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Home : News : Article Display
NEWS | Jan. 20, 2022

37 years fly by for LRC Benelux employee as he looks forward to retirement, more flight time

By Cameron Porter 405th Army Field Support Brigade

Name: Pierre Cortvrint

Job title: Property Book Supply Technician

Assigned: Logistics Readiness Center Benelux, 405th Army Field Support Brigade

Location: Chièvres Air Base, Belgium

Experience: I’ve started working for the U.S. Army 37 years and four months ago, and I retire next week. I started at U.S. Army Garrison Benelux and worked there for over 22 years at the Self Service Supply Center and the Supply Support Activity. Fourteen years ago I moved from USAG Benelux to LRC Benelux, and I’ve been working here as a property book manager and supply technician ever since.

Other Service: I served for two years in the Belgium Army.

Hometown: Peruwelz, Belgium

Family: I am married to my wife, Veronique, for 39 years, and we have one son. His name is Quentin, and he’s 31 years old.

Q: Can you explain your responsibilities as an LRC Benelux property book supply technician?

A: At the LRC Benelux property book office I conduct inventories, and I add and remove items from the hand receipts. We are responsible for 78 hand receipt holders. I conduct inventories monthly for sensitive items as well as quarterly cyclic inventories, and at least once a year I do a 100 percent inventory of all hand receipts. Some of my hand receipt holders are from the Directorate of Public Works, the public affairs office, the chaplain’s office and more – basically every directorate and section within USAG Benelux.

Q: Why is the property book mission at LRC Benelux so important?

A: The property book mission and my job are important because I help my customers keep 100 percent accountability of all their equipment at all times. I also help them when they are purchasing new equipment or when they need to turn in old or excess equipment. I don’t want any of my hand receipt holders to find themselves in a situation where they are missing a piece of equipment and are now responsible for paying for it. I help to ensure this never happens. All this equipment – the trucks, the machinery, the computer systems and everything – is critical to the mission. That’s why my job is important.

Q: What do you enjoy about your job, and what motivates you?

A: I’ve been working for the U.S. Army since 1985, and it’s flown by. For 37 years I’ve come to work every day with a smile. I’ve worked with some great colleagues and supervisors, and I’ve really enjoyed my time with the Army. It’s been a good working environment, but now it’s time for me to fly. I’m retiring next week, and I’m really looking forward to the next chapter. I’m excited to spend more time with my wife traveling in our camper. I also like to garden and ride my bicycle and motorcycle, but I’m most excited to fly. I’ve been a glider pilot for 20 years, and an ultralight motorized plane pilot for three years. I love to fly and plan on doing it as much as I can now that I’m retiring.

LRC Benelux and 405th AFSB: When it comes to providing day-to-day installation services, LRC Benelux directs, manages and coordinates a variety of operations and activities in support of USAG Benelux. LRC Benelux reports to the 405th Army Field Support Brigade, which is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and under the operational control of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The brigade is headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and provides materiel enterprise support to U.S. Forces throughout Europe and Africa – providing theater sustainment logistics; synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology; and leveraging U.S. Army Materiel Command’s materiel enterprise to support joint forces. For more information on the 405th AFSB, visit the official website at www.afsbeurope.army.mil and the official Facebook site at www.facebook.com/405thAFSB.