New ACS facility welcomes community families

Story and photo by Brittany Jones 21st Theater Sustainment Command Public Affairs

Mary Aguirre, Gold Star mother (left), Col. Keith E. Igyarto, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz commander (middle left), Inge Colton, Gold Star family member (middle right), and Command Sgt. Maj. Edward J. Williams III, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz command sergeant major, cut the ribbon for the relocation ceremony of the Army Community Service on Kleber Kaserne Oct. 3. The new location is Bldg. 3210 and serves as a family assistance center during deployments and offers Relocation Readiness, information, referral, Financial Readiness, Exceptional Family Member, Deployment/Mobilization Readiness, Family Action Plan and outreach programs.
Mary Aguirre, Gold Star mother (left), Col. Keith E. Igyarto, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz commander (middle left), Inge Colton, Gold Star family member (middle right), and Command Sgt. Maj. Edward J. Williams III, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz command sergeant major, cut the ribbon for the relocation ceremony of the Army Community Service on Kleber Kaserne Oct. 3. The new location is Bldg. 3210 and serves as a family assistance center during deployments and offers Relocation Readiness, information, referral, Financial Readiness, Exceptional Family Member, Deployment/Mobilization Readiness, Family Action Plan and outreach programs.

Army Community Service officially opened its doors during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Oct.3 at the agency’s new home on Kleber Kaserne.

Col. Keith E. Igyarto, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Edward J. Williams III presided over the early-afternoon ceremony. Mary Aguirre, Gold Star mother, and Inge Colton, Gold Star family member, cut the honorary ribbon.

The new facility, located in Bldg. 3210, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays and Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays. Service and family members can also reach ACS representatives at 541-9000 or 0611-143-541-9000.

ACS has helped service members and their families in the Rheinland-Pfalz area for over 51 years. The agency embraces all services, prominently including the large Air Force presence in the region.

“Many people do not know that our resources are not just for Army Families,” said Heather Robinson, ACS director. “We are able to assist all U.S. service members and their Families in the Rheinland-Pfalz area.”

ACS-sponsored programs include family assistance during deployments, Relocation Readiness, Financial Readiness, Exceptional Family Member Program, Deployment/Mobilization Readiness and Family Action Plan, as well as information, referral and other outreach programs.

Robinson, who has served as director for the last two years, noted the move allows the ACS facility to serve as a one-stop shop for providing service members and their families valuable resources.

“The new location allows all of ACS’s programs to be located within steps from each other all on the same hallway,” Robinson said. The agency, previously located on Pulaski Barracks, split their functions and office space among three separate buildings.

Though ACS has not established any new programs, its move to a larger facility allows space to revamp signature community services like the Lending Closet, where service members and their Families turn to borrow household items during their military transitions. Close proximity to the regional Soldier in-processing facility is an added benefit. Soldiers and families conducting processing business can easily access the extensive Lending Closet during their visit.

The building, which served formerly as Army barracks, has been completely renovated. The new location includes privacy frosted glass doors separating the facility from other co-located agencies like Family Advocacy and Sexual Harassment/Assault Response Prevention.

The larger facility brings ancillary benefits such as additional opportunities for employment. The new location has allowed ACS to expand its work force and post several new job listing on www.USAJobs.com.

“The current ACS team is excited about all of the new changes that are to come with our new locations,” said Luisa Armendariz, ACS administrative support assistant.