4th Combat Aviation Brigade Supply Support Activity platoon provides essential service for successful aviation missions

Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Jessica Gregor, Supply Support Activity section supervisor, Company A, 404th Aviation Support Battalion, Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, processes a supply order at the SSA warehouse at Camp Taji, Dec. 6. Gregor, along with the other members of her platoon are resonsible for the procurement, storage, issue, disposal and processing of repair parts and other supplies for the 'Iron Eagle' brigade's fleet of aircraft and weapons systems. Gregor is a native of Chicago.  

TAJI, IRAQ

12.10.2008

Courtesy Story

Multi-National Division Baghdad

By 2nd Lt. Ola Ogunlola
Multi-National Division – Baghdad

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – The 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad's primary mission is to supply ground troops in combat with aerial support.

Helicopters and the war fighting capabilities the 4th CAB provides are quintessential components for the accomplishment of that mission – without the requisite parts and components Soldiers need, the mission becomes much more difficult.

For the Soldiers of the Supply Support Activity platoon, 404th Aviation Support Battalion, 4th CAB, 4th Inf. Div., providing these vital equipment provisions is a job they take very seriously. The platoon is primarily responsible for the procurement, storage, issue, disposal and processing of repair parts and other supplies for the "Iron Eagle" brigade's fleet of aircraft and weapons systems.

"The SSA is the central hub of requisitions and receipts of supplies needed for our broad range of combat missions," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lisa Rainey, SSA accounting officer, Co. A, 404th ASB.

The SSA warehouse is comprised of five different sections that work together to ensure a smooth process from the time customer requisitions are received until the orders are fulfilled.

The receiving section receives parts and supplies that are delivered to the SSA warehouse and documents such receipts through a process in the Standard Army Retail Supply System. The newly received items are then forwarded to the storage section, which accounts for total on-hand stock.

Supplies then go to the issue section, which is responsible for dividing and emplacing the various supplies in different holding areas specific to the customer.

The fourth section is the turn-in section, which handles the processing of retrograde and unserviceable equipment and also decides whether certain equipment is repairable or not.

Lastly, the stock control section is the central coordinating element for the other four sections and is responsible for generating reports and tracking all transactions for the SSA warehouse.

Recently, there has been a decline in weekly requisitions compared to the first three months of deployment to Iraq. This trend is a sign of the improvement in the operational readiness rate of the "Iron Eagle" brigade's subordinate battalions and, in effect, the fewer orders reflect an adequate surplus of reserve parts, said Rainey.

The sustainment operations performed by the platoon sets the foundation for successful aviation support operations, and without this support the aircraft don't fly, said Spc. Michael Matthews, a logistics specialist and clerk in the SSA's stock control section.

"Everybody contributes to the mission one way or another; but for those of us who work behind the scenes, it isn't always apparent how important SSA operations really are," said Matthews, a native of Jacksonville, Fla. "The only way I can describe our function is to relate it to professional sports. We are like the front office in that we provide the organization the materials necessary to win."

SSA has fulfilled a total of more than 43,000 requests, processed more than 35,500 receipts and 55,000 Material Release Orders for the brigade's five battalions and more than 3,000 Soldiers in approximately five months.

"This is a remarkable feat that exemplifies the diligence and motivation of the Soldiers who constitute the SSA's most valuable assets," said Sgt. Jessica Gregor, a section supervisor from Chicago.

"The non-stop, fast-paced operational tempo at the warehouse allows us to challenge ourselves and strive to become better at what we do," she said.

The family-like atmosphere in the platoon has fostered a strong cohesion that facilitates teamwork and by extension, effective mission-accomplishment, Gregor added.

• Date Taken: 12.10.2008
• Date Posted: 12.10.2008 14:33
• Story ID: 27470
• Location: TAJI, IQ