Name: Army Cpt. Julie McCabe
Job title: Operations Officer
Assigned: Zutendaal Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 worksite, Army Field Support Battalion-Benelux, 405th Army Field Support Brigade
Location: Zutendaal, Belgium
Experience: I’ve been here at the Zutendaal APS-2 worksite for 10 months. Before being assigned here, for 23 months I was the commander of the Forward Support Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade (Rakkasans), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Before that, I was the logistics officer for the 626th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Bde., 101st Abn. Div. In May, I’ll have eight years of service with the Army.
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Family: I’m married to my wife, Liza, coming up on a year, and we have two dogs and a cat.
Q: Can you explain what you do and what you are responsible for at the Zutendaal APS-2 worksite?
A: As the operations officer I synchronize the four sections within APS-2 Zutendaal, so I huddle and synchronize all the information from the headquarters, quality assurance, maintenance and supply to meet our operational mission needs for the APS-2 site. I also do external coordination with battalion operations and battalion support operations, and I externally help coordinate for training and for the operational needs and requirements for the site.
Q: Why is your team’s work at the Zutendaal APS-2 worksite so important?
A: Everything we do is a piece of the bigger Army puzzle we play in. We’re providing the very best Army products to units deployed here or rotational units coming to Europe to support various exercises. For us, it’s important because they’re outside of their home duty stations and drawing equipment they’re expecting to be in excellent condition. Whether it’s making sure the mechanics are checking everything according to the technical manuals so the equipment sets are fully mission capable – maintenance wise – or the supply personnel making sure the basic issue items are fully accounted for, we strive to keep the APS-2 sets, thousands of vehicles and equipment pieces, 100 percent ready for issue. They shouldn’t have to worry about the condition and the serviceability of their equipment we’re issuing them. That’s our job.
Q: What do you enjoy about your job, and what motivates you?
A: For me, this is the first time I’ve worked under the U.S. Army Sustainment Command umbrella, so personally I’m learning a lot about how this organization functions and how an Army Field Support Battalion fits into the bigger picture to meet the Army’s logistics needs. I enjoy working for AFSBn-Benelux at the Zutendaal site a lot because it’s not something I’m used to. It’s challenging me personally to develop myself more holistically and broaden my Army logistics skill set. It’s nice because my position is essentially just being the best team player I can be, making sure that we’re functioning as a site efficiently and meeting the intent of the battalion and brigade commanders. And the people here are great, which is always a big bonus for any job. Here I get to work with Belgium host nation employees and U.S. Department of the Army civilians. We have an experienced team and a motivated team, and that helps me to think outside the box and helps me to keep an open mind. Ultimately, I help to put our best selves forward so we can meet mission intent as a team.
AFSBn-Benelux and the 405th AFSB: Located at Eygelshoven, Netherlands, and Zutendaal, Belgium, AFSBn-Benelux is charged with providing and coordinating receipt, transfer, storage and maintenance of APS-2 to enable commanders to conduct unified action and a full range of military operations in support of U.S. Army Africa and Europe and joint forces. The 405th AFSB 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.