The Soldiers of the 513th Transportation Company, 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 593rd Sustainment Brigade, did something rare during their deployment. The "Roadrunners" served in three theaters, accomplishing myriad tasks, each with their own unique challenges, said Lt. Col. Douglas Henry, 13th CSSB commander.

They were welcomed home and thanked for their success during a deployment in a July 24 ceremony at Wilson Sports and Fitness Center on Lewis North, Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The unit was originally deployed to Camp Arafjan, Kuwait, to support the movement of vehicles and supplies into and out of Iraq by providing convoy security for logistical operations. Once they were no longer needed in Iraq, they were called to perform security operations throughout Kuwait in the middle of winter, said 2nd Lt. Nate Herndon, a 513th platoon leader.

"It's incredible to have a unit that flexible at your disposal," Henry said. "When you think about the differences in geography, weather, and the enemy, it's amazing to think they are that flexible and that without a break to reset, they are able to move from one theater to the next and still excel at their mission. "

While deployed, the Soldiers also played key roles in various movement control teams. They concentrated on recycling military equipment for reuse and saved the government billions of dollars, according to Herndon.

"These operations play a vital part in the Army's total plan to become more environmentally friendly and to save taxpayer dollars," Herndon said.

Corporal Tom Winklebleck, a motor transport operator, said it was a stressful tour, but that it was to be expected and that his unit's cohesion was the reason for their success.

"I didn't know what to expect or what was going to happen (when the unit moved theaters), but we worked so well together during the Iraq portion of the deployment it was much easier to move to Afghanistan," he said. "Our leadership gave us some training in Iraq on what to expect once we got there, and the knowledge and professionalism of our Soldiers really eased the transition."

"They did an outstanding job," Henry said. "The response we received from the units they worked with in all three theaters was that they did a job they should be proud of and we're glad to have them home."