TMO moves the mission

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal | Senior Airman Zhynae Sanchez, 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron (ELRS) traffic management office (TMO) shipment planning technician, verifies data on outbound cargo Feb. 23, 2019, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The 379th ELRS TMO handles the pick-up, storage, shipment, and delivery of assets such as small vehicle parts, aircraft engines, and clothing items throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal)  

AL UDEID AIR BASE, QATAR

02.22.2019

Story by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal 

379th Air Expeditionary Wing

AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar -- Airmen who work at the 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron’s traffic management office say ‘without TMO, assets and people don't move.’

Items as small as lug nuts for a truck or as large as a C-130 Hercules engine can pass through TMO to be processed, stored, and shipped to warfighters across U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility.

Tech. Sgt. Brittany Dorsett, 379th ELRS TMO inbound cargo NCO in charge, said her team has to be prepared to process a variety of cargo.

"Everything considered general cargo comes back to the main building where our inbound cargo team, made up of nine people, processes all the cargo,” said Dorsett. “The cargo ranges from as little as 50 pieces all the way up to, the most we've had during this rotation, 400 pieces in one night."

A team Dorsett refers to as ‘the annex’ handles special items that require expedited delivery. Located at Al Udeid’s aerial port, this team tracks and moves mission capable assets as they arrive to ensure customers can receive them quickly.

"The main mission for the annex is to ‘be on the lookout for’ mission capable assets that are coming in,” said Dorsett. “Their main focus is to get those assets off of the pallet, and get them processed and to the user in an expedited manner. This has been happening since 2016 and it's saved numerous hours.”

Staff Sgt. Joshua Rose, 379th ELRS TMO floor supervisor, said the team uses a program called “Integrated Logistics Systems-Supply” to ensure item accountability. When assets arrive, they’re opened to verify that they were received correctly before being processed into ILS-S. From there, assets are delivered to the end user.

While systems like the ILS-S help the unit keep accountability over items, Rose said the process is further improved by the diverse backgrounds and experiences of each Airmen who deploys to be a part of Al Udeid’s TMO team.

“Accountability can be a big thing. We get so many pieces daily that you have to always keep track of,” he said. “We were put here because everyone has some type of experience. Maybe at one base they did it a certain way and another base another way, but maybe they've done it better where we can perfect our process out here.”

Dorsett said she hopes her Airmen complete their deployment with a sense of pride, knowing that their teamwork day-to-day enables missions across the AOR.

“We have a hand in everything whether we know it or not. I honestly hope they take back how important teamwork is. This doesn't happen individually, this job is a team effort,” she said. “Whether it's personnel or cargo, we move the Air Force, and we make it happen every day.”

• Date Taken: 02.22.2019
• Date Posted: 02.26.2019 05:26
• Story ID: 311941
• Location: AL UDEID AIR BASE, QA