Wrangler FITIP begins retrograde at KAF

Photo By Sgt. Adam Erlewein | Sgt. 1st Class Ghayle Kaleopa-Lynn, a native of American Samoa, from the 533rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, of the 4th SBDE is the noncommissioned officer-in-charge of overseeing operations at the FITIP, the closing of the SSA, and is the only Wrangler Soldier working at the site with civilian contractors. Closing the SSA and opening the FITIP will help decrease the amount of excess supplies in Kandahar Airfield by returning excess equipment back into the Army’s supply inventory and saving millions in taxpayer money.  

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN

09.20.2014

Story by Sgt. Adam Erlewein 

4th Sustainment Brigade

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN – Wrangler Soldiers from the 4th Sustainment Brigade currently deployed to Afghanistan have begun the retrograding process for Kandahar Air Field by closing down the Supply Support Activity point and have transitioned it into a Forward Issue Turn-In Point.

A FITIP supplies customers only with the needed equipment they have ordered, while an SSA allows customers to not only order equipment, but carry a surplus of supplies in stock. The shutting down of the SSA and opening of the FITIP prevents excess supplies from being stockpiled, allowing more control of supplies being shipped into KAF.

Sgt. 1st Class Ghayle Kaleopa-Lynn, a native of American Samoa, from the 533rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, of the 4th SBDE is the noncommissioned officer-in-charge of overseeing operations at the FITIP, the closing of the SSA, and is the only Wrangler Soldier working at the site with civilian contractors.

“When the customers supplies come in we package them and then we call the customer to pick it up,” said Kaleopa-Lynn. “If the FITIP was not in place then many parts would end up missing and BAF would then have to directly ship supplies to all the other Forward Operations Bases near KAF, which will take twice as long to receive supplies.”

Kaleopa-Lynn said with the standing-up of the FITIP, supplies will no longer be ordered from KAF and customers will have to redirect their orders to Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. Once BAF receives the orders for customers located at KAF, those supplies will then be taken to the FITIP where it will be distributed to the proper customers.

1st Lt. Ashley Talkington, a native of Grand Island, Nebaska, from the 533rd CSSB, said that the FITIP will also play a vital role in receiving excess supplies from customers which will be sent to BAF. These supplies will then be retrograded back into the Army’s supply system potentially saving the U.S. taxpayers money.

“If customers have additional items that they no longer need, or they are broken, they can turn in those items to help get rid of additional supplies that no longer need to be in KAF,” said Talkington.

KAF will be able to receive customer’s turn-ins and repackage those supplies to be distributed to units who may need those supplies right away. This also reduces the cost by preventing a unit from having to order additional supplies that will already be on hand.

The Wranglers mission in controlling the FITIP at KAF is vital for the retrograding process. By supplying customers with the vital supplies they need; it allows them to continue their missions and still reduces the amount of excess supplies in Afghanistan.

• Date Taken: 09.20.2014
• Date Posted: 10.02.2014 03:44
• Story ID: 143990
• Location: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF
• Hometown: FORT CAVAZOS, TX, US