CHIÈVRES AIR BASE, Belgium – When Gerard Bibbins retired from the Army in 2021 after serving as a paratrooper and logistics management supply noncommissioned officer for 20 years, he wisely decided to take a knee for a couple of years and spend time with his family.
Now, the installation property book officer at Logistics Readiness Center Benelux is back with the Army, this time as an Army civilian, and he and his family are about to add a new member to their fold.
Bibbins and his wife of 11 years have two girls, ages 9 and 6. At the end of this month they’ll be adding a boy to the mix, and he said they couldn’t be happier. The installation property book officer, who’s been in the position since June of 2023, is also happy with his job at LRC Benelux serving Soldiers and families in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
“I enjoy waking up every day knowing I'm able to continue to contribute to the Army and support Soldiers and their Families,” said Bibbins. “And my colleagues at the LRC Benelux installation property book office are equally as passionate about supporting Soldiers and Families.”
“It’s important to be able to do whatever we can to support the warfighters and to ensure they have everything they need to successfully accomplish their missions,” he said. “As the installation property book office, we fill all the equipment requirements, conduct property inventories, process property book transactions, conduct monthly unit status reports, manage equipment directives and train all the organizations on the command supply discipline program.”
Training is something Bibbins is accustomed to. Having served multiple tours of duty as an active-duty Soldier with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, the Old Guard, 5th Special Forces Group, and the 82nd Arborne Division, he understands the value of training and the value of teamwork.
“My team at LRC Benelux is one of the best I’ve worked with in my career,” said the 41-year-old retired sergeant first class with over 50 airborne jumps. “We have a multicultural team here with different backgrounds and perspectives. Knowing that together we can learn from each other while bringing different experiences to the collective table to accomplish any mission that stands in front of us – that’s what stands out most to me.”
With team members spread across three geographically dispersed locations – three at Chièvres, two in Brunssum, Netherlands, and one in Brussels, Belgium – teamwork and communication are key, said the native of Accomac, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. And with over 78 hand receipts holders in three countries, Bibbins and his team certainly have their work cut out for them.
The total value of all the items on the hand receipts – everything from fire trucks to non-tactical vehicles, computer systems to snow and ice removal equipment, and lawn care machinery to everything else in between – is about $30 million, said Bibbins.
“Bottom line, my job is to accurately manage property accountability of $30 million worth of equipment and vehicles while advising multiple commanders, directors and supervisors, and training dozens of hand receipt holders on all aspects of property management within the LRC Benelux area of responsibility,” he said.
LRC Benelux is one of eight LRCs under the command and control of the 405th Army Field Support Brigade. 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 Benelux directs, manages and coordinates a variety of operations and activities in support of U.S. Army Garrison Benelux.
LRC Benelux reports to the 405th AFSB, which 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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