KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – Supporting the largest U.S. military community in Europe, Logistics Readiness Center Rheinland-Pfalz is responsible for a full spectrum of community support functions to include drivers testing, commercial travel services, hazardous material control, regional supply and support activities, installation property books, household goods shipments, customs clearances, non-tactical Army owned and leased vehicle fleets and more.
It’s an incredibly large amount of work for a relatively small team so halting services for one day once a year to show appreciation to the LRC employees is easily justifiable, but at LRC Rheinland-Pfalz they still ensure training value is met and the most is made of this special day.
LRC Rheinland-Pfalz conducted an employee appreciation day, safety stand down day, and an employee recognition and team building day, July 1, and they started their day off with fire – albeit a simulated fire.
A fire drill was sounded at the LRC Rheinland-Pfalz’ headquarters building on Daenner Kaserne in the morning to exercise the LRC’s fire and emergency safety proficiency. Kaiserslautern Military Community fire inspectors were there to check the building after it was evacuated and provide feedback and suggestions to help the LRC be even safer in case of fire.
Immediately following the fire drill and welcome remarks from LRC Rheinland-Pfalz Director Greg Terry, the LRC employees conducted more fire safety training with the KMC fire inspectors to include practicing how to extinguish an actual fire.
Following this, they received even more training. Several leaders form LRC Rheinland-Pfalz provided summer safety training to the other LRC employees who attended the event. The training included motorcycle safety, hot-weather safety and heat-injury prevention, barbeque safety, water safety and more.
“It’s very important that we think safety, we remain safety conscious, we take care of each other, and we look out for one and another,” said Terry. “We want to make sure all of the safety measures that are established by all of the safety regulations are followed.”
“But also we want to put these regulations in applicable terms where we are looking at one and another to make sure – not that they are necessarily text book answers all of the time – that we are making simple adjustments and corrections to ensure everyone remains safe, and everyone returns to work the next day and the next week and the next month,” Terry said.
Following the safety training, the team from LRC Rheinland-Pfalz conducted an awards and employee recognition ceremony and enjoyed a barbeque luncheon and outdoor festivities.
LaShaun Chappell is the safety specialist for LRC Rheinland-Pfalz. She helped organize the event knowing how important knowledge and training can be in order to prevent safety mishaps and possible injuries or deaths in the workforce.
A lot of times people think safety training and safety stand down days are a check-the-block kind of thing, Chappell said.
“But this is much more than check-the-block,” Chappell said. “It shows – number one – that we are safety minded and safety conscious.”
“It shows that we use risk assessments and risk management and all our processes – be it whether you’re in an admin space or in the motor pool or one of our central issue facilities – and we are incorporating safety in all that we do, looking out for each other and protecting each other,” she said.
“Damage to property, loss of personnel due to injury – it kills morale and your bottom line starts to suffer,” said Chappell. “But with all of us staying safety minded, it keeps damage costs down, injuries and illnesses down, and helps us maintain a healthy safety management system.”
Chappell said she thinks incorporating the awards and employee recognition and the employee appreciation day events into LRC Rheinland-Pfalz’ safety day activities was a good idea.
“Due to COVID-19, for the last two years no one has been really able to have these employee appreciations or see the people’s faces who you email or talk to who are in Baumholder or maybe even on Kleber (Kaserne). So having this boosts morale and comradery amongst the workforce,” said Chappell.
“You get to see that person who you might only get to email, and it shows the LRC employees their leadership actually cares,” she added.
LRC Rheinland-Pfalz is one of seven LRCs under the command and control of the 405th AFSB. LRCs execute installation logistics support and services to include supply, maintenance, transportation and food service management as well as clothing issue facility operations, hazardous material management, personal property and household goods, passenger travel, and non-tactical vehicle and garrison equipment management. When it comes to providing day-to-day installation services, LRC Rheinland-Pfalz directs, manages and coordinates a variety of operations and activities in support of U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz.
LRC Rheinland-Pfalz reports 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 U.S. Army Materiel Command’s materiel enterprise to support joint forces. For more information on the 405th AFSB, visit the official website and the official Facebook site.
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