MANNHEIM, Germany –
The 405th Army Field Support Brigade’s command team conducted an Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 site visit to Coleman APS-2 worksite in Mannheim, Aug. 5.
Army Col. Crystal Hills and Command Sgt. Maj. Terrell Brisentine received an operations briefing from Army Field Support Battalion-Mannheim and a tour of the APS-2 site to gain a better understanding of the battalion’s current missions and future transition to APS-2 support operations in Powidz, Poland.
Battalion Mannheim, headquartered at the Coleman APS-2 worksite, is responsible for the storage, security, maintenance and issue of an Armored Brigade Combat Team’s worth of heavy armored vehicles and associated equipment as part of the 405th AFSB’s APS-2 program in Europe. Coleman's close proximity to the Autobahn as well as access to rail and barge loading facilities makes it an important element to U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s readiness posture.
Last August, U.S. Army Europe and Africa announced that it will retain six sites previously scheduled to be returned to the German and Belgian governments due to growing requirements in the European theater. The Coleman APS-2 site was on the list.
The 405th AFSB’s APS-2 program helps to reduce deployment timelines, improves deterrence capabilities and provides additional combat power for contingency operations. The APS-2 equipment sets may also be drawn for use in training and exercises like DEFENDER-Europe.
Each of the 405th AFSB’s five APS-2 sites has the capability to house and maintain at least a brigade's worth of equipment to include an ABCT, for example, as well as engineer, artillery, military police, multiple combat sustainment support battalions, a division headquarters and medical capabilities.
The APS-2 program enhances U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s readiness and capability to support the warfighter while simultaneously promoting stability and security in the region — a key component to U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s power projection and warfighter readiness missions.
The 405th AFSB’s APS-2 program provides turn-key power projection packages – ready to deploy at a moment’s notice – while helping to reduce the amount of equipment needed from the deploying forces’ home stations. Combatant commanders identify their APS-2 requirements, and the 405th AFSB executes and then issues the equipment to the deploying warfighters.
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 and the official Facebook site.