AFSBn-Germany LN employee carries his family’s Army legacy into Army's 250th birthday year

Courtesy Photo | Daniel Paetzold is a logistics management specialist at Army Field Support Battalion-Germany. He’s worked for the U.S. Army as a German host nation employee for 20 years. And his brother, father and grandfather also worked for the Army. “If you count the entire time my family has been working for the Army – starting with my grandpa with almost a quarter century of Army service – it’s over 80 years, total. That’s a lot of years but so is 250. Happy 250th birthday, U.S. Army!” he said. (U.S. Army courtesy photo)  

VILSECK, BAYERN, GERMANY

05.08.2025

Story by Cameron Porter 

405th Army Field Support Brigade - Europe & Africa

VILSECK, Germany – His grandfather worked for the Army for 24 years and retired in 1995. His father worked for the Army for three decades and retired in 2023. His brother has six years working for the Army, now. And Daniel Paetzold works for the Army, as well.

Carrying his family’s Army legacy forward, Paetzold is a supply assistant (S-4) and logistics management specialist at Army Field Support Battalion-Germany on Rose Barracks in Vilseck. He has two years in the seat with AFSBn-Germany this month.

As a third-generation German host nation employee with the U.S. Army – like his father and grandfather before him – Paetzold said he and his brother are honored and proud of their family’s service with the Army, and he said they’re especially proud this year.

“I’ve been working for the U.S. Army for 20 years, and if you count the entire time my family has been working for the Army – starting with my grandpa with almost a quarter century of Army service – it’s over 80 years, total. That’s a lot of years but so is 250. This year is a very special year, considering it’s the Army’s 250th birthday. Happy 250th birthday, U.S. Army!” Paetzold said.

At AFSBn-Germany, which is responsible for the Dülmen Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 worksite and the Coleman APS-2 worksite, Paetzold is a valued member of the battalion headquarters’ team. There, he’s responsible for work orders and service orders, he purchases new equipment and supplies, he conducts excess and life-cycle replacement equipment turn-ins, he’s the unit transportation coordinator for all the non-tactical vehicles, and he organizes and performs sensitive item and non-sensitive item inventories, plus more.

Before working at AFSBn-Germany, Paetzold worked in the Supply and Services Division at Logistics Readiness Center Bavaria for 16 years. Both LRC Bavaria and AFSBn-Germany are assigned to the 405th Army Field Support Brigade. He also worked at the commissary, initially, for a couple of years following his apprenticeship in wholesale management and foreign trade.

“I really like it here at Battalion Germany. It’s a great work environment, communication up and down the chain of command is very good, and the people here are awesome,” said Paetzold who is 40 years old, has a 10-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter, and has been married to his wife since 2018 but together as a couple for almost 18 years.

“Equally important, we have a very important mission managing the Army’s two APS-2 worksites in Germany. Keeping all these vehicles and equipment sets at the highest state of readiness, ready for issue, is an extremely important mission,” he said.

AFSBn-Germany is one of four battalions assigned to the 405th AFSB tasked with helping enhance U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s readiness and capability to support the warfighter. In addition to its APS-2 mission at Dülmen and 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 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.

The Army will celebrate its 250th birthday on June 14. For 250 years, the Army has offered endless possibilities and opportunities for service to our nation with over 200 career choices for Soldiers and more than 500 career paths for civilians. To learn more about the Army’s 250th birthday, visit www.army.mil/1775 and check out the DVIDS’s special Army birthday feature portal at www.dvidshub.net/feature/ARMY250.

• Date Taken: 05.08.2025
• Date Posted: 05.08.2025 02:34
• Story ID: 497347
• Location: VILSECK, BAYERN, DE