21st TSC to get new commander Thursday

Maj. Gen. Yves J. Fontaine is scheduled to relinquish command of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command to Brig. Gen. Patricia E. McQuistion during a formal change of command ceremony at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Daenner Kaserne Sports Field.

Eighteen months after taking command of the 21st TSC, Major General Fontaine will depart the Kaiserslautern area and Germany and become the commanding general of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command in Rock Island, Ill. The ASC, which supports Army, joint and coalition forces, is a global organization charged with providing front-line logistics support to combat units. Additionally, ASC manages Army pre-positioned stocks located in strategic sites around the world, maintains weapons and equipment at bases in forward areas and oversees the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program, which provides contractor support in theaters of operation.

Brigadier General McQuistion joins the 21st TSC from the Defense Supply Center Columbus headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. She served as the commanding general for the past two years and was in charge of an annual operating budget of $2.3 billion in support of land and maritime supply chains, encompassing repair parts support for all military services. She directed the efforts of more than 2,500 associates at 36 locations worldwide engaged in purchasing material, monitored inventory levels, maintained technical data and assured quality conformance of more than 2 million spare and repair parts used by more than 24,000 military units and civilian federal agencies.

Because of the limited number of available parking spaces, invited guests are reminded to ensure they have their parking permits with them when they arrive for the change of command. All entry roads to Daenner Kaserne, whether from the Autobahn or Mannheimer Strasse, will be manned by force protection personnel who will direct and facilitate traffic and parking access.

The 21st TSC provides theater sustainment throughout the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility in support of U.S. Army Europe and the 7th Army. On order, the 21st TSC can deploy to support theater openings, distributions and receptions, staging, onward movements and enable integration functions.