Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Diana Anzaldua | CAMP BUERHING, Kuwait - Chief Warrant Officer 4 Talbot, 4th Sustainment Command...... read more read more
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CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait – For many Soldiers, the hassle of juggling a wide array of supply and sustainment support can become quickly overwhelming. However, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Aura Sweeney, Senior Supply Systems Technician, 1st Sustainment Command (Theater), and her multiclass team remain undaunted when dealing with this immense mission.
Countless Soldiers in theater do not realize what supply systems are currently in place or how critical the logistics and supply mission is in support of ongoing contingency operations.
“Multiclass deals with different classes of supplies," said Sweeney. "We deal with Class II - office supplies; Class III - package; Class IV - force protection materials; and Class IX - ground and aviation parts. In addition to supplies, we also oversee the Central Issue Facilities located in theater."
The 1st TSCs multiclass mission is comprised of several ongoing operations. The section executes operational sustainment support, manages the Army Direct Order Program in theater, provides logistical support to customers with issues at the wholesale level, monitors services throughout the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility, provide effective oversight to the Supply Support Activities and provides logistical assistance to Task Force Sinai.
“I represent the 1st TSC,” said Sweeney. “I’m there to provide guidance and logistical assistance throughout the CENTCOM AOR.”
The ADO program is one of the many missions that the 1st TSC multiclass section manages. Due to the nature of Soldier’s missions and physical environment, uniforms can become unserviceable.
“I oversee the ADO Program in the CENTCOM AOR except for Afghanistan,” said Sgt. 1st Class Keivin S. Clayton, multiclass noncommissioned officer in charge, 1st TSC. “ADO is extremely important in theater because you receive clothing such as uniforms and Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment such as boots, goggles and supplies that go through wear and tear during a deployment. You can’t go through a Central Issue Facility to direct exchange the items, you have to go through ADO.”
In order for a Soldier to sustain his or herself, it is crucial that a program is in place to receive needed supplies and managed efficiently in order to prevent frivolous and fraudulent spending of funds.
“Units have an account for a certain amount every month per individual Soldier that is on rotation,” Clayton said. “That is how they replace whatever they use.”
The 1st TSC multiclass section works diligently together and conducts crucial site visits to effectively develop seamless operations.
“The 1st TSCs multiclass mission in the AOR is to oversee and provide technical guidance to the 11 SSAs in the CENTCOM AOR," Sweeney said.
Sweeney and her team traveled to Camp Buehring, Kuwait and Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan in support of the 1st TSCs multiclass CIF and SSA mission.
The CIF in theater is a crucial mission and the 1st TSC multiclass section was recently tasked by U.S. Army Central Command to begin the process of assessing the CIFs in theater in order to better support deployed Soldiers.
“Once a Soldier arrives in theater, CIF is extremely important because it is a direct exchange operation, not an initial issue facility,” said Sweeney. “We [1st TSC multiclass] manage the CIF at Camp Buehring. I ensure my team gets out there to inspect operations and provide any assistance that the facility might need.”
As the retrograde mission across the CENTCOM AOR progresses, the need for multiclass logistical operations to facilitate the operations also increases.
“My recent visit in Afghanistan was to provide guidance to the SSA accountable officer and look at any Global Combat Support System-Army issues that they may have,” said Sweeney.
Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan is the largest SSA in theater which supports over 10,000 line items for aviation and ground, over 1,200 Department of Defense Activity Address Codes and different classes of supplies.
The majority of retrograde items are sent to the BAF and Kandahar Air Field Forward Retrograde Element yards. Additionally, the SSA supports three forward issue and turn-in points located at KAF, Forward Operating Base Fenty and Kabul.
“The visit was great and informative to our mission going forward,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mario L. Pope, general supply officer in charge, 518th Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade. “Chief Sweeney addressed multiple issues that we were having with DODAACs, BAF SSA, BAF CIF and FREs operations. This visit was also helpful with informing the Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and contractors about ongoing future operations.”
In addition to the recent CIF and SSA missions, Sweeney has conducted site visits to Camp Taji, Iraq and Saudi Arabi in support of the 1st TSCs multiclass mission.
“The previous site visits were crucial in order to identify issues and concerns with aviation parts for the Task Force Heavy Combat Aviation Battalion unit,” said Sweeney.
On top of identifying issues, Sweeney provided guidance to the SSA accountable officer on ground and her supply expertise to the ongoing Iraq Train and Equip Fund mission supported the 77th Sustainment Brigade.
“I have also been tasked with assessing and providing my logistical knowledge and expertise to United States Military Training Mission Combined Joint 4,” Sweeney said. “I provided recommendations in the area of contracts, finance and a majority of ongoing supply issues.”
The multiclass mission requires long hours by everyone in the multiclass section. Moreover, the extensive travel, ability to multi-task, constant and consistent communication and teamwork plays a major part in their success.
“It has been an overwhelming mission, but because of the team that I have in place, it has allowed me to do additional tasks, such as traveling,” Sweeney said. “I’m very thankful to be able to do what I do, but I’m also thankful for my team. Because of their knowledge and my trust in them, I am able to pick up and go without worry.”
| Date Taken: | 03.31.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.31.2016 09:50 |
| Story ID: | 193947 |
| Location: | KW |
| Web Views: | 186 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, 1st TSC Multiclass Increase Logistical Support, by SFC Diana Anzaldua, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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