Ground breaking marks construction of new fuel purging center

The Theater Logistics Support Center-Europe hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction of a fuel purging center April 12 at the Kaiserslautern Army Depot.

The groundbreaking involved the traditional digging up the first shovel full of earth and was followed with a plaque presentation.

Included in the ceremonial digging were: Maj. Gen. Aundre F. Piggee, Helmut Haufe, Andreas Schepers, Norbert Hoebel, Donna L. Street and Paul Lindemer.

After digging up the dirt, Street, the chief of the engineering and construction division, Army Corps of Engineers, presented Piggee, the commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, with a plaque to mark the occasion.

“This project is going to increase the readiness of our Soldiers and compensate for a facility we were using but had to be closed,” Piggee said. “Fortunately, we have the resources in order to make this project a reality, especially during a time of sequestration.”

All vehicles being retrograded or serviced by the TLSC-E must be purged of fuel, a service originally performed in Mannheim, Germany. With the closing of military installations, the facility that purged vehicles also closed.

Since then, contractors were used to perform this service.

“This facility will enable us to perform fuel purging on fuel tank trailers and Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks right here in Kaiserslautern,” said Frank Bernhard, the special assistant to the general manager of the TLSC-E. “This station will keep units ready while saving the Army money.”

The fuel purging station will be completed in March 2014.

“This facility is the result of efforts from the Theater Logistics Sustainment Center Europe, Army Corps of Engineers and the LBB (Landesbetrieb),” Piggee said. “I am confident that this facility will be completed on time, and we will continue our great support to U.S. Army Europe.”