The vice chief of staff and the sergeant major of the Army toured the 405th Army Field Support Brigade’s Long Term Equipment Storage and Maintenance-Complex in Powidz, Poland, for a capabilities briefing Aug. 26, 2023.
During the site visit, Gen. Randy George – who was nominated in April to be the next chief of staff of the Army and is currently the acting CSA – toured the state-of-the-art Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 storage and maintenance complex as a model for future APS-2 facilities.
“Gen. George said (the LTESM-C) undoubtedly demonstrates our key APS-2 capabilities with our NATO allies and partners,” said Joseph Scheff, the 405th AFSB deputy to the commander.
George and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer were joined by the commanding generals of the 4th Infantry Division and the 21st Theater Sustainment Command as well as representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District, and U.S. Army Europe and Africa headquarters.
The LTESM-C is NATO’s biggest single infrastructure investment in more than three decades, with key strategic capabilities including maintenance readiness and access to logistics nodes. The facility was unveiled in April during a ceremony attended by U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzenzinski, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland Mariusz Blaszczak, and other senior officials and leaders in the region.
Once fully operational, the LTESM-C will hold all tactical vehicles and combat equipment a modernized, armored brigade combat team would need. At that point, the 405th AFSB will activate a new battalion – Army Field Support Battalion-Poland – and it will assume mission command of the complex.
In addition to visiting the LTESM-C, George and Weimer also traveled to the 405th AFSB’s APS-2 worksite in Mannheim, Germany, and the 405th AFSB’s Remote Maintenance and Distribution Cell-Ukraine in Poland.
Comprised of 650,000 square feet of humidity-controlled warehouse space, a vehicle maintenance facility and supporting facilities, and 58,000 square feet of munitions storage – the LTESM-C demonstrates the commitment and investment of the U.S. with Poland and NATO through enduring agreements to posture resources for rapid deployment and deter potential adversaries.
The 405th AFSB’s APS-2 program in the U.S. European Command area of operations enhances the U.S. military’s ability to rapidly and dynamically employ forces within theater, vastly improving NATO’s deterrence capabilities and readiness posture, reducing deployment timelines, and providing additional combat power for contingency operations. APS-2 equipment may also be drawn for use in training and exercises. The 405th AFSB’s APS-2 program and the LTESM-C help to assure allies and partners that the U.S. is committed to the collective defense of Europe.
