KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – The 405th Army Field Support Brigade’s Logistics Civil Augmentation Program is simultaneously supporting two exercises on the continent of Africa this month. LOGCAP is providing over two dozen base life support services to U.S. servicemembers and nearly 40 partner nations participating in Flintlock 25 in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire and over a dozen base life support services to U.S. servicemembers and nearly 10 partner nations participating in African Lion 25 in Tunisia.
Bolstered by the 4th LOGCAP Support Battalion, a Reserve unit out of Athens, Georgia, as well as administrative contracting officers from the 414th Contracting Support Brigade, Jacob Spitler, the 405th AFSB’s senior LOGCAP planner for Africa, is leading LOGCAP support for U.S. Special Operation Command Africa personnel at Flintlock 25. Simultaneously, Justin Conner, the 405th AFSB LOGCAP Africa exercise planner, is leading LOGCAP efforts at African Lion 25 in support of U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa.
According to Spitler, LOGCAP support for both exercises remains adaptable and responsive to evolving conditions. Through close collaboration with the administrative contracting officers from U.S. Army Contracting Command’s 414th CSB, they’ve overcome multiple challenges while ensuring mission success at both exercises.
“Our onsite teams have effectively addressed dynamic situations ranging from significant sandstorms in Tunisia to emerging U.S. Special Operation Command Africa requirements,” Spitler said. “We remain committed to meeting prime contractor performance and safety requirements on schedule or developing alternative solutions when necessary.”
“While both exercises have encountered challenges and setbacks, we maintain consistent communication with our supported units, providing recommended courses of action and collaborative planning to navigate these issues,” said Spitler.
For example, according to an informational briefing provided to the 405th AFSB’s command group, construction of shower facilities in support of Flintlock 25 in Côte d'Ivoire fell behind schedule so LOGCAP cancelled the contract and arranged for containerized shower trailers to be dispatched from Accra, Ghana. The shower trailers are now on site and fully operational, thanks to LOGCAP’s quick action and support.
In Tunisia for African Lion 25, LOGCAP also encountered challenges with shower facilities as well as latrines, potable water, and fire and safety protection equipment. LOGCAP personnel worked quickly to resolve these issues, developing suitable options to meet the service and support needs of the exercise.
African Lion 25 is U.S. Africa Command's largest annual exercise hosted across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia. The joint, all-domain, multi-component and multinational exercise includes more than 10,000 participants from more than 40 nations, including seven NATO allies. African Lion aims to strengthen interoperability among participants and build readiness to respond to crises and contingencies in Africa and around the world.
Flintlock 25 in Côte d'Ivoire is U.S. Special Operations Command Africa’s largest exercise. Its objective is to train nearly 40 nations and 500 participants in countering violent extremist organizations, collaborating across borders and providing security for the population. A long-time participant and four-time host, the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire provides leadership and expertise to address these goals.
The 405th AFSB provides and coordinates U.S. Army Materiel Command enablers in support of U.S. Army Africa and Europe through LOGCAP, the preferred source for base operations support and sustainment services. LOGCAP is the contracted capability of choice for the Army and multiple joint partners for emergent and contingency operations. Currently, the 405th AFSB’s LOGCAP program supports thousands of deployed U.S. forces in Europe and Africa with base life support and more.
The 405th AFSB is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The brigade 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