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Class VIII medical supply and equipment containers are loaded onto Army line-haul transporters at the Dülmen Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 worksite to be convoyed from Dülmen to Baumholder, Germany, for DEFENDER 24. For the first time in Army medicine history, an APS-2 field hospital was activated and issued, and for the first time in APS-2 history, an Equipment Configuration and Hand-off Area was established at Dülmen to support this mission.

APS-2 field hospital activated, issued for DEFENDER

Dwann Jackson, an Army Field Support Battalion-Mannheim quality assurance specialist, observes onsite suspension and track upgrades to an Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 M2 Bradley fighting vehicle at the Coleman APS-2 worksite. (U.S. Army courtesy photo)

Quality Assurance support at Coleman APS-2 Worksite

An Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 staging grid is set at Libava, ready to issue an entire cavalry APS-2 equipment set to the 1st Squadron, 150th Cavalry Regiment from the West Virginia Army National Guard for DEFENDER 24. The 405th Army Field Support Brigade’s Army Field Support Battalion-Africa has established an Equipment Configuration and Hand-off Area in Libava, and over the course of the next couple of days the battalion from Livorno, Italy, will be conducting technical inspections of all the tactical vehicles, basic issue items and support equipment with Soldiers from the 1st Squadron, 150th Cav. Regt., the gaining tactical unit.

DEFENDER is the Dynamic Employment of Forces to Europe for NATO Deterrence and Enhanced Readiness, and is a U.S. European Command scheduled, U.S. Army Europe and Africa conducted exercise that consists of Saber Strike, Immediate Response, and Swift Response. DEFENDER 24 is linked to NATO’s Steadfast Defender exercise, and DoD’s Large Scale Global Exercise, taking place from 28 March to 31 May. DEFENDER 24 is the largest U.S. Army exercise in Europe and includes more than 17,000 U.S. and 23,000 multinational service members from more than 20 Allied and partner nations, including Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

APS-2 ECHA grid in Czechia for DEFENDER

Congressional and U.S. Embassy staff delegation members move through one of the storage warehouses at the Powidz Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 worksite in Powidz, Poland, Sept. 5. The delegation visited the Powidz APS-2 worksite to assess and provide first-hand information and knowledge on APS-2 operations in Poland back to Congress. (Capt. James Bath)

DV Visit to Powidz APS-2 worksite

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ASC CG recognizes AFSBn-Germany supply specialist with award
April 16, 2021 — When the commanding general two levels above your command recognizes you with an award, that’s quite an achievement. But when the award nomination starts as a recommendation from your peers, it’s even more special and unique. On behalf of the commanding general of U.S. Army Sustainment Command, the 405th Army Field Support Brigade commander, Col. Brad Bane, presented Elbert Gwinn with a Highly Productive Achievement Award April 12 at the Army Field Support Battalion-Germany headquarters building on Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany. ... MORE

Elbert Gwinn was presented with a Highly Productive Achievement Award April 12 at the Army Field Support Battalion-Germany headquarters building on Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany, by Col. Brad Bane and Command Sgt. Maj. Kofie Primus. The award started as a recommendation from his peers and is signed by the commanding general of U.S. Army Sustainment Command.

Food service program critical component to 405th AFSB’s warrior support
April 16, 2021 — One good example of a finely tuned and well-run food service program belongs to the 405th AFSB’s LRC-Bavaria. Recognized by the Department of the Army and U.S. Army Installation Management Command multiple times over the past decade, LRC-Bavaria’s food service program and its dining facilities are some of the Army’s very best... MORE

Michael Davis, the food service program manager for Logistics Readiness Center-Bavaria, and Adriano Colella, the CSM Lawrence Hickey Warrior Restaurant dining facility manager, pose for a photo with few food service program employees at the DFAC in Grafenwoehr Training Area. Davis said more than 300 food service program employees are assigned to the 405th Army Field Support Brigade’s LRC-Bavaria.

