Courtesy Photo | Army Field Support Battalion-Poland Sgt. Maj. Olimpia Valdez (right) took time to...... read more read more
POWIDZ, Poland – Unique to the Powidz Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 worksite is its workforce. Unlike other APS worksites worldwide, once fully trained and certified, the primary workforce supporting the Army’s APS mission in Poland will be uniformed servicemembers from a foreign, partner nation.
At the Powidz worksite, Poland Provided Logistic Support servicemembers from the 33rd APS Battalion have been immersed in a training program since last year that mirrors equivalent training U.S. Soldiers receive while attending advanced individual training at Army schools in the states.
Since July of 2024, several iterations of PPLS-targeted training have been conducted or are underway. Primarily, most of the training is concentrated on heavy and light track maintenance and wheeled vehicle maintenance.
But not all. Recently, the first iteration of unit supply specialist (92Y) training was successfully completed at the Powidz APS-2 worksite, and nearly three dozen PPLS servicemembers from the 33rd APS Battalion graduated from the training program.
Recognized for their hard work and weeks of classroom and on-the-job instruction and training, the PPLS servicemembers were presented with graduation certificates April 18 by their senior officer, Polish Lt. Col. Przemel Musiej.
Also there to recognize them was the Powidz APS-2 worksite director, George Palmer, from Army Field Support Battalion-Poland, as well as other senior leaders from the battalion, to include AFSBn-Poland Sgt. Maj. Olimpia Valdez.
Valdez, who walked the line of graduates and personally showed her appreciation for each of them, has long stated that language would be one of the biggest challenges her battalion would need to focus on to ensure the PPLS servicemembers receive full benefit from the U.S. Army provided training.
“For our team, the main challenge lies in the language barrier, so the training must be thorough, technical, and comprehensive. Identifying any knowledge gaps while respecting the Polish forces’ existing expertise will be difficult, at first,” said Valdez.
The PPLS servicemembers who graduated from the unit supply specialist training agreed with Valdez, stating the instruction provided was both comprehensive and beneficial. They said completing the training brings them one step closer to assuming the APS-2 maintenance mission at Powidz as fully certified and capable members of the team.
“Providing this training to our NATO partners enhances their readiness and capability, which in turn contributes to the overall deterrence strategy,” said Lt. Col. Omar McKen, the commander of AFSBn-Poland. “By improving their skills and integrating them into joint operations, we send a strong signal to potential adversaries that our forces are well-prepared and united.”
“This training will undoubtedly strengthen the bond between the U.S. and the Polish militaries and governments, as well as NATO,” said Palmer. “This collaboration fosters a sense of unity and shared purpose, reinforcing our collective defense commitments and enhancing our ability to respond to threats as a unified front.”
The Powidz APS-2 worksite is comprised of 650,000 square feet of humidity-controlled warehouse space and a vehicle maintenance facility as well as supporting facilities. It houses and maintains a modernized Armored Brigade Combat Team’s worth of APS-2 equipment to include several dozen M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks and nearly 200 other armored combat vehicles, plus more.
AFSBn-Poland is one of four battalions under the command and control of the 405th Army Field Support Brigade. The brigade is headquarters in 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 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.
| Date Taken: | 04.24.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2025 02:55 |
| Story ID: | 496049 |
| Location: | POWIDZ, PL |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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