Back to basics

Photo By Maj. Joel Anderson | Staff Sgts. Jessica Weaver, Dwaine Miller and Alberto Gonzalez-Ruiz audit documents and inventory components of HHC, 3rd ESC property recently during the COPA.  

FORT KNOX, KY, UNITED STATES

10.01.2013

Story by Maj. Joel Anderson 

3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command

FORT KNOX, Ky. - The Campaign on Property Accountability (COPA) is an ongoing effort within U.S. Forces Command (FORSCOM) to regain accountability of all Army property and equipment after more than 12 years of extended deployments.

The 3rd ESC has accumulated many excess items through fieldings of non-standard items, and equipment upgrades.

Staff Sgt. Jessica Weaver, supply sergeant, HHC, 3rd ESC, said, “Getting a full accountability of our property is a priority for us all, but especially to me, to ensure we can properly support our HHC commander and the commanding general.”

According to Col. Chris Wicker, the 3rd ESC deputy commander, “Our accountability problem was made worse by the Army force generation (ARFORGEN) cycle, as we had to shift NCO hand receipt holders around rapidly to cover down on positions vacated by people departing the unit. Because we were always focused on our next deployment rotation, where we fall in on property already in place, we never set up our organic equipment to teach recent arrivals what we had and how to establish complete systems. The hand receipts and knowledge of property location did not keep up with the personnel moves.”

The unit assembled a team to identify items and determine usefulness and serviceability. This team, accompanied by unit leaders and supply personnel, with sets of keys and a pair of bolt cutters, spent two weeks opening every container, locked box and storage closet in the 3rd ESC area and pulling items out. If items were not proven to have a rightful hand receipt holder, the team took that item into custody.

• Date Taken: 10.01.2013
• Date Posted: 10.10.2013 15:19
• Story ID: 115027
• Location: FORT KNOX, KY, US