LRC Rheinland-Pfalz drivers testing supports entire community during Afghan evacuee mission

Ulrike Veith, a drivers testing assistant at the Logistics Readiness Center Rheinland-Pfalz Drivers Testing and Training Station on Kleber Kaserne, assists Air Force Airman Anthony Curtis, a client systems technician with the 86th Communications Squadron at Ramstein Air Base. Curtis brought a fellow airman from 86th Communications Squadron to get his U.S. Army Europe driver’s license. Due to Operation Allies Welcome, the LRC Rheinland-Pfalz Drivers Testing and Training Station has increased its workload by 76 percent in the last two weeks.

With so many organizations and individuals supporting the Afghan evacuee mission at Ramstein Air Base and Rhine Ordnance Barracks, it’s really no surprise the ripple effect from all this support can be felt across the Kaiserslautern Military Community.

One ripple — which is more of a wave — is effecting the Logistics Readiness Center Rheinland-Pfalz Drivers Testing and Training Station. For the first two weeks of Operation Allies Welcome, Ramstein closed its doors to its drivers testing and training facility so their personnel could be diverted to augment the OAW mission. And for the past week, the Ramstein facility is operating by appointment only, Mondays through Wednesdays.

That leaves the team at the 405th Army Field Support Brigade’s LRC Rheinland-Pfalz Drivers Testing and Training Station with a lot more customers to serve — both Army and Air Force.

“We’re the only other drivers testing and training station within the KMC,” said Jeffrey G. Morrison, installation transportation officer, LRC Rheinland-Pfalz, 405th AFSB.

The LRC Rheinland-Pfalz Drivers Testing and Training Station is now supporting both Army and Air Force personnel and their family members in the KMC with all their drivers testing and training needs, Morrison said.

“The overall impact for the last 14 days? We’ve increased our workload by 76 percent,” said Morrison. “And that includes multiple missions.”

The LRC Rheinland-Pfalz Drivers Testing and Training Station is responsible for validating that all newly arrived personnel have completed the required drivers training and testing. The office is also responsible for issuing all U.S. Army Europe drivers’ licenses when the training and testing portions are complete. In addition, they are responsible for all renewal and replacement licenses, they provide information and support memorandums to KMC personnel interested in obtaining international drivers licenses, and they conduct non-tactical vehicle training and testing as well as motorcycle training and testing.

Sofija Kirchner, the lead training instructor at the Logistics Readiness Center Rheinland-Pfalz Drivers Testing and Training Station on Kleber Kaserne, assists an Army family with their U.S. Army Europe driver’s license needs. Due to Operation Allies Welcome, the LRC Rheinland-Pfalz Drivers Testing and Training Station is now supporting both Army and Air Force personnel and their family members in the KMC with all their drivers testing and training needs.

“They’re doing an outstanding job providing all this support to the KMC,” said Morrison. “There has been numerous comments from Air Force personnel in the last couple of weeks praising them for going above and beyond.”

“Their friendly, supportive attitude has been superb,” Morrison added. “I firmly believe that I have the best drivers testing and training station in Europe. I’m very proud of each and every one of them.”

The LRC Rheinland-Pfalz Drivers Testing and Training Station is supporting Operation Allies Welcome by covering down for the Air Force and at the same time supporting hundreds, if not thousands, of community members across the KMC with all their drivers testing and training needs.

When it comes to providing day-to-day installation services, LRC Rheinland-Pflaz directs, manages and coordinates a variety of operations and activities in support of U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pflaz and the KMC. LRC Rheinland-Pflaz 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.