Courtesy Photo | Ivelisse Rodriguez is the supervisor at the Drivers Testing and Training Station. She...... read more read more
VICENZA, Italy – Although Ivelisse Rodriguez was born in Puerto Rico, she spent her entire adolescent life living around the world as an Army brat. Growing up in places like Panama, Germany and Italy, the now Army civilian employee with Logistics Readiness Center Italy said many things about her life “have come full circle.”
“I was in this building when I was in second grade,” Rodriguez said. “It was the elementary school, middle school and high school – all in one. Now, it’s U.S. Army Garrison Italy’s new Central Processing Facility. We just moved into the building this month. It’s only our second week here. It’s USAG Italy’s newest community support facility where new Soldiers and their families in process when they come here.”
It’s been about 38 years since Rodriguez was a second-grade student in the same building on Caserme Ederle where she now works as the supervisor for LRC Italy’s Drivers Testing and Training Station, Building 309, Room 10. Rodriguez, who started working at DTTS in September of 2024, said she grew up an Army brat and cherishes her childhood memories of Italy. It was a dream come true to return, all these years later, she said.
“The first overseas duty station my dad got in Europe was here in Vicenza, Italy. I’m so happy to be back here, especially on this year, the Army’s 250th birthday. I love it. I love Italy. I love serving the Army community here. Happy 250th birthday, U.S. Army!” said Rodriguez, who was also an Army Soldier and an automated logistics specialist for three years at Fort Stewart, Georgia.
As the DTTS supervisor, Rodriguez said she and her team are responsible for supporting the USAG Italy community with all their drivers licensing needs. Besides their U.S. Army Europe drivers’ licenses, Rodriguez and her team assist with motorcycle endorsements and military non-tactical vehicle licensing. The DTTS team also provides guidance and instructions, as well as a required DTTS memorandum, that community members need to receive their Italian international licenses. The Italian license, which costs about 300 Euros, qualifies them to operate a motor vehicle outside of Italy and across Europe.
But drivers testing and training support isn’t Rodriguez’ only specialized area of expertise at the LRC. Before accepting the position as DTTS supervisor, she was a quality control inspector with LRC Italy assisting Soldiers and Army families with their household goods and unaccompanied baggage shipments within the USAG Italy area of responsibility.
For about 16 months Rodriguez inspected the contracted moving companies, ensuring they continuously met her customers’ needs while following mandated guidelines and procedures. And she assisted her customers, as best she could, during what many would consider turbulent times – moving from one duty station to another.
“Before that, I was working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Savannah, Georgia, for five years as a realty specialist,” said Rodriguez, who has been married for 16 years and has two sons, ages 15 and 22. “At USACE Savannah, I was responsible for managing and disposing of real property, such as leased land and buildings on government lands.”
LRC Italy is one of eight LRCs under the command and control of the 405th Army Field Support Brigade. LRCs execute installation logistics support and services to include supply, maintenance, transportation, and food service management as well as clothing issue facility operations, hazardous material management, personal property and household goods, passenger travel, property book operations, and non-tactical vehicle and garrison equipment management. When it comes to providing day-to-day installation services, LRC Italy directs, manages, and coordinates a variety of operations and activities in support of USAG Italy.
The 405th AFSB 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: | 04.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.29.2025 05:43 |
| Story ID: | 496408 |
| Location: | VICENZA, IT |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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