VILSECK, Germany –
Army Maj. Alec Velasco grew up outside of Fort Stewart, Georgia, the home of the 3rd Infantry Division. His dad was a ‘Dogface’ Soldier with the 3rd Inf. Div. – first in Germany and then at Stewart. Growing up the son of a Soldier, Velasco said following his father’s footsteps only made sense.
A Reserve Officers’ Training Course cadet and student at the University of Georgia, upon graduation in 2013 Velasco commissioned as an Army second lieutenant and began his career. Velasco’s first unit was a support battalion in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div. He was now officially a Dogface Soldier, too, just like his dad.
That was almost 12 years ago. Today, Velasco is the executive officer for Army Field Support Battalion-Germany (AFSBn-Germany). His battalion is responsible for the Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 mission at the Dülmen and Coleman APS-2 worksites, both located in Germany.
The quartermaster officer turned logistician said he didn’t know a ton about APS-2 before being assigned to AFSBn-Germany – first as the battalion support operations officer and later as executive officer – but thanks to a multitude of APS-2 experts already assigned to his battalion headquarters and at the worksites when he arrived, he quickly learned from the best of the best.
“I’ve been extremely fortunate,” said Velasco. “I have a great team here at battalion and great teams at both the Coleman and Dülmen worksites. These guys are all phenomenal, super professional and very gifted in their technical expertise. They've all got 10 times more experience than I do, which made my transition a lot easier and to this day, makes my job a lot easier.”
As the AFSBn-Germany executive officer, Velasco said it’s all about filling gaps. His battalion headquarters at Vilseck and the primary staff there have one critical mission, he said, and that’s supporting the Dülmen and Coleman APS-2 worksites.
“The teams at the APS-2 worksites manage the APS-2 stocks, and we as a battalion headquarters are here to enable them. If there are any gaps, we try to help fill them. It’s about guiding and coaching and looking forward to what’s coming up next so we can stay ahead of things and fill any gaps before they become issues,” said Velasco, who is 34 years old and calls Hinesville, outside of Fort Stewart, his hometown.
Interesting about the APS-2 mission for AFSBn-Germany – unlike the other APS-2 battalions in the 405th Army Field Support Brigade and the other APS-2 worksites across Europe – the battalion’s primary workforce at the worksites are contractors, said Velasco. With that comes a lot of nuances, he said, and a lot more to ascertain and understand.
“There definitely was a learning curve coming here, just like any unit, and at times it’s been extremely challenging, but it’s also been very enjoyable and rewarding," he said. “I really like working in this organization. And living in Europe for both me and my family – we’ve been enjoying it a lot.”
Being married for 10 years and being a father to a 3-year-old son, Velasco said family is number one. His wife, Stella, is not only supportive of him but also extremely supportive of the Army communities where they’ve lived. In fact, for several years she’s worked at multiple child development centers – both stateside and in Germany – and she now works at the Netzaberg Youth Center in Grafenwoehr where they live.
“My wife is extremely supportive of my career and she herself serves the Army community by providing education and care for our youth. She's passionate about supporting Soldiers by taking the best care and providing the best opportunities for their children,” Velasco said. “She’s also an amazing mother to our son and has no rival when it comes to planning the best four-day weekend getaways.”
AFSBn-Germany is one of four battalions assigned to the 405th AFSB tasked with helping enhance U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s readiness and capability to support the warfighter. Headquartered at Rose Barracks in Vilseck, AFSBn-Germany has mission command of the Coleman and Dülmen APS-2 worksites. APS-2 sites like Dülmen and Coleman help reduce deployment timelines, improve deterrence capabilities and provide additional combat power for contingency 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.