Military

86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs   

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (USAFENS) -- The 86th Material Maintenance Squadron, based at Sembach Air Base, is among the many 86th Airlift Wing units contributing to preparations for a possible contingency.  The squadron manages, stores and maintains the centrally stored non-munitions war reserve materiel for U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

The unit's primary storage facility, known as the USAFE Central Region Storage Facility, is located at Sanem, Luxembourg. The facility consists of more than 90 acres of land and 15 humidity-controlled, 50,000 square foot warehouses, that help ensure the life of the stored equipment.

The unit, and its host nation partners, prepare the war reserve materiel such as aerospace ground equipment, vehicles, bare base housekeeping kits, fuels mobility support equipment, aircraft fuel tanks and bomb racks for shipment.

The equipment is used in support of U.S. and NATO wartime operations, contingencies and exercises in the European Command area of responsibility.  Once the materiel is prepared it can be shipped via land, sea or air.

According to Lt. Col. Steven Peters, 86th MMS commander, the success of the unit's mission can be contributed to the outstanding teamwork of Warehouse Services Agency, the on-site host nation contractor, 86 MMS personnel and the 86th Logistics Readiness Squadron's Transportation Management Office and Deployment Control Center here.

In just 15 days of recent cumulative out-load, the 86th MMS team has prepared and shipped more than 2,700 short tons of equipment, using 240 trucks (equivalent to 42 cargo loaded C-5s or 60 C-17s).

"We take a lot of pride in the support we provide the war fighter; ensuring they have a place to eat, sleep and equipment to do their job," said Master Sgt. Russell Sittenauer, who has spent extensive time at Sanem recently as a liaison between the squadron and the storage facility.

In addition to its storage facility in Luxembourg and its home unit at Sembach, 86th MMS also maintains WRM at five collocated operating bases throughout Norway.

To ensure the successful operation of an organization this large and diverse requires the support and cooperation of more than 120 host nation civilians, including WSA employees and Luxembourg Army and State police personnel.

"The 86th MMS motto is 'Strength through Diversity' and that says it all," said Peters. "We are a very diverse squadron, with a wide range of functional specialties, including civil engineers, vehicle maintenance and operations, maintainers, armaments and supply experts."