FEBRUARY 7, 2023 – Since fielding an entire armored brigade combat team’s worth of Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 equipment last year, Army Field Support Battalion-Mannheim hasn’t taken its foot off the gas and work at the Coleman APS-2 worksite in Mannheim hasn’t slowed down.
Over the course of about a year, the battalion has issued more than 7,000 APS-2 vehicles and equipment pieces in support of U.S. European Command’s mission to enable the rapid deployment of troops to the European theater and show support to our allies, said Jason Todd, AFSBn-Mannheim’s deputy support operations officer.
And according to Maj. Steven Waugh, AFSBn-Mannheim’s executive officer, this includes equipment used to train Ukrainian forces, such as the recent movement and issue of dozens of M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles for training.
“It’s our job and it’s extremely important that we get all these Bradleys to the highest levels of readiness before issue so that their training isn’t affected,” Waugh said.
“Our team is fully prepared for continued support to the training efforts and Presidential Drawdown Authority requirements while staying fully aligned with our brigade commander’s priorities as theater lines of effort shift,” said Waugh.
In addition to providing Bradleys to help train the Ukrainian forces and supporting the drawdown initiative, the 405th Army Field Support Brigade’s Mannheim battalion recently received nearly 100 sustainment platforms – such as fuel trucks and ammunition carriers – from 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. The battalion is also moving forward with its plan to take mission command of the new APS-2 site under construction in Powidz, Poland, and re-designate to Army Field Support Battalion-Poland in the months ahead.
Plus, all the APS-2 equipment initially issued to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division last year has been accounted for, returned to the Coleman APS-2 worksite, and is back in AFSBn-Mannheim’s maintenance program cycle.
“While our commitment to all these missions remains high, we’ve carefully rotated our teams forward and back allowing our personnel time to reset and spend time with their families at home,” Waugh said.
“Bottom line, we continue to support our European allies as directed and take care of our people,” Todd added.
The 405th AFSB’s APS-2 program provides turn-key power projection packages ready to deploy at a moment’s notice while helping to reduce the amount of equipment needed from the deploying forces’ home stations. APS-2 sites like Coleman help reduce deployment timelines, improve deterrence capabilities and provide additional combat power for contingency operations. APS-2 equipment may also be drawn for use in training and exercises.
The Coleman APS-2 worksite located on a former Army airfield stores and maintains an armored brigade combat team’s worth of heavy armored vehicles and associated equipment. In August 2021, U.S. Army Europe and Africa announced that it will retain the Coleman worksite, which was previously scheduled to be returned to the German government.
In the months ahead, Army Field Support Battalion-Germany will assume mission command of the Coleman APS-2 worksite while AFSBn-Mannheim re-designates to AFSBn-Poland and assumes mission command of the APS-2 site there. Nearing completion now, this NATO-funded APS-2 worksite in Poland will be comprised of 650,000 square feet of humidity controlled warehouse space, a vehicle maintenance facility and supporting facilities capable of supporting a modernized armored brigade combat team. The site will also include a 58,000 square feet munitions storage area.
The 405th AFSB 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.
Story by Cameron Porter
405th Army Field Support Brigade – Europe & Africa