BRUSSELS, Belgium – When you’re highly perceptive to people’s feelings and needs and you love interacting with and helping people, transportation assistant might not be the first profession that comes to mind, but Eileen Catalan said for her it’s the perfect fit.
The Logistics Readiness Center Benelux local national employee in Brussels is responsible for assisting her customers with all their transportation needs – everything from household goods and unaccompanied baggage shipments to non-temporary storage and even shipping their privately owned vehicle at government expense.
At her job, Catalan said she “feels needed.” Since starting at LRC Benelux Brussels last September, the mother of two adult children who originally hails from Panay Island in the Philippines but has lived in Belgium for over two decades said being available, empathetic and encouraging has paid great dividends with her customers.
“I like the effect of helping others. It’s like planting a seed, watching it mature and grow, and then harvesting all that positive energy. I’m very perceptive to their feelings and their morale needs, and I’m still learning,” said Catalan.
As a transportation assistant for LRC Benelux in Brussels, Catalan has an extremely broad customer base. The people she supports include servicemembers and their families, U.S. personnel assigned to NATO, U.S. Embassy staff and leadership, U.S. personnel assigned to the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Department of Defense Education Activity employees such as teachers and school administrators, and more. She estimates the total population she supports exceeds 2,500 customers.
Daily, Catalan said she has people call or walk into her office asking for assistance. Many times they don’t have movement orders yet, but they come with lots of questions and often a few concerns, and Catalan and her coworker do their best to help them.
“We sit down with them and brief them on their household goods and unaccompanied baggage allowances. Also, we brief them on shipping their privately owned vehicle and even the process of releasing their stored unaccompanied baggage in the U.S. after returning from their overseas mission,” said Catalan who holds a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from Central Philippine University and before LRC Benelux worked as a food program manager for Child and Youth Services and as a food court manager for the Exchange.
“For customers who choose to handle the administrative requirements for their shipments themselves, we discuss the process of doing a personally procured move and the pros and cons,” said Catalon, who also worked as a special events coordinator and recreation specialist with USAG Benelux’s Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation Directorate before accepting a job offer with LRC Benelux.
For other customers who rely on the LRC Benelux transportation office to coordinate their move, “we actually take over their shipment request for them,” said the 54-year-old transportation expert. “They complete a worksheet with all their personal information, estimated shipment weights, addresses, and special requirements like motorcycle or firearms, taxidermy forms and certificates, and we take over the process.”
“I look forward to coming to work because I love what I do. It’s my second home, and I will always be here for this community, USAG Benelux and my LRC team,” said Catalan.
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 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 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.
Social Sharing