EYGELSHOVEN, Netherlands – The Netherlands Minister of Defense Ank Bijleveld announced March 24 during a press conference at the Army Prepositioned Stock-2 Eygelshoven site that the Dutch government has agreed to provide 38 million euros toward facility upgrades and new construction at the U.S. Army’s APS-2 site in the Netherlands.
Chargé d’Affaires and acting U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Marja Verloop, also in attendance, echoed Bijleveld’s enthusiasm, stating the visit to the APS-2 site and the announcement made by the Dutch Minister of Defense “is proof of the close, enduring partnership between the Netherlands and the United States of America, especially as it pertains to defense cooperation and defense security.”
“Let’s not forget the reason why we are all here today,” said Verloop. “The Netherlands serves as a critical military mobility and logistics hub for both the United States Army and the entire Alliance. The Netherlands also provides critical support to our military forces stationed here, more than 6,000 U.S. and NATO forces and their family members. Moreover, it serves as a crucial transit corridor via the ports of Rotterdam and Groningen.”
“The Netherlands serves as a critical military mobility and logistics hub for both the United States Army and the entire Alliance and serves as a crucial transit corridor via the ports of Rotterdam and Groningen,” said Chargé d’Affaires and acting U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Marja Verloop.
The modernization upgrades that are underway here at APS-2 Eygelshoven will improve and facilitate NATO’s rapid deterrence mission. They will reduce deployment timelines and provide additional combat power for contingency operations across Europe. The APS-2 Eygelshoven site stands as a testament to both the U.S. commitment to European security and also to signal the Netherlands is taking its NATO responsibilities seriously, Verloop said.
Also in attendance at the event was Royal Netherlands Army Commander Lt. Gen. Martin Wijnen, U.S. Army Europe and Africa Deputy Commanding General Maj. Gen. Joe Jarrard, Heaquarters Allied Joint Force Command-Brunssum Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Kramer, Dutch Material Logistics Command Commander Brig. Gen. Ronald Rietbergen, 405th Army Field Support Brigade Commander Col. Brad Bane, U.S. Army Garrison Benelux Commander Col. James Yastrzemsky, Limburg Province Governor Theo Bovens, Kerkrade City Mayor Petra Dassen, and several other leaders and distinguished guests.
“While we cannot stand next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, for this event today due to COVID, we can take pleasure knowing that the U.S. and Dutch partnership and investment in the APS Eygelshoven effectively demonstrates improvement in Alliance readiness and defense capabilities,” Verloop said. “We are stronger together.”
“The U.S. and Dutch partnership and investment in the APS Eygelshoven effectively demonstrates improvement in Alliance readiness and defense capabilities. We are stronger together,” said Chargé d’Affaires and acting U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Marja Verloop.
Following the announcement and press conference, attendees received an APS-2 Eygelshoven capabilities briefing by the 405th AFSB commander and the commander of Army Field Support Battalion-Benelux, Lt. Col. Aaron Jones.
Once the briefings were complete and the visiting guests received detailed responses to all their questions, they were given the opportunity to walk the site and see the capabilities and readiness posture of APS-2 Eygelshoven, firsthand. It was there they witnessed the amount of work required to store, maintain and care for hundreds of military vehicles and multiple equipment sets.
APS-2 Eygelshoven contains about 450,000 square feet of warehouse space in eight main facilities and about 50,000 square feet of hardstand storage. The workforce at Eygelshoven consists of mainly a combination of Dutch local nationals, who work for the Ministry of Defense, active duty U.S. Army Soldiers and civilian employees, and several U.S. government contractors.
The 405th AFSB’s AFSBn-Benelux is responsible for the APS-2 site at Eygelshoven and another APS-2 site at Zutendaal, Belgium. There are several APS-2 sites under the command and control of the 405th AFSB across Europe. Each APS-2 site has the capability to house and maintain about an Armored Brigade Combat Team’s worth of equipment as well as engineer, artillery, military police, sustainment and medical capabilities.
The APS-2 program helps to reduce deployment timelines, improve deterrence capabilities and provide additional combat power for contingency operations. APS-2 equipment may also be drawn for use in training and exercises like the upcoming DEFENDER-Europe 21. The APS-2 program enhances U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s readiness and capability to support the warfighter while simultaneously promoting stability and security in the region.
The 405th AFSB 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 the U.S. Army Materiel Command 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.
