Food service leader who fondly recalls tasting C-rations in the ‘70s as a boy set to retire

VILSECK, Germany – As a young boy in Germany in the early 1970s, Dietmar Schatz would go on camping trips with his Boy Scout troop near the Army training areas. In those days the Soldiers would eat C-rations in the field, which were canned, shelf-stable meals perfect for combat conditions. Schatz said he was thrilled when the U.S. Soldiers would offer him and his German friends a sampling of their Army C-rats.

“Spaghetti with meatballs, beef steaks, crackers, fruit cocktail and chocolates – everything in a can – even cigarettes. Those Soldiers were so very nice to us,” he said.

That stuck with Schatz for well over a half a century, and now the supervisor of all the dining facility attendants at three warrior restaurants in the U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria community is set to retire from the Army with nearly 41 years of service.

Schatz was raised in Gmünd, Germany, just south of Grafenwöhr. Now he lives in Wieden, and he’s been working in food service and at Army dining facilities and warrior restaurants in the USAG Bavaria footprint his entire career.

Assigned to Logistics Readiness Center Bavaria, the 64-year-old husband, father of two, and grandfather of six more, said he’s proud of his work supporting Soldiers and his lifetime of service as a German host nation employee with the U.S. Army.

“I was first in Grafenwöhr for 15 years and then I transferred to Vilseck,” said Schatz, who currently supervises and manages nearly 100 dining facility attendants at three warrior restaurants – one in Grafenwöhr, one in Vilseck and one at Camp Normandy.

“I hire them, I do their payroll, and if required, I do their disciplinary actions as needed,” said Schatz, adding that he also works with the two shift leaders at each of the three warrior restaurants for required employee training and work schedule management.

Schatz also manages the Government Purchase Card for LRC Bavaria’s food service program. In fact, he’s been a GPC holder for over 21 years, he said.

“For the food service program, I purchase all the personal protective equipment and supplies for the dining facilities as well as the food truck – things like paper products for the to-go-meals and new dining facility equipment, as needed,” he said.

With just a few days left before he officially hangs up his Army food service program hat, Schatz said he looks forward to settling into retired life. But things won’t necessarily slow down for him. With a garden and a home to tend to – plus six grandchildren – he’ll stay busy, he said.

LRC Bavaria is one of eight LRCs under the command and control of the 405th Army Field Support Brigade. LRCs execute installation logistics support and services to include supply, maintenance, and transportation as well as clothing issue facility operations, hazardous material management, personal property and household goods, passenger travel, non-tactical vehicle and garrison equipment management, and property book operations. When it comes to providing day-to-day installation services, LRC Bavaria directs, manages, and coordinates a variety of operations and activities in support of USAG Bavaria.

LRC Bavaria reports to the 405th AFSB, which 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 and the official Facebook site.