Photo By Cameron Porter | Chris Norris, the deputy director of Logistics Civil Augmentation Program Europe,...... read more read more
KAISERSLATERN, Germany – The 405th Army Field Support Brigade is spearheading the Department of Defense Skillbridge program in Europe, and thus far the program is proving its worth, both for transitioning Soldiers and for the brigade’s Logistics Civil Augmentation Program.
According to the DOD Skillbridge official website, Skillbridge is an opportunity for service members to gain valuable real-world civilian work experience through specific industry training, apprenticeships or internships during the last 180 days of their service. At the 405th AFSB, Master Sgt. Karina Rodriguez is currently enrolled in the program with LOGCAP.
“I learned about Skillbridge during the Transition Assistance Program course I was taking at Kleber Kaserne,” said the 23-year career Soldier and transportation senior sergeant at the 39th Transportation Movement Control Battalion who retires from active-duty service at the end of July.
“Like any other job, you go through an interview process to see if you’re the right fit. The process from the time of the interview to getting my packet supported by my battalion and brigade commanders took about 60 days,” Rodriguez said.
“To become a LOGCAP professional, there is a lot of training,” said Rodriguez. “Right now, I’m currently taking numerous acquisition certification classes, performing LOGCAP duties and participating in LOGCAP training within U.S. Army Sustainment Command, ASC’s Acquisition Integration and Management Center and Policy, Programs and Training Directorate.”
Rodriquez is only the second transitioning Soldier to go through the 405th AFSB’s LOGCAP Skillbridge program. The first, Kenneth Trejosamador, was hired by the brigade after completing the program and currently works for LOGCAP Africa in Stuttgart, Germany.
“Skillbridge is great for the 405th AFSB LOGCAP program because experienced Soldiers transitioning from active duty can provide supporting resources and skills, helping LOGCAP with external contract service support for U.S. European Command,” said Chris Norris, the deputy director of LOGCAP Europe.
“It’s all about talent management, building the bench and augmenting the LOGCAP staff,” said Norris, who currently manages base life service and support at about 40 sites across Europe. “Skillbridge allows Soldiers to learn additional skills they might not get as green suiters, helps build their resumes, and helps set them up for the next chapter of their careers.”
According to the DOD Skillbridge website, the program is normally six months in length and an invaluable chance to work and learn in civilian career fields. For industry partners and organizations like LOGCAP, SkillBridge is an opportunity to access and leverage the world's most highly trained and motivated workforce at no cost. Soldiers participating in SkillBridge continue receiving their military compensation and benefits while organizations like LOGCAP provide civilian training and work experience.
To learn more about the DOD Skillbridge program, visit https://skillbridge.osd.mil, and to download the official DOD Skillbridge brochure, go to https://skillbridge.osd.mil/docs/SkillBridge-Program-Brochure.pdf. For more information on the Army’s Transition Assistance Program, or TAP, go to https://www.armytap.army.mil.
LOGCAP is an Army strategic sourcing preferred source for base operations support and sustainment services. LOGCAP remains the contracted capability of choice for the Army and multiple joint partners for emergent and contingency operations. Currently, the 405th AFSB’s LOGCAP program supports thousands of deployed U.S. forces in Europe and Africa with base life support and more.
The 405th AFSB is assigned to ASC 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 the U.S. Army Materiel Command 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.
| Date Taken: | 03.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.27.2025 05:22 |
| Story ID: | 493828 |
| Location: | KAISERSLAUTERN, RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE |
| Web Views: | 20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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