Press Release
☷405th AFSB issues float bridge dozen boats to Fort Hood unit for DEFENDER Europe 22
U.S. Army ( By Press Release office)
May 05,2022
| 26| 1
A contractor assigned to Army Field Support Battalion - Mannheim , 405th Army Field Support Brigade , guides a bridge transporter carrying a bridge erection boat and boat cradle in Radom , Poland , April 28 . The equipment was issued to the 74th Multi - Role Bridge Company , deployed from Fort Hood , Texas , to Poland for DEFENDER - Europe 22 at an Equipment Configuration and Hand - off Area in Radom . For the first time ever , an entire float ribbon bridge system from Army Prepositioned Stocks - 2 was issued to a U . S . - based MRBC deployed to Europe for training . ( Photo by Maj . Leonard Weschler ) RADOM , Poland – During training exercises and real - world operations in Europe , the 405th Army Field Support Brigade is often tasked with issuing Army Prepositioned Stocks - 2 equipment , trucks and armored vehicles to rotational forces and deploying units . Humvees , tanks , armored fighting vehicles , line - haul trucks , construction equipment and more – it’s all part of the 405th AFSB’s APS - 2 equipment sets . Pretty much anything and everything – even bridges and boats . Recently the 405th AFSB’s Mannheim and Benelux battalions worked together to prepare , ship and issue an entire bridge system for the 74th Multi - Role Bridge Company , deployed from Fort Hood , Texas , to Poland for DEFENDER - Europe 22 . For the first time ever , an entire float ribbon bridge system from the APS - 2 worksite in Zutendaal , Belgium , was transported to Poland and issued to a U . S . - based MRBC deployed to Europe for training . More than 150 major bridge system end items were issued to the 74th MRBC , 62nd Engineer Battalion , for the multinational training exercise at an Equipment Configuration and Hand - off Area in Radom during the last week of April . A float ribbon bridge system from the Army Prepositioned Stocks - 2 worksite in Zutendaal , Belgium , is unloaded at Radom , Poland , April 25 , for use during DEFENDER - Europe 22 . The 405th Army Field Support Brigade issued an entire bridge set at an Equipment Configuration and Hand - off Area in Radom – about 150 major end items and over 400 other equipment pieces – to the 74th Multi - Role Bridge Company , deployed from Fort Hood , Texas , to Poland for DEFENDER - Europe 22 . ( Photo by Jason Todd ) Soldiers from the 74th Multi - Role Bridge Company , 62nd Engineer Battalion , 36th Engineer Brigade , conduct an inspection on a float ribbon bridge system in Radom , Poland , April 29 . The Fort Hood , Texas , and III Corps bridge company is deployed to Poland for DEFENDER - Europe 22 . For the first time ever , an entire float ribbon bridge system from the Army Prepositioned Stocks - 2 worksite in Zutendaal , Belgium , was transported to Poland and issued to a U . S . - based MRBC deployed to Europe for training . ( Photo by Maj . Leonard Weschler ) This included over a dozen bridge erection boats and boat cradles , over 40 bridge bays and adapter pallets , and more than 40 bridge transporters . In addition , more than 400 other APS - 2 items were issued to the bridge company – things like weapons , radios , generators and even a bulldozer – as well as thousands of repair parts , basic issue items and tools . Army Maj . Leonard Weschler is the Army Field Support Battalion - Mannheim executive officer , but for this mission in support of the III Corps bridge company assigned to the 36th Engineer Brigade , Weschler was also the ECHA site officer in charge . He said that he and a small team of about 50 personnel – mostly contractors – from AFSBn - Mannheim , plus a handful of personnel from Army Field Support Battalion - Benelux , were responsible for the ECHA operations in Radom and the issue of the bridge system , which when erected and launched can extend up to 210 meters . The command and control and the contracted workforce came from AFSBn - Mannheim , said Weschler , but the quality assurance officers and accountable officer came from AFSBn - Benelux’s Zutendaal site , where the float ribbon bridge system is normally stored . Soldiers from the 74th Multi - Role Bridge Company , 62nd Engineer Battalion , 36th Engineer Brigade , conduct inventory on a float ribbon bridge system in Radom , Poland , April 29 , drawn from Army Field Support Battalion - Benelux’s Army Prepositioned Stocks - 2 worksite in Zutendaal , Belgium . The bridge system includes over a dozen bridge erection boats and boat cradles , over 40 bridge bays and adapter pallets , more than 40 bridge transporters , and a bulldozer as well as more than 400 other items such as weapons , radios and generators , plus thousands of repair parts , basic issue items and tools . ( Photo by Maj . Leonard Weschler ) A bridge bay arrives in Radom , Poland , April 25 , from Army Field Support Battalion - Benelux’s Army Prepositioned Stocks - 2 worksite in Zutendaal , Belgium . The bridge bay is one of over 150 major end items that make up the float ribbon bridge system . Other major end items include over a dozen bridge erection