The Supply Company commander for Combat Service Support Battalion 18 - part of Combat Service Support Group 15, 1st Force Service Support Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force - during the major combat phase of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Major Brandon McGowan provided "intermediate level supply and general support of the 1st Marine Division, primarily, and other Marine units that were in the area of operations." Handling all classes of supply, he had particular problems with repair parts. "Essentially for the entire conduct of the 19-day ground campaign," McGowan said, "Class IX support was virtually non-existent. I handed out somewhere around 14,000 line items," he added, "but I had over 100,000 requests." In addition to discussing a wide range of logistical issues in OIF I and offering expert analysis and critique of both pre-war logistical planning and wartime execution, McGowan also talks at length about his second deployment to Iraq, from January to October 2004, during which he served as executive officer of 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment as part of Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division, in Fallujah. From this perspective, he discusses his unit’s role in what’s become known as the first battle of Fallujah in April 2004, his work with contractors, the training of Iraqi security forces, cultural awareness issues, as well as his experiences operating in a joint environment and how his logistics background aided him immensely as an infantry battalion XO.

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