CHIÈVRES AIR BASE, Belgium –
Whether it’s the World Rally Championship or his job at 405th Army Field Support Brigade, the thrill of the race is what gets Eddy Bougenies’ heart pumping.
Bougenies’ high level of performance at work matches his lifelong passion for motorsports as he unswervingly strives to do his very best to make it to the winner’s circle.
In just a few years the Belgian local national employee at Logistics Readiness Center Benelux has raced his way from supply technician to material handler to Supply Support Activity warehouse manager, and he’s beyond grateful for the opportunities he’s been afforded along the way.
“I love the U.S. Army,” said Bougenies. “I started as a level 3, and the Army has provided me with many opportunities and promotions. I was given the opportunity to be a 5, to be a 6 and to be a 7.
“I must give the Army recognition. I’m very grateful, and I really enjoy my job and my team,” said the Supply and Services Division employee at LRC Benelux, 405th AFSB.
Born and raised in Fontenoy, Belgium – Bougenies is just 30 miles from his work at Chièvres Air Base. With 14 years at the SSA warehouse – the last two as the manager – Bougenies has many responsibilities and duties.
He plans and supervises warehouse operations while determining priorities based on anticipated workload. He assigns duties and responsibilities to his team and ensures instructions are fully understood. He reschedules work requirements and reassigns employees to accommodate unexpected fluctuations. And he ensures that personnel, material and equipment are made available to accomplish all the work within established periods.
“I have three material handles and one supply technician. I organize and plan their work schedules, and I’m responsible for the day-to-day operations at the warehouse,” said Bougenies, who is also a certified senior customs border clearance agent.
As the central receiving point for the Army in Belgium, Bougenies and his team handle all the weekly truck deliveries. Each truck carries about 20 pallets of materiel and supplies, usually bound for U.S. Army Garrison Benelux or the Defense Logistics Agency. Bougenies credits his team for all their successes and for helping create a positive work environment.
“They’re like a big family to me,” said Bougenies, who is 46 and has a 16-year-old daughter. “We all work well together to get the job done, and I’m very proud of them, of course.”
“The SSA is like my second home, and I love it,” he said.
But there’s one thing Bougenies equally loves – motorsports.
“That’s my passion. I love motorsports – auto racing, motorcycle racing and formula one” said Bougenies, who drives a black Audi A5 convertible. “Rally sport is my favorite.”
“I’ve been a fan of racing since I was a little boy – the speed, the noise, the adrenaline, the performance. The last race I went to was the World Rally Championship Ypres Rally Belgium, Aug. 18-21,” he said. “I was there for the shakedown and one day of racing. It gets my heart pumping just thinking about it.”
LRC Benelux is one of seven LRCs under the command and control of the 405th Army Field Support Brigade. LRCs execute installation logistics support and services to include supply, maintenance, and transportation as well as clothing issue facility operations, hazardous material management, personal property and household goods, passenger travel, non-tactical vehicle and garrison equipment management, and property book operations. 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 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.