VILSECK, Germany –
The six Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 worksites in Europe serve as a strategic deterrent and support theater requirements in integrated campaigning, competition and conflict. Army Field Support Battalion-Germany is responsible for two of these six APS-2 worksites, both located in Germany, and Charles Drum serves as an integral member of the team, ensuring these sites and the APS-2 program in Europe remain strategically ready.
As a support operations specialist with AFSBn-Germany, Drum has the responsibility of coordinating, overseeing, analyzing and reporting operations at the Dülmen APS-2 worksite in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Coleman APS-2 worksite in Baden Württemberg.
He and his team at AFSBn-Germany work with the site directors and support operations cells at the two worksites to ensure the APS-2 vehicles and equipment sets stored and maintained at the sites remain fully mission capable, ready for issue and ready to meet mission.
Drum, who before being assigned to AFSBn-Germany worked at the Eygelshoven APS-2 worksite in the Netherlands, said keeping these APS-2 vehicles and equipment sets at the highest levels of readiness ensures the supported units and Soldiers have ready and available equipment where and when they need it, exactly what they need to fight and win.
“When I was Soldier on rotations to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, or the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, a lot of times the equipment I was issued was sub-par,” Drum said. “So, it’s extremely important to me and my battalion that we are providing APS-2 equipment to incoming units or rotational units that is better than 10/20 standards, better than fully mission capable.”
After nearly six years working APS-2 in Europe, Drum said it almost feels like home. The retired senior noncommissioned officer who served over 24 years in the active-duty Army before becoming an Army civilian said his leadership at AFSBn-Germany is some of the best he’s seen his entire Army career.
And serving on such an impressive team with such great leadership responsible for such an important mission is compounded by the fact that this year is a very special year for the Army, Drum said.
“It’s amazing how long the Army has been in existence. With all the transformation and changes within the Army over the past 250 years, one thing that hasn’t changed is taking care of people,” said Drum, who is 50 years old, married for 12, and has three daughters and a stepson. “The people make things happen. If you lose the people, the organization will fail.”
“It’s incredible to think the Army has been around for 250 years. Happy 250th birthday, U.S. Army!” he said.
AFSBn-Germany is one of four battalions assigned to the 405th Army Field Support Brigade tasked with helping enhance U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s readiness and capability to support the warfighter. In addition to its APS-2 mission at Dülmen and Coleman, AFSBn-Germany is responsible for providing and coordinating tactical and operational sustainment to ensure theater readiness and enable commanders to conduct a full range of military operations.
The 405th AFSB 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 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.
The Army will celebrate its 250th birthday on June 14. For 250 years, the Army has offered endless possibilities and opportunities for service to our nation with over 200 career choices for Soldiers and more than 500 career paths for civilians. To learn more about the Army’s 250th birthday, visit www.army.mil/1775 and check out the DVIDS’s special Army birthday feature portal at www.dvidshub.net/feature/ARMY250.