DVIDS – News – Head of Supply and Services Division: I had the privilege of serving at LRC-Benelux

Name: Robert Carter

Job title: Head of Supply and Services Division

Affected: Logistics Readiness Center-Benelux, 405th Army Field Support Brigade

Location: Chièvres Air Base, Belgium

Experience: Three years as Head of Supply and Services Division at LRC-Benelux. Prior to that, he was attached to the 407th AFSB at Fort Hood, TX for nine years as a Logistics Support Activity Liaison Officer assigned to Logistics Support Activity, US Army Materiel Command.

Other Service: Served 29 years as an active duty soldier and retired as Chief Warrant Officer 5. His last active duty posting was the Senior Maintenance Technician, III Corps and Fort Hood. He also served three years after his retirement as a senior maintenance manager and contractor in Iraq and the United States. In total, he has approximately 42 years of service in the military plus three years as a contractor supporting the military.

Birthplace: Fort Hood, Texas

Family: Married to his wife, Susie, for 41 years. They have two children – a 36-year-old daughter, Nicole, and a 32-year-old son, Robert II.

Q: Can you explain to us what your functions are as Head of the Supply and Services Division at LRC-Benelux, 405th AFSB?

A: In the Supply and Services Division, you have the operations of the goods ledger office, the supply and support activity, the central distribution facility, the hazardous materials and the purchasing section – a total of 24 people. We serve as the Supply and Logistics Directorate for the US Army Garrison-Benelux, supporting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Headquarters and Supreme Allied Command HQ in Europe as well as many other commands , agencies and activities. All logistics operations in which USAG-Benelux is involved – such as liability for goods, handover of goods, issuance of goods and receipt of goods – all arise from or through the Supply and Services Division, LRC-Benelux.

Q: Why is the mission of the Supply and Services Division at LRC-Benelux so important?

A: We are basically the tip of the spear when it comes to succeeding or failing a mission. If they need material, it comes from us or through us in one way or another. We are the ones who ship it and we are the ones who receive it when it arrives. We are the ones who add it to the property books and generate receipts in person. We are the ones who distribute the equipment to the soldiers and civilians of the army being processed in the theater of operations. All the equipment they need comes out of our CIF. Or it may be some type of special equipment that they need, such as military police forces have special sets that they receive. Or it is something the garrison commander may deem essential for emergency essential personnel.

Q: What do you like about your job and what motivates you?

A: I have the best job in all of LRC-Benelux, and this LRC has the most amazing people I have ever met in my career. In 42 years of federal service, this is probably the best assignment I have ever had with the most educated and best trained workforce that I will have the privilege of serving. It was truly a rewarding and enjoyable mission.

LRC Benelux and 405th AFSB: When it comes to providing day-to-day installation services, LRC-Benelux leads, manages and coordinates a variety of operations and activities in support of the USAG Benelux . LRC-Benelux is part of the 405th Army Field Support Brigade, which is assigned to the US Army Sustainment Command and under the operational control of the 21th Theater Sustainment Command, US Army Europe and Africa. The brigade is headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and provides corporate materiel support to US forces throughout Europe and Africa – providing theater support logistics; synchronize procurement, logistics and technology; and leverage AMC’s physical 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 website at www.facebook.com/405thAFSB.