The commander of the 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command has been temporarily suspended from his job because of an ongoing investigation, the Army Reserve confirmed Wednesday.
Brig. Gen. Richard Staats has led the 316th ESC since October 2014. Staats' suspension was effective Sept. 8, officials said.
The 316th ESC's deputy commander, Col. Luis "Frank" Nieves, is serving as the acting commander while the investigation continues, officials said.
Army Reserve officials declined to discuss further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
The 316th ESC, which has its headquarters in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, has mission command of all Army Reserve logistical units from Maine to Pennsylvania, according to the unit website. This means it’s responsible for 89 units and more than 8,300 soldiers.
When deployed, the 316th ESC headquarters provides command and control of sustainment units for a combatant theater commander.
Staats assumed command of the 316th ESC on Oct. 2, 2014, according to his official bio.
Before taking command, Staats was a strategic planner for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a senior fellow in the Army Chief of Staff’s Strategic Studies Group.
A former commander of the 211th Regional Support Group in Corpus Christi, Texas, Staats has held numerous command and staff positions, including four deployed commands in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn, according to his bio.
Staats is a West Point graduate, and his awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster.
Michelle Tan is the editor of Army Times and Air Force Times. She has covered the military for Military Times since 2005, and has embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Haiti, Gabon and the Horn of Africa.
