Combat Readiness Support Team

About the CRST:

The Combat Readiness Support Team (CRST) is a command wide team of the USACE. The CRST is within the Planning Branch of the Installation Readiness Division (IRD), Military Programs Directorate.

Mission:

Provide a cadre of subject matter experts (SME) to Army Staff (ARSTAF) activities that integrate, coordinate, and synchronize initiatives, concepts, strategies, capabilities, and objectives of the Command with those of the ARSTAF focused on facility and infrastructure requirements, modernization, and readiness .
Identify, define, and validate (I-D-V) facility requirements to ensure they meet functional and operational needs, priorities, and objectives.
Liaison and collaborate directly with USACE Centers of Standardization (COSs), HQ Program Integration Division (PID), DCS G9, and others to assure facility standards and criteria establish a relevant facility and infrastructure baseline across all DOTMLPF-P domains.
Coordinate with and assist ACOMS, USACE Districts, Agencies and others on facility and infrastructure related issues.
Provide information and advice to the Command on Army initiatives and Senior Leader decisions related to facility and infrastructure requirements, planning, and programming.

Facts:

The CRST mission is derived from several regulatory sources and fundamentally based on Title 10. USC. Specifically: Integration of USACE with the ARSTAF (Facilities-Installations), and integration of the CRST mission with the USACE enterprise as a strategic enabler.
CRST members act as SMEs working directly in areas that include MILCON policy and processes, the Army Facilities Standardization Program (AFSP), the Range and Training Land Program (RTLP), the MILCON Requirements and Standardization Integration (MRSI) planning site, and Material Development.
Provides support to the Army in facility and infrastructure analysis in respect to Army Modernization, structure initiatives, stationing decisions and Total Army Analysis.
Performs any pre-design support IAW AR 420-1.
Ensures the integrity of Facility Standards and Standard Designs throughout the planning and programming process.
Produces the Support Facility Annex (SFA), a required annex of the Life Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP), which determines the impact of new equipment on facility types and infrastructure IAW 700-127.
Identifies, defines, coordinates, and adjudicates, issues that could negatively impact facility and infrastructure delivery to the warfighter.
Attends events, i.e., AUSA Annual Meeting/Convention, gathering information and enhancing knowledge related to Army strategies, policies, and initiatives for facilities and infrastructure.

Organization:

The membership of the CRST, is made up of 15-20 SMEs and organized into a HQ element and four Forward Support Offices (FSOs) each with an FSO lead. FSOs are located at the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL), Louisville District (LRL), Fort Worth District (SWF) and the Huntsville Engineering and Support Center (HNC). FSOs provides subject matter expertise and support consistent with the CRST mission.
The HQ element, located at HQ USACE, consists of the Team Chief, Executive Officer, Logistics (G4) Integration Officer, MILCON Process Manager, and Chief, Strategy and Policy Integration.
HQ element personnel provide leadership and management of CRST operations and activities, develop, submit, and monitor its budget, manage and distribute resources, and represent the Team to higher level leadership and others on behalf of the Team’s mission and roles.
HQ element provides Program Management and expertise in areas that include the Range and Training Land Program & Ordnance /Explosive (UXO) Removal, Army Ground Systems, Aviation Integration and G3/5/7 Integration.