A service member uses the vehicle registration substation at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on Aug. 15, 2024. In response to last year’s appointment shortages, vehicle registration staff in the Kaiserslautern Military Community have hired more clerks and launched a new online booking system aimed at improving service. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Vehicle registration officials in the Kaiserslautern Military Community say they are entering the permanent-change-of-station season better prepared than they were last year, with a new appointment system, more clerks and expanded customer service locations.
The upgrades follow last summer’s registration bottlenecks, when drivers waited weeks for appointments and a virtual walk-in queue regularly grew to well over 1,000 people.
When privately owned vehicle services were abruptly canceled at the Army’s registration substation on Sembach Kaserne in May 2024, the vehicle registration center on Kapaun Air Station became the sole option for tens of thousands of U.S. service members, Defense Department civilians, contractors and their families.
The Air Force team there simply could not keep up with the surge in demand, said Maj. Kevin Aguilar, commander of the 569th U.S. Forces Police Squadron, which oversees Kapaun’s registration center.
The resulting outcry spurred long-term fixes, including fast-tracking a new scheduling platform that had been in development since 2022.
Following a soft launch earlier this month, the web-based MOTORS system, or Motorized Transportation Operations, Registration and Safety, became the sole scheduling tool for vehicle registration services on Monday.
Unlike its predecessor, MOTORS requires customers to upload documents and have them approved by staff before they can book an appointment or join the same-day queue.
The change is designed to reduce no-shows and turnaways, which worsened last year’s appointment shortage. Drivers with missing or incorrect paperwork often had to rebook weeks out or take their chances in the virtual queue — sometimes unable to legally drive in the meantime.
Under the new system, documents are typically reviewed the same day they’re submitted, sometimes in as little as five minutes, said Tech. Sgt. Keith Aske, noncommissioned officer in charge of vehicle registration with the 569th USFPS.
After review, staff either flag documents for correction or verify that the paperwork is in order. Most customers can be seen the same day their paperwork is approved, though next-day appointments are expected to become more common as the PCS season ramps up, Aske said.
MOTORS is just one part of the response.
In addition to the reopening of the Army’s substation on Sembach, a new substation inside the Ramstein Air Base Exchange opened in August 2024. Both locations will remain open throughout the PCS season.
Staffing has also surged. The vehicle registration team expanded from 21 to 33 clerks by hiring additional full-time employees and borrowing active-duty airmen from various units to serve as seasonal staff.
“This year, I think we’re absolutely better prepared for the PCS season,” Aguilar said.
