STUTTGART, Germany –
When the new installation property book specialist at Logistics Readiness Center Stuttgart touched down in Germany a few weeks ago, it was like coming home, but for his wife and their three children, who were all born here, it really was.
Terrell Crews arrived in Germany in December after working on the property book teams at the Defense Information Systems Agency and the Defense Commissary Agency in the U.S. for a couple of years. Before this, he worked for the Department of Defense Education Activity in Ansbach and Grafenwoehr, Germany, and he was stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany, as a Soldier where he cut his teeth in the Army’s supply discipline and accountability world.
Schweinfurt was also where he met his wife, who is Bavarian and proudly calls Germany her home, he said.
“I saw this as an opportunity to come back to Germany with my family,” said Crews. “In addition, I have experience working with other automated accountability systems and a little bit of training using the Global Combat Support System-Army, so I saw this as a chance to really tackle GCSS-Army.”
“It’s a perfect opportunity for me because I want to learn everything about the Army’s accountability system, which serves as a financial system of record focusing on property book actions, supply, and logistics management operations,” he said.
Also, Crews knew coming back to Germany would offer him new opportunities and a new work environment. Understanding the mission of LRC Stuttgart and how it supports the U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart community – to include U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command as well as several other units and organizations – provided Crews with a renewed purpose and motivation, he said, and he wouldn’t be working remote anymore.
“The agency I came from was fully remote, and before that I was mostly remote because when I got there it was pretty much the height of COVID-19,” said the 38-year-old native of Rochester, New York. “I saw this as a new opportunity. I wanted to get back to Germany, I wanted to finally work for the Department of the Army again, and I wanted to get myself educated on GCSS-Army.”
“When I worked remotely, the communication with my team was really done only through Microsoft Teams,” he said. “Now I’m in an environment where I work face-to-face with my team members and build relationships in a different kind of way. I can tell they all work well together, and they’re ready to bring me in as part of their team and family.”
Crews said he’s seen this in action. His director, DJ Jackson, has recognized people on their birthdays, for length of service, and during awards ceremonies. Crews said it feels good to be a part of LRC Stuttgart because he can tell they all care about each other and make each other feel appreciated.
The LRC Stuttgart installation property book office, or IPBO, where Crews works is made up of several local national employees and Army civilians who manage the reception, issue, and turn-in of equipment for USAG Stuttgart and LRC Stuttgart. Crews and his IPBO team handle the accountability of all the equipment for all the directorates and services within USAG Stuttgart – such as the Directorate of Public Works and Army Community Service. Overall, they are responsible for over 20 property book accounts worth tens of millions of dollars assigned to USAG Stuttgart and LRC Stuttgart.
LRC Stuttgart is one of eight 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 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.