BAMBERG, Germany (January 16, 2013) -- As U.S. Army Garrison Bamberg prepares for closure, various offices around post are relocating to better utilize facilities and serve the community more efficiently.
Capt. Petero Lole, commander of USAG Bamberg Headquarters and Headquarters detachment, said consolidating facilities will allow the garrison to prepare better for closure. "The overall objective of space management is to look at the facilities that have low usage," Lole said.
"It doesn't make sense to keep them open so we will move them into an enduring building. That will allow DPW (Directorate of Public Works) and DOL (Directorate of Logistics) to clear those buildings." Lole has been tasked with overseeing the consolidation of services to ensure the community is supported and to assist the garrison in meeting closure requirements. The Regional Contracting Office, which was located in Building 7108 next to Gate 1, is in the process of moving to the fifth floor of the Garrison Headquarters, Building 7089. The Installation Access Control Office that shared building 7108 with the Regional Contracting Office will move to Room 422 on the fourth floor of the Garrison Headquarters on Jan. 22. There will still be two IACS offices in Bamberg, Lole said, as the IACS office in the Central Processing Facility, Building 7290, will remain open.
The POND Security Office, also in Building 7108, is in the process of moving in to Building 7011 with the Military Police and Directorate of Emergency Services.
The First Sergeant Barracks Program, which oversees the assignment of barracks housing to single Soldiers, will move from Building 7104 to the Central Processing Facility on Jan. 23-24.
Lole said the program previously was managed by a contract but now is run by Soldiers. He said it makes sense for the office to be located in the same building as other services frequented by Soldiers during out processing. The new location will be more convenient for Soldiers.
"Most of them (single Soldiers) don't have cars," he said. "They used to have to walk across post (to the First Sergeant Barracks Program office.)" Lole said the VFW, which also is in Building 7104, will move to the Community Activity Center, Building 7047, in February.
Lole said the garrison has already begun consolidation of the barracks and will continue to do so as more Soldiers move to other locations. He said Soldiers living in Building 7004 were recently moved to Building 7005. These barracks were primarily used by the 391st Combat Support Sustainment Battalion, and the battalion's units have already begun moving to Baumholder.
"Those two agencies (the First Sergeant Barracks Program and VFW) are very happy with the future moves," he said. "They will be more visible, and it will be easier for them to close."
Once more tenant units begin leaving in the summer, Lole said he expects more services to move. He said Army Community Service will relocate to the first floor of the Garrison Headquarters in late summer. Lole said he has been pleased to see units working to turn in government equipment and furniture. He encourages units to continue to take accountability and the appropriate steps regarding equipment that is no longer needed. "We owe to it our government to make sure equipment is turned in properly or disposed of properly," he said.
Soldiers move furniture into the Regional Contracting Office's new location on the fifth floor of the U.S. Army Garrison Headquarters Building on Wednesday. Several offices around post are relocating in preparation for the garrison's closure in 2014.
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