405th AFSB LAR says communications equates to lives saved or lost
April 8, 2021 — John Cruz, an Information Technology Radio Logistics Assistance Representative from Communications-Electronics Command but attached to the 405th Army Field Support Brigade, shows a tactical communications Soldier assigned to 2nd Cavalry Regiment how to isolate a fault on an AN/VIC-3 vehicular communications system in a Stryker armored fighting vehicle April 3 in Vilseck, Germany. ... MORE

Name: John Cruz
Job title: Information Technology Radio Logistics Assistance Representative
Unit: Communications-Electronics Command attached to the 405th Army Field Support Brigade
Service: 21 years active duty, 15 years Army civilian (4 years as a LAR)

Pictured here: Cruz shows a tactical communications Soldier assigned to 2nd Cavalry Regiment how to isolate a fault on an AN/VIC-3 vehicular communications system in a Stryker armored fighting vehicle April 3 in Vilseck, Germany.

Q: What is it about your job as a LAR that motivates you?
A: I just want to make sure these warfighters are ready for combat at all times, ensuring their equipment is combat already and they have the confidence to be able to succeed at all their tasks. I tell each Soldier I assist “no communications, failed mission” – it drives home why it's so important to know these systems and their capabilities. The bottom line, for me, it's all about the Soldiers.

Q: Have you seen the importance of communications, firsthand?
A: As a Department of Defense civilian Field Service Representative, which is similar to a LAR at the depot level, I deployed five times to Iraq and once to Afghanistan in a 5-year time period for six months each time. I was able to see successful missions and failed missions due to communications. It just shows how important communications is – it literally equates to lives saved or lives lost.

LAR: Logistics Assistance Representatives are Army civilians serving in motor pools, hangars, maintenance shops, and offices around the world. Highly trained, they bring more than two dozen specialty skills to Army equipment readiness requirements. They are all part of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command’s global network of Army Field Support Brigades and are linked to every echelon of the Army in the field. The 405th AFSB has several LARs with multiple specialties assigned across Europe. (U.S. Army courtesy photo)

405th AFSB LAR provides MI comms system technical assistance, instruction
April 2, 2021 — Hector Cerrato shows Staff Sgt. Sidney Johnson, a military intelligence Soldier assigned to 2nd Cavalry Regiment, how to set up a Global Broadcast Service system in a Tactical Intelligence Ground Station. The GBS is a one-way broadcast capability supporting timely delivery of unclassified and classified video, large quantities of unclassified or classified digital data and other theater information transfer needs for the Army. The GBS is deployed and used worldwide... MORE

Hector Cerrato shows Staff Sgt. Sidney Johnson, a military intelligence Soldier assigned to 2nd Cavalry Regiment, how to set up at Global Broadcast Service system in a Tactical Intelligence Ground Station. The GBS is a one-way broadcast capability supporting timely delivery of unclassified and classified video, large quantities of unclassified or classified digital data and other theater information transfer needs for the Army, The GBS is deployed and used worldwide.

Cerrato, who served 20 years as an active duty Soldier and 18 years as an Army civilian and Logistics Assistance Representative, is an Intercept Electronic Warfare Senior Technical Representative from Communications-Electronics Command attached to the 405th Army Field Support Brigade.

Cerrato provided technical assistance and instruction to Johnson on the GBS at the regimental motor pool in Grafenwoehr April 1 in preparation for exercise Dragoon Ready 2021. Previously, he has provided this highly technical training to Soldiers from the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 2nd Cav. Regt.

Logistics Assistance Representatives are Army civilians serving in motor pools, hangars, maintenance shops, and offices around the world. Highly trained, they bring more than two dozen specialty skills to Army equipment readiness requirements. They are all part of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command’s global network of Army Field Support Brigades and are linked to every echelon of the Army in the field. The 405th AFSB has several LARs with multiple specialties assigned across Europe.

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