POZNAN, Poland – It was a week full of ups and downs for Kiara Shields. Her beloved Dallas Cowboys ended their season in heartbreak once more, but the two new leased network printers she worked so hard to procure were delivered in tip-top form.
Shields is the information technology specialist at Logistics Readiness Center Poland, but she’s also a self-proclaimed diehard Cowboys fan.
When Shields arrived at LRC Poland in September as a new employee, Dallas fans were hopeful this season would be the one to end their 29-year Superbowl drought. Sadly, it wasn’t.
But also when she arrived at LRC Poland in September, her director and the rest of her team there were hopeful Shields would be the one to end their months-long IT drought. Happily, she was.
“We have a superstar at LRC Poland now,” said Director Chanteen Violette. “She came to us from South Korea and has taken our IT mission and ran with it.”
Thanks to Shields, LRC Poland is having two new printers delivered this week, Violette said. Even though she’s only been here for a short time, she made it happen. And she’s providing much needed, additional IT support to U.S. Army Garrison Poland, as well, imaging new laptops and working their IT issues. This is above and beyond her assigned duties with LRC Poland.
“She might be a Cowboys fan, but she’s an angel to all of us,” said Violette.
Shields, who is married and has two daughters, ages 4 and 12, came to LRC Poland on an accompanied tour. Her wife and children are enjoying everything Poland has to offer. When not spending time with them, Shields is working extremely hard with her team at LRC Poland.
“It’s a lot of work and a lot of new things to learn, but I love a challenge,” said Shields who served as an active-duty Soldier and tactical satellite/microwave operator for 3.5 years before becoming an Army civilian in 2019.
Her duties as the organization’s IT specialist are particularly important considering LRC Poland just stood up last year in support of USAG Poland, which was also officially activated in 2023.
“The mission of supporting this brand-new Army garrison is extremely important, and my team is doing really great,” said Shields. “Everyone is jelling really well, we’re getting along really well, and we’re learning from each other. At this point, it feels like we’ve known each other for years.”
“I think the partnerships we're establishing now with the garrison personnel as well as our host nation friends will take us a long way,” said the 34-year-old Oklahoma City native, Rose State College graduate and Cowboys fan.
LRC Poland is the newest of eight LRCs under the command and control of the 405th AFSB. LRCs execute installation logistics support and services to include supply, maintenance, and transportation as well as clothing issue facility operations, hazardous material management, personal property and household goods, passenger travel, non-tactical vehicle and garrison equipment management, and property book operations. When it comes to providing day-to-day installation services, LRC Poland directs, manages, and coordinates a variety of operations and activities in support of USAG Poland.
LRC Poland reports to the 405th Army Field Support Brigade, 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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