Former signal and public affairs Soldier now serving as AFSBn-Germany’s IT expert

Photo By Cameron Porter | Louis Lamar, an information technology specialist at Army Field Support Battalion-Germany, works on a copy machine at the battalion headquarters in Vilseck, Germany. Lamar, who was a Soldier for 15 years, also worked as a contractor for the Marines and the Army before becoming an Army civilian employee in 2019. (U.S. Army courtesy photo)  

VILSECK, BY, GERMANY

03.29.2024

Story by Cameron Porter 

405th Army Field Support Brigade - Europe & Africa

VILSECK, Germany – Originally a signal support systems specialist and public affairs sergeant for 15 years, Louis Lamar knows a thing or two about communications. Knowing that, having him on the Army Field Support Battalion-Germany team shouldn’t be shocking headline news.

The information technology specialist who’s been assigned to AFSBn-Germany since August of 2022 is responsible for the day-to-day IT operations at the battalion headquarters in Vilseck as well as the Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 worksite in Dülmen, Germany. In addition, his battalion will be assuming mission command of the Coleman APS-2 worksite in Mannheim, Germany, later this year, so the IT expert is also helping to plan all the communications systems support requirements for that site, as well.

“It’s just me and one other person at the battalion. We do everything from account maintenance to network issues, trouble tickets, cyber security training, and desk telephone and smartphone support – all of it,” he said. “For example, right now one of the things we’re doing is prepping the Dülmen worksite for the upcoming DEFENDER 24 exercise because they don’t currently have an IT person on site.”

Lately, Lamar is staying busy working the communications plans for DEFENDER 24, ordering supplies for Dülmen, and establishing the fiscal year 2025 budget for new equipment and supplies. He’s also helping with the new Voyager kit they received so his battalion will have secure and non-secure communication capabilities quickly and efficiently – anywhere, any time. The Voyager is a scalable, deployable data networking system that provides computing and communications capabilities.

“Being here is a career broadening experience,” said the 42-year-old native of Atlanta, Georgia. “I’ve learned quite a bit. It’s very interesting to see how sustainment operations work, and I have had a couple of great mentors, like the former brigade IT director, Toni Helman, as well as the current director, Jenny Chavez.”

Lamar, who medically retired as a staff sergeant in public affairs in 2014, started out as a contractor with the Marines following his active-duty career and finishing his master’s degree in organizational leadership from Central Michigan University. After about a year with the Marines, he then worked as a contractor for the Army for three additional years before accepting a job offer as an Army civilian employee in 2019.

“I’m just glad for the opportunity to come here,” said Lamar, who was living and working in Hawaii for 12 years before moving to Germany. “You know, I’m happy I can broaden my career here and see how the Army works in Europe while learning the sustainment piece and helping out with all the APS-2 operations.”

Germany battalion is one of four battalions assigned to the 405th Army Field Support Brigade. In addition to its APS-2 mission at Dülmen and soon to be mission at Coleman, AFSBn-Germany is responsible for providing and coordinating tactical and operational sustainment to ensure theater readiness and enable commanders to conduct a full range of military operations.

The APS-2 program Germany battalion helps manage enhances U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s readiness and capability to support the warfighter by providing turn-key APS-2 packages ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. The APS-2 program is a key component of U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s power projection and warfighter readiness missions.

The 405th AFSB is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The brigade 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: 03.29.2024
• Date Posted: 03.29.2024 01:30
• Story ID: 467330
• Location: VILSECK, BY, DE
• Hometown: ATLANTA, GA, US