Brig. Gen. Brandi B. Peasley, 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command commanding general, and Command Sgt. Maj. Robert M. Stirling, 451st ESC command sergeant major, presided over the Training Year 2025 Yearly Training Brief (YTB) at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Wichita, Kansas, March 1 – 3.

The purpose of the YTB is to clearly communicate to the 451st ESC’s downtrace units procedural information and what is expected in all management sections for full accountability. This was also an opportunity for leaders across the command to share best practices and leverage knowledge to help improve processes for the whole command.

“We are going to have a lot of good dialogue about efficiencies and discussions,” said Brig. Gen. Peasley. “We need to transform, we need to use AI, we need to look at how we do things.”

The Hyatt Regency’s Cypress Hall was filled with leaders from all over the 451st ESC footprint, including the 89th Sustainment Brigade, the 561st Regional Support Group, and all downtrace units. There was one special guest, Army Reserve Ambassador, John S. Schoen, who represents the state of Kansas, was also in attendance. He briefed leaders on the Army Reserve Program and how he works to promote the Army Reserve with community and business leaders and educate them on what Army Reservists do.

Representatives from the 89th Special Troops Battalion, the 484th Transportation Battalion, the 620th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, the 329th Combat Sustainment Battalion, the 368th Finance Battalion, the 450th Transportation Battalion, the 394th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, and the 821st Transportation Battalion each briefed Brig. Gen. Peasley and Command Sgt. Maj. Stirling and together they all identified discrepancies and worked out solutions.

Command Sgt. Maj. Stirling challenged leaders to think about their solutions and how they will sustain them. “Every single one of us has a shelf life. Your day will come when you will hang up this uniform,” he said. The question is in that time that you have what are you doing to actively prepare the next generation to take your seat. Because if we are not doing that, then are we really taking care of our people.”

Key to the preparation and execution of the event was implementing process improvements with a focus on digital innovations. Leaders were encouraged to research how tools like PowerBI and SharePoint code be used to streamline information sharing with downtrace units. In support of this effort the 451 ESC staff implemented a QR code that allowed attendees to use their mobile devices to access needed unclassified documents for the event the eliminated the need to print hundreds of documents and reduced the information distribution time for various meetings. Maj. Lindsey Nielsen led a workshop on identifying best practices for dealing with top concerns that she utilized in her civilian profession as the VP of a hospital.

The most critical point Brig. Gen. Peasley said was, “I haven’t been sleeping well this week and it’s not because I have been nervous, but because I have been excited to come here.” She wanted her leaders to be excited at the challenge of leveraging technological and information advances to better inform, equip, and train Soldiers for tomorrow’s fight. Her leaders did not disappoint.

The 451st ESC’s mission is to plan, coordinate, and provide sustainment to forces; plan, prepare and execute theater opening and reception, staging, onward movement, and enable integration of forces; provide movement control; and establish and operate sustainment facilities and bases.