Over 100 Bradleys from 405th AFSB, TLSC-E issued to Cavalry Soldiers for Poland rotation

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - The 1st Cavalry Division is providing the Soldiers to support the next rotation of forces to Poland, and the 405th Army Field Support Brigade (AFSB) and Theater Logistics Support Center-Europe (TLSC-E) are providing them with the Bradley Fighting Vehicles they'll need for the mission.

Soldiers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team's 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, are deploying from Fort Hood, Texas, to Poland to support the mission, there. Meanwhile, over 100 M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles were prepped and issued to them in Germany before being transported to Poland for the mission.

Almost three dozen Bradley Fighting Vehicles were issued to the Cavalry Soldiers from the 405th AFSB's Army Field Support Battalion-Germany (AFSBn-Germany) at the Coleman Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 (APS-2) worksite in Mannheim, Germany, recently.

The rest were issued to the Cavalry Soldiers from TLSC-E, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, mainly at Maintenance Activity Kaiserslautern but also at Maintenance Activity Vilseck in U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria.

Army Maj. Alec Velasco, the executive officer at AFSBn-Germany, 405th AFSB, said his battalion worked for months to prepare the Bradleys, ensuring they were all 100 percent fully mission capable and ready for issue. He said it's been a huge focus for his battalion, the brigade and the entire theater over the past year.

"We've been briefing U.S. Army Sustainment Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa weekly on the status of these Bradleys since last August," said Velasco. "Between the Army civilians who work there, the green suitors there, and the team of contractors who do 90 percent of the heavy lifting to get these vehicles ready, it's been a huge collaborative effort."

"Initially, it seemed like an insurmountable task," Velasco said. "Progress was slow at first as we did the required technical inspections and ordered all the necessary parts. As parts started coming in, we'd start wrenching them down. As one system came up, we'd run the required tests on all the systems and often find more problems. But we kept at it, and progress really accelerated this past spring and summer to get to where we are today."

"Coming over here and falling in on this equipment … is hugely beneficial for us. All we have to do is maintain the APS equipment and then give it back to the [405th AFSB] when we're done. We don't have to worry about taking it back home and fixing it as soon as we get back," said 1st Lt. Robert Zelinski, platoon leader, B Company, 2nd Bn., 7th Cav. Regt.

"We had no idea what we were walking into here, but from the first moment we got here, the team at Coleman was taking care of everything. This is the standard when it comes to maintenance professionalism. We really appreciate everybody from every level," said 1st Lt. Reece Crook, executive officer, B Company, 2nd Bn., 7th Cav. Regt.

"I've never seen Bradleys like this," said Staff Sgt. Josue Betancourt, an M2 Bradley system maintainer from the field maintenance team supporting 2nd Bn., 7th Cav. Regt. "It's the first time I've seen Bradleys in this condition my entire 10-year career, to be honest with you."

"For the Bradleys at Coleman, the combined team there - with all the expertise and experience they have - made it all happen," said Velasco, adding that the Bradleys came to the Coleman APS-2 worksite and AFSBn-Germany after being utilized by Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cav. Div., during a previous rotational mission to Europe.

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle is designed to transport infantry to key areas on the battlefield while providing fire support. It is equipped with a 25mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun, a TOW missile launcher, and a 7.62mm M240C machine gun. The Bradley also includes optics and electronics for target acquisition and communication. It can carry six infantrymen in addition to its three-man crew, supporting various combat operations with its protection and mobility features.

The Coleman APS-2 worksite is one of six APS-2 worksites in Europe, and AFSBn-Germany is one of four APS-2 battalions under the command and control of the 405th AFSB. 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.

The 405th AFSB is the premier logistics integrator and synchronizer for U.S. European Command, enabling readiness solutions to 'Support the Warrior' by operationalizing U.S. Army Materiel Command capabilities and delivering readiness within the U.S. Army Europe and Africa areas of responsibility at the point of need.

The 405th AFSB is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and provides materiel enterprise support to U.S. forces throughout Europe and Africa - providing theater sustainment logistics; synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology; and leveraging AMC's materiel enterprise to support joint forces. For more information on the 405th AFSB, visit the official website and the official Facebook site.