Name: Biondi Andrea
Job title: Electronics Mechanic and Small Arms Repair Specialist
Assigned: Army Field Support Battalion-Africa, 405th Army Field Support Brigade
Location: Leghorn Army Depot, Livorno, Italy
Experience: I’ve been working at Leghorn Army Depot with the U.S. Army for 39 years. I’ve worked here almost my entire adult life. I started as a mechanic’s helper in a temporary position, but within four months I applied and was accepted into a permanent position at the laundry facility where I worked for the next two years. I was then promoted and assigned as a tool room keeper for five years. After this, I started working in maintenance as a mechanic and small arms specialist.
Hometown: Livorno, Italy
Family: I am married to my wife, Lorena, for 39 years. We have two children, one boy and one girl. Our daughter Perla is 25 years old, and our son Alex is 22 years old.
Q: Can you explain what you do and what you are responsible for at AFSBn-Africa?
A: As an electronics mechanic and small arms repair specialist in the directorate of maintenance, at the moment I’m working on some generators and heaters, but I also conduct regular maintenance and services on small arms weapons and make repairs to these weapons as needed. The weapons I work with include the M4, M16, M9, M249 and many other types of weapons. The generators need to be fully serviced at least every 24 months versus most of the small arms require quarterly checks and services. During services, if an issue is identified and the needed repair parts are on hand I will make the necessary repairs immediately. We are required to keep all of the equipment we are responsible for fully mission capable all of the time – 24/7.
Q: Why is the mission of the directorate of maintenance, AFSBn-Africa, so important?
A: To me the mission of the directorate of maintenance is important because we are a force provider and a force multiplier. We provide direct support to the Soldiers when they receive a mission or take part in a training exercise. We are operationally critical to the mission of AFSBn-Africa and 405th AFSB, providing support to the units in U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
Q: What do you enjoy about your job, and what motivates you?
A: I like what I do because this work is important. I’m supporting many Soldiers, and the mission is important. It’s a good job that provides for my family and myself, but just as importantly it provides for the Soldiers we support. They couldn’t complete their missions successfully without the proper equipment in good working condition. I have great respect for my colleagues and for the Soldiers we support. I like to come to work every day and be useful to the Army and to my unit – AFSBn-Africa.
AFSBn-Africa and the 405th AFSB: Located at Leghorn Army Depot in Livorno, Italy, AFSBn-Africa is charged with providing and coordinating receipt, transfer, storage and maintenance of Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 to enable commanders to conduct unified action and a full range of military operations in support of U.S. Army Africa and Europe and joint forces. The battalion also provides logistics assistance to commanders confronted with challenges beyond their resources or capabilities and performs this function through the employment of U.S. Army Materiel Command's Logistics Assistance Program, composed of technically proficient Logistics Management Specialists and Logistics Assistance Representatives from AMC’s life cycle management commands.
AFSBn-Africa is one of four battalions assigned to the 405th AFSB, which is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and under the operational control of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The brigade is headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and provides materiel enterprise support to U.S. forces throughout Europe and Africa – providing theater sustainment logistics; synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology; and leveraging AMC’s materiel enterprise to support joint forces. For more information on the 405th AFSB, visit the official website and the official Facebook site .
Social Sharing