General’s driver in Italian army – 31 years later now U.S. Army transportation supervisor in Italy

Photo By Cameron Porter | Fabrizio Varotto, a transportation specialist at Logistics Readiness Center-Italy’s Transportation Motor Pool, briefs Soldiers at the TMP office on government non-tactical vehicle dispatch requirements and procedures. He said safety is always his number one priority. (Photo by Davide Dalla Massara, Visual Information Specialist, 7th Army Training Command)  

VICENZA, ITALY

09.21.2021

Story by Cameron Porter 

405th Army Field Support Brigade - Europe & Africa

Name: Fabrizio Varotto

Job title: Transportation Specialist

Assigned: Logistics Readiness Center-Italy’s Transportation Motor Pool, 405th Army Field Support Brigade

Location: Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy

Experience: I’ve served with the Army for about 31 years. I started working at the Transportation Motor Pool in Vicenza as a driver in 1990 and worked my way up – drivers’ leader, TMP dispatcher, TMP supervisor and now LRC-Italy’s Transportation Specialist. I have always had a passion for automobiles – even as a child – and my passion is my job, which I love.

Other Service: Before working for the U.S. Army, I served in the Italian army as part of our country’s mandatory service requirement as a driver for an Italian 3-star general – the commanding general of Northeast Military Regional Command, Italian Army.

Hometown: Padova, Italy

Family: I’m married to my wife, Stefania, for 16 years. We have a daughter, Marika, who is 14 years old, and a son Andrea, who is 12 years old.

Q: Can you explain what you do and what your team is responsible for at LRC-Italy?

A: I’m the first line supervisor at the Transportation Motor Pool in Vicenza, exercising supervisory responsibility over the work of seven local national drivers and two administration specialists. I supervise TMP dispatching operations of 202 General Service Administration vehicles and 43 Army owned non-tactical vehicles. I handle all appropriated fund non-tactical vehicle acquisition, disposition, distribution, turn-in and updates. I maintain four consecutive quarterly utilization reports for analysis and for inspection and reviews by higher headquarters. I receive and file written justifications for retention of equipment failing to meet the minimum usage standards, and I provide assistance in the development and execution of a program budget to support fleet managers. I manage reimbursable and non-reimbursable support requirements, and I evaluate the differences in unit and activity missions and the variety of vehicles required. I verify the consolidated GSA monthly billing for accuracy of charges, and I maintain records of expense for budget purposes. I also manage a community bus service, which includes two 44-passenger buses with two daily drivers for the Vicenza Military Community. Last year, for example, we transported almost 52,000 passengers.

Q: Why is your team’s work at LRC-Italy so important?

A: Safety is always our number one priority. We do everything we possibly can to ensure the vehicles we maintain are safe to operate on the roads. We dispatch our vehicles every two weeks, ensuring preventative maintenance checks and services are completed correctly and all the paperwork is properly filled out. If any deficiencies are found during the inspections, the vehicles are sent to mechanical shop to be repaired. If a vehicle is damaged, we collect all the required documentation and initiate a report. All our drivers are fully qualified and very professional. They are qualified to operate buses, tractor trailer trucks, lowboy trailers, and high-capacity forklifts, for example. In 2020, seven of our drivers drove over 170,000 kilometers with no accidents. My team also provides training to the unit transportation coordinators, and every Wednesday – in coordination with the TMP office in Livorno – we provide a round trip cargo service from Camp Ederle to Camp Darby and vice versa. We are a vital resource for the Vicenza Military Community.

Q: What do you enjoy about your job, and what motivates you?

A: I love my job, and every day I try to do my very best to improve myself. This job is a challenge, and it motivates me day by day. During the COVID-19 pandemic – using appropriate precautions and exercising strict preventive measures like social distancing – my team remained fully operational and present at work – no teleworking for this job. I have to thank my team. My success is due to them. At LRC-Italy’s TMP, we learn from each other. The hard work of every TMP employee benefits the whole section, makes my duties easier and helps to ensure the entire Vicenza Military Community is satisfied with what we do.

LRC-Italy and 405th AFSB: When it comes to providing day-to-day installation services, LRC-Italy directs, manages and coordinates a variety of operations and activities in support of U.S. Army Garrison Italy. LRC-Italy 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.

• Date Taken: 09.21.2021
• Date Posted: 09.21.2021 01:49
• Story ID: 405660
• Location: VICENZA, IT