APRIL 9, 2025 – Properly maintaining a 32,000-pound horizontal heavy construction vehicle is one thing but moving it can be another. Recently, and for the first time, Poland’s 33rd Army Prepositioned Stocks Support Battalion conducted training on the loading and transporting of a U.S. Army D7 medium track-type bulldozer at the APS-2 worksite in Powidz.
The Polish Provided Logistics Support servicemembers conducted the training March 31 to April 4 at the worksite as part of a larger, more comprehensive APS-2 maintenance training program, which has been in motion there since the summer of 2024.
According to an informational briefing by Army Field Support Battalion-Poland, who has mission command of the Powidz APS-2 worksite, the 33rd APS Support Bn. PPLS servicemembers learned how to properly load the D7 bulldozer onto an M870 semitrailer lowbed construction equipment transporter before moving it to the APS-2 site’s test track for a full operational assessment.
Since the middle of last year, the PPLS servicemembers from the 33rd APS Support Bn. have been engaged in a comprehensive maintenance training program at the Powidz worksite, both in the classroom and in the maintenance bays, led by instructors and field service representatives from U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Program Manager Abrams, Program Executive Office Howitzer and Tobyhanna Army Depot.
Thanks to the training, the 33rd APS Support Bn. PPLS servicemembers are gaining the knowledge, expertise and experience needed to properly maintain a wide range of U.S. Army APS-2 vehicles and equipment sets, while the Polish government funds their salaries, housing and administrative costs.
The knowledge the PPLS servicemembers gain from the U.S. Army-led training helps to ensure they’ll be fully qualified to take over the maintenance mission at APS-2 Powidz in the months ahead. It’s estimated that by 2026, the APS-2 maintenance mission at the site will transfer to PPLS, while command and control of the site will remain the responsibility of AFSBn-Poland, 405th Army Field Support Brigade. When this occurs, the U.S. Army is expected to reduce its financial costs at the site by about 90 percent.
“This joint training initiative sends a clear message of solidarity and commitment. It demonstrates the U.S. and Polish governments’ dedication to strengthening defense capabilities to ensure regional stability and security,” said John Glasgow, the AFSBn-Poland deputy to the commander.
“Providing this training to our NATO partners enhances their readiness and capability, which in turn contributes to the overall deterrence strategy,” said Lt. Col. Omar McKen, the commander of AFSBn-Poland. “By improving their skills and integrating them into joint operations, we send a strong signal to potential adversaries that our forces are well-prepared and united.”
The Powidz APS-2 worksite is comprised of 650,000 square feet of humidity-controlled warehouse space and a vehicle maintenance facility as well as supporting facilities. It houses and maintains a modernized Armored Brigade Combat Team’s worth of APS-2 equipment to include various horizontal heavy construction vehicles and equipment pieces, plus several dozen M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks, nearly 200 other armored combat vehicles, and more.
The 405th AFSB’s APS-2 program enhances U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s capability to support the warfighter while simultaneously promoting stability and security in the region. Additionally, it helps to assure partners and allies that the U.S. is fully committed to the collective defense of Europe. By providing turn-key power projection APS-2 packages ready to employ at a moment’s notice, the APS-2 program is a key component of U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s power projection and warfighter readiness missions.
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.
By Cameron Porter
405th AFSB Public Affairs Officer