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The 6966th Transportation Truck Terminal held an award and farewell ceremony on Dec. 11 at the Clock Tower Cafe, Kleber Kaserne. During the ceremony, 13 local national employees were presented with Length of Service certificates representing over 420 years of dedicated and professional service to the U.S. Army. Two drivers were also recognized for accident-free driving, one being recognized for 500,000 miles and one for 750,000 miles.
Operational since 1953, the 6966th TTT, part of the Theater Logistics Support Center – Europe and Africa, employs 265 personnel and has been working seamlessly with the U.S. Army to transport and deliver any of the Army’s needs. The unit is responsible for transporting mail, general cargo, HAZMAT, heavy equipment, and handle tow missions. Their missions take them throughout most of Europe and to locations as far as Africa.
According to Helmut Kraemer, 6966th TTT superintendent, it’s important for their workforce to be recognized for their dedicated service to the U.S. Army. “We’re proud to have these guys in my unit,” said Kramer.
As head of the overall operations, Kraemer takes pride in his employees’ success and outstanding safety record. Their civilian support group has the lowest accident rate in the Army, with an accident rate of 0.29 percent per 1 million miles driven.
“It’s very important to recognize their efforts on every mission, whether it is a local run or long distances that take them cross-border, especially during high OPTEMPO, and we have to publicly appreciate them for their effort to the unit and the mission.” said Kraemer.
Of 265 employees, approximately 165 are professional and cross-trained drivers who have a combined average of 3.7 million miles during the past three years. Their mission is to support military exercises, deployment operations, and humanitarian aid support with a tailored vehicle fleet ranging from small cargo vans and 40-ton trucks to heavy equipment transporters.
“The everyday performance of a vehicle operator is not an easy task considering the traffic density in Europe,” said Eckhart Rank, motor transportation supervisor. “Recognizing the work of a vehicle operator is essential for their motivation and the unit’s reputation.”
Recognizing the professionalism and skills of the 6966th’s members is important for the unit’s morale and the younger employees’ plans for the future, knowing that they will also receive recognition for jobs well done.
“Every human being needs some recognition, right,” said Stefan Keller, motor vehicle operator. “I’m glad we started to celebrate the anniversaries again. It allows us to get some recognition from our supervisors and previously it had been lost in the past a bit, so I’m very glad it’s started again.”
As general manager of Theater Logistics Support Center – Europe and Africa, Helmut Haufe is honored to recognize his employees for their hard work and dedication. “It makes me extremely proud to see my employees being recognized for excellence over a span of five up to 45 years of service,” said Haufe. “It says a lot about the organization and the U.S. Army as an employer. It obviously is an indication that it works for both sides, otherwise, it would not have lasted as long as it has.”
