NAVSUP BSC Meets the Fleet

Photo By James Foehl | 190416-N-PX557-0121 NORFOLK, Va. April 16, 2019 Aviation Boatswain’s Mate-Equipment 1st Class Mikkos Thomas (right), assigned to the Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier, USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), speaks with Lt. Kyle Combs, project officer for Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Business Systems Center (BSC) in Mechanicsburg, Pa., during a visit to the ship as part of NAVSUP BSC's Meet the Fleet event. The four-day event was held in the Hampton Roads area of operation, April 15-18, and served as an opportunity to engage with Sailors from the surface, expeditionary, and aviation communities and those who use supply, logistic, and financial systems supported by NAVSUP BSC. NAVSUP BSC provides the Navy with information systems support through the design, development, and maintenance of information systems in the functional areas of logistics, supply chain management, transportation, finance, and accounting and is one of 11 commands under Commander, NAVSUP. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP's mission is to provide supplies, services, and quality-of-life support to the Navy and joint warfighter. U.S. Navy photo by James E. Foehl (Released)  

NORFOLK, VA, UNITED STATES

04.18.2019

Story by Thomas Zimmerman 

NAVSUP Business Systems Center

NORFOLK, Va. - Twenty-three Navy military and civilian personnel from Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Business Systems Center (BSC) in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, traveled to the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area of operation to participate in NAVSUP BSC’s Meet the Fleet event, April 15-18.

The four-day event served as an opportunity for a firsthand look at fleet operations across multiple warfare communities, allowed personnel to interact directly with Sailors, and developed a better understanding of how NAVSUP BSC supported systems impact readiness, modernization, and lethality across the fleet.

“Personnel who attend Meet the Fleet are able to see the importance and impact of NAVSUP BSC missions across multiple warfare areas,” said Lt. Kyle Combs, project officer, NAVSUP BSC, and event attendee. “This event facilitates direct, two-way communication between the personnel designing systems and those who are using them.”

During the trip, NAVSUP BSC personnel familiarized themselves with fleet operations from the surface, aviation, and expeditionary warfare communities during visits to USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), USS Bataan (LHD 5), USS Ramage (DDG 61), USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), Assault Craft Unit TWO, Assault Craft Unit FOUR, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 211, NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, and Navy Exchange Service Command’s Navy Exchange Norfolk complex.

“Everything that everyone here does is all about supporting the fleet,” said Lt. Brandy Zehr, supply officer for Ramage. “If you don’t see the fleet, then you don’t see their daily struggles, you don’t see the limited storage space. I think it’s critical to get the hands-on, full picture of what’s going on, so you truly understand it.”

Zehr also noted that Ramage was nominated for Best Ships Store award in the Navy for the fourth time in five years, crediting the Retail Operations Management (ROM) system managed by NAVSUP BSC.

“Quite frankly we couldn’t do our jobs without that system, ROM is how we survive,” said Zehr. “We use ROM for ship store items, orders that we place, inventory for items like sodas, snacks, and items that make the ship run. Overall it’s a great system.”

Aboard Bataan, attendees learned about how the crew utilizes One Touch Support (OTS), a supply system also managed by NAVSUP BSC and used to submit requisitions.

“OTS is our go-to,” said Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Jean Paul, assigned to Bataan. “We use it to track all of the items we need for maintenance, and we appreciate the support we get. It’s great to meet some of the folks that we send our emails to.”

For NAVSUP BSC personnel, the event served as an invaluable experience that provided insight to fleet operations and collaboration with Sailors across multiple warfare areas.

“When I hear about a destroyer, I can now say that I been on one and understand more about how they store and track inventory,” said Corene Olah, an information technology specialist for NAVSUP BSC.

“A lot of what we learned on this trip is directly from the Sailors and allows us to connect the dots from what we do to how they utilize it,” said Jared Seaman, a data administrator with NAVSUP BSC.

NAVSUP BSC provides the Navy with information systems support through the design, development, and maintenance of systems in the functional areas of logistics, supply chain management, transportation, finance, and accounting and is one of 11 commands under Commander, NAVSUP. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP's mission is to provide supplies, services, and quality-of-life support to the Navy and joint warfighter.

For more information about NAVSUP BSC visit, https://www.navsup.navy.mil/public/navsup/bsc/.

• Date Taken: 04.18.2019
• Date Posted: 04.22.2019 09:34
• Story ID: 318973
• Location: NORFOLK, VA, US
• Hometown: MECHANICSBURG, PA, US
• Hometown: NORFOLK, VA, US
• Hometown: VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, US