BAUMHOLDER, Germany –
Tobias Mayer is a mobile heavy equipment mechanic at the 405th Army Field Support Brigade’s Base Support Operations Maintenance, but he’s also not afraid to jump in and help out at the Baumholder privately owned vehicle inspection station when his co-workers are out sick, on vacation or tasked with other missions.
He said he likes working at the POV inspection station because he’s providing vital support to the U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz community, and he likes to see the smiles on everyone’s faces when their vehicles pass inspection.
The Baumholder POV inspection station is open from 7:45 to 11:45 a.m. and again from 12:30 to 3:45 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Appointments are not required, and lines are usually pretty short. Currently there is heavy road and parking lot construction underway at the inspection station. Be on the lookout for signs pointing community members to a temporary, alternate entrance to the station. Due to the construction, the Baumholder POV inspection station will close Dec. 12-20. Customers requiring POV inspections are encouraged to use the Kapaun Air Station POV inspection point during this time. Call DSN 489-6400 for more information.
Vehicles brought from the U.S. or purchased locally must be registered with U.S. Army Europe. All shipped vehicles and used vehicles purchased in Germany must pass a mechanical safety inspection before they can be registered. Also, an inspection needs to be completed not more than 75 days before registration renewal, and an inspection is required when the registration has been canceled for failure to renew the registration or to provide proof of liability insurance.
Here are some common inspection requirements:
- Inspectors will not inspect a vehicle that does not have a valid registration
- POVs must carry a unexpired first-aid kit that meets or exceeds German legal standards
- POVs must carry an approved portable, reflectorized warning triangle and reflectorized vest
- Vehicles weighing more than 3.5 metric tons will be rejected if they are not equipped with an approved warning triangle, four-way flasher, or portable flashing lamp
- If a POV fails an inspection, the inspector will conduct a re-inspection only for the deficiencies listed on the validated AE Form 190-1H or AE Form 190-1I unless the inspection period exceeds 30 days
- Previously inspected vehicles exceeding the 30-day period must undergo a complete new inspection
For more information go to the 405th AFSB website’s vehicle inspection page at www.afsbeurope.army.mil/BASOPS/BASOPS-Maintenance/Vehicle-Inspection-Copy.
As a field operating activity under the 405th AFSB, BASOPS Maintenance provides equipment maintenance support to all garrison community organizations and activities in Germany. It provides consolidated material maintenance support for base support operations equipment and mechanical safety inspections for privately owned vehicles. It performs automotive maintenance on a fleet of garrison support vehicles to include special purpose and armored vehicles, fire and rescue, snow and ice removal and construction equipment such as scoop loaders, excavators, scrapers, road graders, tractors, rollers and more.
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 the U.S. Army Materiel Command 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.