Nearly three dozen Bradleys were handed over at the Coleman Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 worksite in Mannheim by the 405th AFSB’s Army Field Support Battalion-Germany. The remainder were issued by TLSC-E, mainly at Maintenance Activity Kaiserslautern and also at Maintenance Activity Vilseck in U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria.
Army Maj. Alec Velasco, executive officer at AFSBn-Germany, said his unit worked for months to ensure the Bradleys were ready. “We’ve been briefing U.S. Army Sustainment Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa weekly on the status of these Bradleys since last August,” he said.
“Between the Army civilians who work there, the green suitors there, and the team of contractors who do 90 percent of the heavy lifting to get these vehicles ready, it’s been a huge collaborative effort,” Velasco added. He said that although “initially, it seemed like an insurmountable task,” progress accelerated in spring and summer after inspections and parts orders.
1st Lt. Robert Zelinski, platoon leader, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, said, “Coming over here and falling in on this equipment … is hugely beneficial for us. All we have to do is maintain the APS equipment and then give it back to the [405th AFSB] when we’re done.”
1st Lt. Reece Crook, executive officer, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, praised the support on arrival. “We had no idea what we were walking into here, but from the first moment we got here, the team at Coleman was taking care of everything. This is the standard when it comes to maintenance professionalism,” he said.
Staff Sgt. Josue Betancourt, an M2 Bradley system maintainer, noted the condition of the vehicles. “I’ve never seen Bradleys like this,” he said. “It’s the first time I’ve seen Bradleys in this condition my entire 10-year career, to be honest with you.”
Velasco credited the combined expertise at Coleman for preparing the vehicles after their previous use by 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. The Bradley Fighting Vehicle carries a three-man crew plus six infantrymen, and is armed with a 25mm chain gun, a TOW missile launcher and a 7.62mm machine gun.
The Coleman APS-2 worksite is one of six in Europe, part of the 405th AFSB’s prepositioned stocks programme providing turn-key power projection packages. The 405th AFSB, assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command, delivers materiel support across Europe and Africa to enable operational readiness.
