GERMERSHEIM, Germany –
In conjunction with the United Service Organization-Europe, Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Europe moved containers filled with fitness equipment to U.S. soldiers participating in land-training exercises in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
USO2GO, a program that delivers the USO’s most popular services to troops in remote and restricted areas, worked with BeaverFit UK to have four containers of fitness equipment delivered to DLA Distribution Europe in Germersheim, Germany. The containers were custom-fabricated to anchor a BeaverFit functional training rig and store equipment necessary to create a multi-modality training center for 40 to 50 personnel.
Once on site at the distribution center, the containers were transshipped to the troops via a weekly dedicated truck that runs to Poland and the Baltics. The troops are currently in the area participating in training with partners in Poland and the Baltics. The exercise, entitled Operation Atlantic Resolve, aims to bolster the security and capacity of America’s Eastern European allies.
Army Lt. Col. Krista Hoffman, DLA Distribution Europe’s commander, believes that the transshipment of these items for the forward-deployed U.S. personnel was important. “We regularly ship all classes of items for operations and exercises; but the morale-boosting items that the USO provides just further augment and enhance the personal demand items that the service components are already receiving. We were very happy to be part of this mission.”
According to Hoffman, the USO is looking to transship more items through DLA Distribution Europe’s Theater Consolidation and Shipping Point for U.S. service members forward-deployed in the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility.
“As Operation Atlantic Resolve expands to include Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia, DLA Distribution Europe sees more sustainment pushes and additional routes being added to the 22 routes and 41 locations we already support with dedicated weekly trucks,” said Hoffman.