boats and boat cradles , over 40 more bridge bays and adapter pallets , and more than 40 bridge transporters . The APS - 2 bridge system was issued to the 74th Multi - Role Bridge Company , deployed from Fort Hood , Texas , to Poland for DEFENDER - Europe 22 . ( Photo by Jason Todd ) “We were able to all meet up during two separate pre deployment site surveys so we had a good relationship and mutual understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities , ” Weschler said . “That was instrumental . The second PDSS allowed us to refine the previous assessment and helped ensure we were successful . ” “And this mission truly showed the flexibility within our brigade , ” he added . It demonstrated the 405th AFSB’s capability to manage and run operations of increased complexity and showed that “we’re able to mix and match expertise from two battalions to ensure mission success , ” Weschler said . And the mission command expertise AFSBn - Mannheim demonstrated during the EHCA issue acts as a stepping stone for the battalion when it re - designates to AFSBn - Poland and assumes command and control of the new APS - 2 worksite currently under construction in Powidz , Poland . “Opportunities to gain knowledge on how to operate in Poland is critical for my battalion , ” Weschler said . ”Gaining this experience and knowledge will help us be successful and help us further build relationships here in Poland . ” Command Sgt . Maj . Kofie Primus , the command sergeant major of the 405th Army Field Support Brigade , meets with Soldiers from the 74th Multi - Role Bridge Company April 29 to discuss how the Equipment Configuration and Hand - off Area issue at Radom , Poland , is progressing . ( Photo by Cpt . Aaron Carpenter ) Weschler said his battalion was able to increase the speed of issue by allowing the gaining tactical unit – the 74th MRBC – to conduct inspections on all the equipment 24 hours in advance of issue . And based off of other lessons learned from recent APS - 2 operations in Europe , the battalion was able to expedite the speed of issue even more . “It took a total of three and half hours to complete the actual issue , ” said Christopher Hatch , the ECHA site accountable officer . “It was executed very well , very efficiently . ” Hatch , who normally serves as the director of supply and transportation at AFSBn - Benelux’s Zutendaal APS - 2 site , said it was a total team effort . The AFSBn - Mannheim contractors and the Soldiers from the gaining tactical unit supported the effort flawlessly with setting the grids and making sure the equipment was ready for hand - off . Hatch said he believes the mission went well for a number of reasons – one being AFSBn - Benelux recently conducted ECHA operations in Poland with elements from the XVIII Airborne Corps in support of assure and deter operations in Europe . And AFSBn - Mannheim outfitted an entire armored brigade combat team deployed to Germany from the U . S . in late February and early March with a full complement of APS - 2 equipment , to include Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles . Pictured here , Army Reserve Soldiers in Wisconsin employ a portion of a float ribbon bridge system as part of their annual training in 2021 . During DEFENDER - Europe 22 , the 74th Multi - Role Bridge Company will be employing an entire bridge system , which was issued to the Fort Hood , Texas , MRBC at an Equipment Configuration and Hand - off Area in Radom , Poland , the last week of April . For the first time ever , the 405th Army Field Support Brigade issued an Army Prepositioned Stocks - 2 bridge system to a U . S . - based bridge company deployed to Europe for training . The commander of AFSBn - Mannheim , Lt . Col . Brian Astwood , stressed to the Soldiers of 74th MRBC how important they are to operations in Europe when he visited the ECHA site and observed operations . He made sure the Soldiers understood they’re bringing a vital capability and expertise to Europe that doesn’t exist here without them and the APS - 2 equipment sets . Thanks in part to the battalion commander’s encouraging words , it’s apparent the MRBC Soldiers from Fort Hood are “super excited to exercise and display their capabilities during DEFENDER - Europe 22 – not only to the U . S . Army but also to our Allies and our adversaries within the theater , ” Weschler said . DEFENDER - Europe 22 is a series of U . S . Army Europe and Africa multinational training exercises within U . S . European Command’s Large Global Scale Exercise construct taking place in Eastern Europe . DEFENDER - Europe 22 demonstrates U . S . Army Europe and Africa’s ability to conduct large scale ground combat operations across multiple theaters in support of NATO and the U . S . National Defense Strategy . 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 the U . S . Army Materiel Command materiel enterprise to support joint forces . For more information on the 405th AFSB , visit the official website and the official Facebook site .
PLAY the NEWS
* May be useful for visually impaired persons .
Press release information:
Direct link to press release:
Click here .
