To support the exercise, the 402nd AFSB established a multi-nodal command and control structure operating through a forward element in the Combined Joint Theater Sustainment Command in Brisbane, an expeditionary tactical operations centre at Schofield Barracks, and a brigade headquarters operations centre at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. This ensured synchronisation of Army Materiel Command enterprise support to U.S. and allied forces throughout the region.
“Preparing the 402nd AFSB to support Talisman Sabre 25 presented a unique set of planning priorities,” said Jennifer Stager, chief of the brigade’s S3 Theater Readiness and Exercises section. “In addition to working with our USARPAC and 8th TSC partners, we focused on integrating with Australian Defence Force counterparts, the CJTSC, and forward liaisons. The 402nd remained ready to support all levels of effort through proactive and collaborative planning.”
A Logistics Support Element (Division) in Townsville, Australia, led by 402nd personnel, coordinated with Life Cycle Management Commands, including Joint Munitions Command, U.S. Army TACOM, and CECOM. These commands provided specialists to oversee maintenance, supply and system readiness during the exercise.
“Our LSE(D) and LNO teams allowed us to create the demand signal for critical commodities – Class V, I, IX – and maintenance support forward of the international date line,” said Maj. Matthew Loellke, deputy S3. “We conducted deliberate planning through the military decision-making process and prioritised deployable Forward Repair Activities that could be transported by air, ensuring responsiveness in austere environments.”
The expeditionary operations centre at Schofield Barracks strengthened command-and-control redundancy and highlighted the brigade’s ability to remain flexible across dispersed sustainment locations. Loellke noted that liaison officers embedded with the Combined Joint Theater Sustainment Command in Brisbane were vital to real-time sustainment integration.
“By studying the 8th TSC’s battle rhythm, integrating ours, and deploying LNOs forward with the CJTSC, we were able to maintain enterprise connectivity and act as a reliable enabler,” he said. “TS25 validated our ability to support multinational operations while remaining flexible in the face of a rapidly evolving mission scope.”
An innovation applied during the exercise was the Maven Smart System, an AI-powered platform developed by the Department of Defense and later adapted for logistics support and operational planning. The 402nd used Maven to integrate logistics inputs such as supply flow, equipment readiness and maintenance activity into a real-time Common Operating Picture.
“At the end of the exercise, we successfully integrated MAVEN as a common operating picture tool,” said Loellke. “It gave our team the visibility needed to track enterprise sustainment actions across dispersed locations – exactly the type of mission the 402nd is built for.”
Through theatre visualisation, AI-driven sustainment tracking, and multinational coordination, Talisman Sabre 25 demonstrated the 402nd AFSB’s ability to deliver responsive and combat-ready logistics across the Indo-Pacific. The brigade underlined its role in ensuring soldiers have the equipment, repairs and supplies they need wherever they operate in the Pacific.
