Twitter
Facebook
Name: Eric Helmer
Job title: Baumholder Installation Transportation Officer
Assigned: Logistics Readiness Center Rheinland-Pfalz Baumholder, 405th Army Field Support Brigade
Location: Quartermaster Kaserne, Baumholder
Experience: I’ve been working at LRC Rheinland-Pfalz in Baumholder for just over six years. I started out as the deployment specialist here, did that for about four months, and then began working at my current position as the Baumholder installation transportation officer.
Other Service: I retired from the Army in Baumholder in 2014. I served 24 years as a logistics noncommissioned officer and retired as a first sergeant.
Hometown: Pineville, Missouri
Q: Can you explain what you do and what you are responsible for at LRC Rheinland-Pfalz Baumholder?
A: I have three sections under my responsibility. I have the Personal Property Processing Office, which handles all the inbound and outbound household goods shipments as well as quality control, the customs program and passenger travel. Another section I manage is the transportation motor pool with over 200 government leased and a couple dozen government owned non-tactical vehicles. We also provide a post shuttle bus service, primarily for our single Soldiers who live in the barracks. And the third section I manage is the Drivers Testing and Training Station in Baumholder. In total, I have over 30 local national employees and a small number of Army civilian employees. I get involved when there’s an issue, a dispute with a customer or they need clarification on regulatory guidance. I provide a wide variety of reports up through LRC Rheinland-Pfalz to the 405th AFSB headquarters, mostly concerning capabilities and workforce status.
Q: Why is the Transportation Division mission in Baumholder is so important?
A: I think each of the sections in transportation have their own various reasons why they are important. Starting out with PPPO, without this section no one could change duty stations. We’re the ones facilitating the pickup and delivery of everyone’s household goods as well as passenger travel. Our customs team pre-clears everyone’s shipments to help get their belongings to their next duty stations as quickly and problem-free as possible. The TMP section helps enable the units and organizations here in Baumholder to complete their missions by providing a reliable transportation capability. The Drivers Testing and Training Station is important because it provides U.S. Army Europe certificates of license to all our Baumholder community members as well as non-tactical vehicle drivers training and motorcycle riders training. All this helps to get our community members out on the road safely.
Q: What do you enjoy about your job, and what motivates you?
A: The biggest thing for me — including both my time as an Army civilian and my time as an active duty Soldier — is my passion to support Soldiers and Army Families. Since I became an Army civilian one of the biggest challenges I faced was working with a civilian workforce, but with time and effort that’s now become one of the most enjoyable aspects of my job as a manager of well over 30 civilian employees. I have three fantastic teams of local national and Army civilian professionals who are all very proficient at what they do and a true pleasure to work with.
LRC Rheinland-Pfalz and 405th AFSB: LRC Rheinland-Pfalz is one of seven LRCs under the command and control of the 405th AFSB. LRCs execute installation logistics support and services to include supply, maintenance, transportation and food service management as well as clothing issue facility operations, hazardous material management, personal property and household goods, passenger travel, and non-tactical vehicle and garrison equipment management. When it comes to providing day-to-day installation services, LRC Rheinland-Pfalz directs, manages and coordinates a variety of operations and activities in support of USAG Rheinland-Pfalz. LRC Rheinland-Pfalz reports to the 405th AFSB, which is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and under the operational control of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The brigade 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 at www.afsbeurope.army.mil and the official Facebook site at www.facebook.com/405thAFSB.
