DVIDS – News – Enabling power projection: 21TSC hosts Deputy CoS, G-3/5/7 touring strategic sites of USAG Rheinland-Pfalz

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Ryan, deputy chief of staff for G-3/5/7, visited U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz on Jan. 16 to meet with key leaders and gain a deeper understanding of European operations.

The day began with a site visit to the Coleman Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 (APS-2) worksite in Mannheim, where Ryan received a comprehensive tour of the facilities and a detailed capabilities briefing. During the visit, he was also briefed by key leaders, including Maj. Gen. Ronald Ragin, commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, as well as Col. Ernest Lane II, commander of the 405th Army Field Support Brigade, and Lt. Col. Jonathan Neal, commander of Army Field Support Battalion-Germany.

The primary mission at the Coleman APS-2 worksite is the storage and maintenance of an Armored Brigade Combat Team’s worth of APS-2 combat vehicles and equipment sets. The 405th AFSB’s APS-2 program provides turn-key power projection packages ready to deploy at a moment’s notice while helping to reduce the amount of equipment needed from the deploying forces’ home stations.

APS-2 sites like Coleman help reduce deployment timelines, improve deterrence capabilities and provide additional combat power for contingency operations. APS-2 equipment may also be drawn for use in training and exercises.

The visit continued with a tour of the Maintenance Activity Kaiserslautern (MAK), a key facility that plays a critical role in supporting U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s operations. During the tour, Ragin helped Ryan gain greater insight of the organization’s scope and mission by briefing the Theater Logistics Support Center Europe and Africa’s (TLSC-E/A) history, core competencies, and worldwide areas of support.

The MAK briefing was led by William Leslie, TLSC-E/A operations director, who talked about TLSC-E/A’s capabilities. Following the briefing, Markus Cappel, MAK director, guided the group on a walkthrough of the maintenance bays, giving Ryan a firsthand look at the facility’s operations and allowing him to see the maintenance processes in action.

The mission of MAK is to provide expert maintenance support for a wide range of tactical and commercial equipment, serving Army, joint, combined, and multinational forces, as well as supporting combatant commanders.

In recent times, the MAK has undergone a significant shift in focus, concentrating its efforts on building capability for the maintenance of complex tracked vehicles, such as the M2 Bradley. Additionally, the facility is driving modernization efforts across multiple fronts, including equipment, infrastructure, and training, to ensure it remains at the forefront of maintenance support and can effectively meet the evolving needs of its customers.

USAG Rheinland-Pfalz serves, supports, and secures the total force community enabling power projection for the European Theater.