Name: Connie Buchwald
Job title: Lead Transportation Assistant
Assigned: Personal Property Processing Office, Logistics Readiness Center Stuttgart, 405th Army Field Support Brigade
Location: Panzer Kaserne, Stuttgart, Germany
Experience: I started working at LRC Stuttgart in September of 2016 as a transportation assistant, and then in 2021 I became the lead transportation assistant. Before coming to LRC Stuttgart I was in a college apprenticeship program in the field of logistics where I received my logistics management degree.
Hometown: Stuttgart, Germany
Family: I’m married to my husband, Mehmet, for 3 years.
Q: Can you explain what you do as a lead transportation assistant at LRC Stuttgart?
A: I assist the transportation counselors with their daily tasks, as far as counseling customers and preparing the customers’ shipping documents. I schedule appointments for my team to ensure all the work is distributed equally, and I also perform administrative tasks, which my supervisor provides me. I am also the primary transportation assistant point of contact for all of our distinguished and important customers – such as general and flag officers. I train all the new employees, and I update my team when U.S. Transportation Command provides new guidance. I have six transportation assistants plus myself on my team. They are the very best team I could ever ask for. They are amazing.
Q: Why is your team’s work in the U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart community so important?
A: We are usually the first or one of the first offices our outbound and inbound customers contact when they are changing duty stations or completing their military service. We assist them with their permanent change of duty station moves. We prepare all their documents when they’re PCSing, as far as their household goods shipments, their unaccompanied baggage shipments and their privately owned vehicle shipments. We counsel them and assist them if they have any issues or anything comes up. We’re their point of contact and liaison between them and the moving companies. Everyone knows how stressful moving can be, but we’re here for our customers. They have someone they can rely on – someone they can call if they have questions or need assistance.
Q: What do you enjoy about your job, and what motivates you?
A: I meet a lot of people in my job, and I have customers who still remember me from five years ago. They left, but now they’re back. I enjoy having open and friendly conversations with my customers. Even if my customers have questions that are not transportation related, my team and I always try to help them as much as we can. Most of us on my team are from this area so we help them in that respect, too. And trust me – I learn from them as much as they learn from me. I really enjoy my customers, and I enjoy supporting them. As far as my team goes, I don’t know how to describe it fully, but it’s extremely pleasant. Every morning I look forward to coming into work because I have such a great team, and my management at LRC Stuttgart is great, too, and very supportive.
LRC-Stuttgart and 405th AFSB: LRC Stuttgart is one of seven LRCs under the command and control of the 405th AFSB. LRCs execute installation logistics support and services to include supply, maintenance, transportation and food service management as well as clothing issue facility operations, hazardous material management, personal property and household goods, passenger travel, and non-tactical vehicle and garrison equipment management. When it comes to providing day-to-day installation services, LRC Stuttgart directs, manages and coordinates a variety of operations and activities in support of USAG Stuttgart. LRC Stuttgart reports to the 405th AFSB, 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.