📋 Tender Overview
John Carria, the site director at the Eygelshoven Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 worksite in the Netherlands, (bottom row, third from left) poses for a photo with participants from one of his self-defense workshops. The Army civilian employee with Army Field Support Battalion-Benelux said he started out with the Marine Corps, but Im thrilled to be a part of the Army team - the best of the best. Happy 250th birthday, U.S. Army.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army courtesy photo)
EYGELSHOVEN, Netherlands - When John Carria is not serving as the site director for the Eygelshoven Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 worksite, he can often be found practicing and teaching Uechi-Ryu, an Okinawan style of karate.
The Army civilian employee and retired Army National Guard officer recently taught Uechi-Ryu during a womens self-defense workshop at a Canadian military installation in Geilenkirchen, Germany, right across the border from Carrias APS-2 worksite in the Netherlands. He also taught a couple of self-defense workshops for men and women at U.S. Army Garrison Benelux Brunssum, just six miles from the Eygelshoven APS-2 worksite.
Carria served 14 years in the Marine Corps, took a 10-year break to start his own business, and then returned to military service with the Army National Guard following 9/11. After a combined 22 years of uniformed service - enlisted and officer in the Marine Corps and then Army National Guard officer - Carria retired at the rank of captain in 2008.
Carria is 72 years old and originally from Rhode Island. He started learning the Okinawan style of karate at 16 in his hometown of Cumberland. As a young Marine a few years later, he said he was fortunate to be stationed on the Japanese Island of Okinawa for a couple of years where he was able to really hone his skills in Uechi-Ryu. And overall, he said hes fortunate to have been a part of the Department of Defense most of his adult life.
John Carria, the Eygelshoven Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 worksite director with Army Field Support Battalion-Benelux, teaches a womens self-defense workshop at a fitness center on a Canadian military installation in Geilenkirchen, Germany, right across the border from his APS-2 worksite in the Netherlands.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army courtesy photo)
Yeah, I started out with the Marine Corps, but Ill tell you what - the Army to me is one of the most outstanding branches of the U.S. military, and Im thrilled to be a part of the Army team - the best of the best. Happy 250th birthday, U.S. Army, said Carria.
The husband of 22 years and blended family father of seven children and grandfather of 13 grandchildren said working at the Eygelshoven APS-2 worksite as a member of Army Field Support Battalion-Benelux and as the site director for one of only six APS-2 worksites in Europe has been a challenge.
Ive done a whole spectrum of different types of work in logistics over my 42 plus years. This has been a new challenge to work in care of supply in storage, or COSIS, Carria said. I get the opportunity to work with employees here from the Dutch Ministry of Defense, and we also have about 30 Army civilian employees here, too. The Egelshoven APS-2 worksite also includes several active-duty Soldiers, including the commander of AFSBn-Benelux, Lt. Col. George Horne.
This is an unusual workforce, here. We understand the mission, and the people come to work with good attitudes. What we do here is huge because were pretty well forward. Were a lot more forward than people think. The fact that we can support the Army mission and be right there when they need us, its a big deal, said Carria.
The biggest thing we do is make sure everything runs, and the reality is were the closest you can get to the tip of spear without actually being on the tip. And were able to move very quickly and get to the tip to issue equipment when called upon, he said.
John Carria demonstrates a self-defense maneuver during a workshop at a Canadian military installation in Geilenkirchen, Germany, while teaching Uechi-Ryu, an Okinawan style of karate. When not teaching Uechi-Ryu, Carria is the site director for the Eygelshoven Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 worksite in the Netherlands with Army Field Support Battalion-Benelux.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army courtesy photo)
The Eygelshoven APS-2 worksite and the Zutendaal APS-2 worksite in Belgium both fall under the mission command of AFSBn-Benelux, 405th Army Field Support Brigade. The 405th AFSBs APS-2 program provides turn-key power projection packages ready to deploy at a moments notice. The team from Eygelshoven and the teams at the other APS-2 worksites can rapidly issue combat vehicles and equipment sets to gaining tactical units at their worksites or at forward locations across central and eastern Europe using equipment configuration and hand-off areas, or ECHAs. APS-2 sites like Eygelshoven help reduce deployment timelines, improve deterrence capabilities and provide additional combat power for contingency 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 Commands materiel enterprise to support joint forces. For more information on the 405th AFSB, visit the and the .
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. , and check out the .
Anyone interested in learning more about Uechi-Ryu or interested in requesting Carria for a self-defense workshop can . Ive been practicing Uechi-Ryu for over 55 years. At this poin
