Courtesy Photo | Kailyn Baker-Smith is a transportation specialist with Logistics Readiness Center...... read more read more
ZAGAN, Poland – Before Kailyn Baker-Smith was an Army civilian she was an Army dependent. Her mother was a career Soldier who retired with 22 years of service as an Army senior noncommissioned officer in 2012. In 2017, Baker-Smith followed her mother’s footsteps and began working for the Army, herself.
Baker-Smith first worked in Germany with the 405th Army Field Support Brigade, but last year she transitioned to a new position in the Swietoszow Military Community at Zagan and started working for the 405th AFSB’s Logistics Readiness Center Poland.
The Army civilian employee and transportation specialist at LRC Poland said she’s excited about 2025. After all, this will be her first full year working in Poland, and on top of that this year is the Army’s 250th birthday.
“I enjoy helping Soldiers,” said Baker-Smith, “whether that’s a new Soldier coming to Poland on his first deployment or a Soldier who’s dedicated his entire adult life to the Army and is now retiring.”
“I’m just happy that I can help make the process smoother for them. This year is my first full year supporting Soldiers in Poland. That is exciting in and of itself but knowing this is also the Army’s 250th birthday year makes it even more special. Happy 250th birthday, U.S. Army!” Baker-Smith said.
The native of Newport News, Virginia, said there are some unique challenges to living and working in Poland. The support LRC Poland provides to the U.S. Army Garrison Poland community and the Soldiers and Army civilians there is vital, but in general it’s not the same as what they might experience in Germany or other locations where the Army has been operating for decades.
“At first it was hard for me to adjust, but now I like it,” said Baker-Smith, who turns 27 in just over a week. “The cost of living is very low. It’s a totally different lifestyle and culture compared to Germany, for example, but over the months I’ve grown accustomed to it. The food, the music, the culture – it’s really fascinating here.”
Baker-Smith said she’s currently filling two positions at LRC Poland. She manages the non-tactical vehicle fleet, and due to a critical shortage, she’s also serving as a transportation counselor for personal property shipments.
For the NTV fleet, this includes about 30 vehicles, ranging from sedans to minivans to box trucks and more. Baker-Smith is responsible for managing the entire NTV fleet, dispatching vehicles in support of USAG Poland and the LRC.
On the personal property shipping side, Baker-Smith comes highly experienced. Before working for LRC Poland, she was a quality assurance and quality control transportation assistant working personal property moves in Baumholder, Germany, and she also served as a transportation counselor and assistant in Kaiserslautern handling incoming and outgoing personal property moves there.
“I enjoy what I’m doing, and I enjoy who I work with,” said Baker-Smith, who is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Maryland Global Campus, online.
“Mainly, everyone here is unaccompanied – without their families – so we rely heavily on each other, both at work and outside of work,” she said. “We have a relationship where if somebody is in need, we don’t hesitate to help because we’re technically all we have.”
LRC Poland, headquartered at Camp Kościuszko in Poznan, Poland, is one of eight LRCs under the command and control of the 405th AFSB. LRCs execute installation logistics support and services to include supply, maintenance, and transportation as well as clothing issue facility operations, hazardous material management, personal property and household goods, passenger travel, non-tactical vehicle and garrison equipment management, and property book operations. When it comes to providing day-to-day installation services, LRC Poland directs, manages and coordinates a variety of operations and activities in support of USAG Poland.
LRC Poland reports to the 405th AFSB, which 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 at www.afsbeurope.army.mil and the official Facebook site at www.facebook.com/405thAFSB.
The Army will celebrate its 250th birthday on June 14. For 250 years, the Army has offered endless possibilities and opportunities for service to our nation with over 200 career choices for Soldiers and more than 500 career paths for civilians. To learn more about the Army’s 250th birthday, visit www.army.mil/1775 and check out the DVIDS’s special Army birthday feature portal at www.dvidshub.net/feature/ARMY250.
| Date Taken: | 03.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.11.2025 07:39 |
| Story ID: | 492468 |
| Location: | ZAGAN, PL |
| Hometown: | NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 193 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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