Ground breaking marks construction of new fuel purging center for 21st TSC

By Staff Sgt. Alexander A. Burnett, 21st TSC Public AffairsApril 24, 2013

Ground breaking marks construction of new fuel purging center for 21st TSC
From left: Andreas Schepers, Norbel Hoebel, Donna L. Street, Maj. Gen. Aundre F. Piggee, Helmut Haufe and Paul Lindemeber dig the first shovels of dirt for the Theater Logistics Support Center Europe fuel purging station at the Kaiserslautern Army De... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany -- The Theater Logistics Support Center Europe hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction of a fuel purging center at the Kaiserslautern Army Depot, April 12.

The groundbreaking involved the traditional digging up the first shovel full of earth and was followed with a plaque presentation.

Included in the ceremonial digging were: Maj. Gen. Aundre F. Piggee, Helmut Haufe, Andreas Schepers, Norbert Hoebel, Donna L. Street and Paul Lindemer.

After digging up the dirt, Street, the chief of the engineering and construction division, Army Corps of Engineers and a native of Walla Walla, Wash., presented Piggee, the commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, with a plaque to mark the occasion.

"This project is going to increase the readiness of our Soldiers and compensate for a facility we were using but had to be closed," said Piggee. "Fortunately we have the resources in order to make this project a reality, especially during a time of sequestration."

All vehicles being retrograded or serviced by the TLSC-E must be purged of fuel, a service originally performed in Mannheim, Germany. With the closing of military installations, the facility that purged vehicles also closed. Since then, contractors were used to perform this service.

"This facility will enable us to perform fuel purging on fuel tank trailers and Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck right here in Kaiserslautern," said Frank Bernhard, the special assistant to the general manager of the TLSC-E and a native of Rodalben, Germany. "This station will keep units ready while saving the Army money."

The fuel purging station will be completed in March 2014.

"This facility is the result of efforts from the Theater Logistics Sustainment Center Europe, Army Corps of Engineers and the LBB (Landesbetrieb)," said Piggee. "I am confident that this facility will be completed on time, and we will continue our great support to U.S. Army Europe."

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21st Theater Sustainment Command