior Brigade's load out operations.

According to NAVSUP FLC Ocean Terminals Director Lt. Cmdr. Cindy Suarez, NAVSUP's role is facilitating the coordination of all the multiple entities involved in sea port load out operations and they typically conduct 10 to 15 similar operations a year.

"What's key to success in these type of joint operations is communication," said Lt. Cmdr. Suarez. "All the planning details that come out at the senior level must be communicated down to the Soldier level, this simple step leads to a successful operation."