KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany –
As one of the Life Cycle Management Commands supporting operations in Europe for U.S. Army Materiel Command, U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command provides Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) depot-level maintenance capabilities and support to U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
After nearly three years of planning and work, a newly renovated and modernized maintenance facility project was completed and placed into operation recently at CECOM’s Tobyhanna Army Depot Forward Repair Area-Europe on Panzer Kaserne in Kaiserslautern.
Joseph Scheff, the deputy to the commander at 405th Army Field Support Brigade, and Command Sgt. Maj. Terrell Brisentine, the 405th AFSB command sergeant major, visited the newly renovated maintenance facility April 8. They were greeted by members of the depot forward repair area team, who briefed them on the infrastructure upgrades and renovation work, the facility’s capabilities, and the mission of CECOM’s Tobyhanna Army Depot Forward Repair Area-Europe.
At a cost of about $2 million dollars to renovate, modernize and equip the maintenance facility using European Defense Initiative funds, and about $150,000 to recondition and refurbish the exterior and replace the roof, paid for by U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, building 3042 on Panzer Kaserne is another example of the Army’s commitment to modernization and infrastructure investment.
“It provides the team an up-to-date facility with increased capacity and capability to improve our work efficiency and our morale,” said Kevin Beck, the Tobyhanna Army Depot Europe branch chief. “We have a new facility, and our people are – more than ever – excited to come to work every day.”
As a forward repair area and an extension of Tobyhanna Army Depot in Coolbaugh Township, Pennsylvania, CECOM’s Tobyhanna Army Depot Forward Repair Area-Europe supports depot-level maintenance testing and repairs – extending serviceable life cycle of equipment out five years. Work efforts at the maintenance facility include communication terminal, electronic systems, and network infrastructure repairs, rebuilds and upgrades, resulting in reduced repair cycle times and increased sustainment readiness.
Since achieving initial operating capability during the last quarter of fiscal year 2018, CECOM’s Tobyhanna Army Depot Forward Repair Area-Europe has executed 117 total production assets at a cost of over $33 million, extending the life cycle of Army equipment in Europe by about 600 years, total.
CECOM sustains and delivers C5ISR to enable full spectrum combat operations at the point of need. Whether repairing radar and satellite terminals to maintain battlefield awareness, delivering software updates to keep tactical radios safe from virtual intruders, or ensuring spare parts are available whenever and wherever needed, CECOM's global team equips and empowers Soldiers in all aspects of C5ISR.
Personnel assigned to CECOM’s Tobyhanna Army Depot Forward Repair Area-Europe are attached to the 405th AFSB for operational command and control. The 405th ASFB is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The brigade provides materiel enterprise support to U.S. forces throughout Europe and Africa – providing theater sustainment logistics; synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology; and leveraging the AMC 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.