POWIDZ, Poland –
Surrounded by over 5,000 tactical vehicles and major end items of Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 valued at $125 million, Army Field Support Battalion-Poland conducted a change of command ceremony at the newest, most modern APS worksite in the world.
Relinquishing command of the 405th Army Field Support Brigade’s AFSBn-Poland at the Powidz APS-2 worksite in Poland, Lt. Col. Omar McKen passed the Battalion Poland colors to Lt. Col. Michelle McDevitt on June 25, 2025, officially signifying a change of leadership at the state-of-the-art APS-2 worksite.
In attendance were several civic leaders from Powidz and the surrounding communities as well as Polish Brig. Gen. Grzegorz Kołodziejczyk, the commander of Poland’s 3rd Airlift Wing; Polish Col. Arkadiusz Golonka, the commander Poland’s 33rd Air Transport Base; Polish Col. Krzysztof Szymaniec, the deputy commander of the 3rd Airlift Wing; and Col. Delarius Tarlton, the commander of the 1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade, plus more.
The commander of the 405th AFSB, Col. Ernest Lane II, presided over the ceremony and provided key remarks. He spoke very highly of McKen, who was responsible for transitioning his battalion from AFSBn-Mannheim to AFSBn-Poland and moving an entire modernized Armored Brigade Combat Team’s worth of APS-2 from Germany to Poland before activating the Army’s newest AFSBn at the world’s newest APS site.
“From the first batch of about a dozen M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks that arrived at the Powidz APS-2 worksite via railhead almost exactly one year ago to what is now stored and maintained here today – over 5,000 armored combat vehicles and major end items – simply put, Lieutenant Colonel McKen and his team have delivered readiness to the Army, to NATO and to Europe,” Lane said.
“I am extremely happy for you and very grateful for all that you have accomplished and all that you will continue to do for our Army,” Lane said to McKen during the ceremony. “I know your time here has been full of unique challenges and plenty of rewards, and you will continue to blaze a path forward conquering challenges and receiving accolades for your tremendous work.”
“I do appreciate all those kind words. We have a fantastic team here at AFSBn-Poland, and that won’t change when I leave,” said McKen, whose next assignment will be the support operations officer at the 7th Transportation Brigade.
Lane also took time to welcome AFSBn-Poland’s new commander. McDevitt comes to the 405th AFSB’s Battalion Poland and APS-2 Powidz from Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, where she served as the commander of the Joint Personal Effects Depot, Casualty Mortuary Affairs Operations Division. Lane said he has the utmost confidence in McDevitt and looks forward to watching her excel.
“Lieutenant Colonel McDevitt is poised to take on this assignment with confidence and skill, and this battalion stands ready to embrace her leadership,” said Lane during the ceremony. “She is the perfect leader at the perfect time in the perfect place to propel this unit to new heights of excellence.
“With her strong leadership, documented history of dedicated service, and overwhelming wealth of experience and knowledge, she will lead AFSBn-Poland and the Powidz APS-2 worksite to success, supporting the warrior every step of the way,” Lane said.
“To the Soldiers, noncommissioned officers, officers and civilians of AFSBn-Poland, I’m here to serve you,” said McDevitt at the ceremony. “Our formation has been charged with this mission, and you are the right team to execute this mission. I look forward to every opportunity to watch you excel.”
After transitioning from Mannheim, AFSBn-Poland officially uncased its colors on Sept. 18, 2024, during a ceremony at the Powidz APS-2 worksite, which encompasses 650,000 square feet of humidity-controlled warehouse space, a vehicle maintenance facility, and various supporting structures, plus 58,000 square feet of munitions storage nearby. The Powidz worksite houses an entire modernized Armored Brigade Combat Team’s worth of APS-2, demonstrating the combined U.S., Polish and NATO commitment to maintaining rapid deployment capabilities.
The 405th AFSB’s APS-2 program alleviates many deployment requirements typically associated with sending major combat units to Europe from the U.S. It is estimated that APS-2 worksites in Europe, like Powidz, can help reduce deployment timelines for an armored brigade combat team from 60 days to as little as a week or two.
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 and the official Facebook site. Watch this video to learn more about the 405th AFSB's APS-2 program and the Powidz APS-2 worksite.