Without Airborne Quartermasters, the Mission Would Stop

Photo By Staff Sgt. Sharon Matthias | U.S. Army Spc. Brynnet Estrada-Miranda, Sgt, Chaz Harrell, and Pfc. Carla Romero-Martinez (from left to right), acts as the first line of defense for the commanders’ property to minimizing inventory loss. They accurately collect and use maintenance data to improve readiness performance for the 82nd Airborne Division, July 28, 2021, on Fort Bragg. Photo by Staff Sgt. Matthias  

FORT BRAGG, NC, UNITED STATES

07.28.2021

Story by Staff Sgt. Sharon Matthias 

82nd Airborne Division

Every Tuesday and Thursday at 9 a.m. Spc. Brynnet Estrada-Miranda, an Airborne automated supply specialist, walks into the 249th Composite Supply Company, Sustainment Brigade, Supply Support Activity to pick up maintenance parts on order.
The U.S. Army automated supply specialists, “92 Alphas,” acquire, manage, and protect the commander’s assets from loss, theft, and neglect making them invaluable to every unit and their operations.
While Estrada receives supplies, repair parts, and turns in defective ones, another 92A is busy dispatching combat equipment opening and closing service work orders in the motor pool shop office at Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division on Fort Bragg.
Pfc. Carla Romero-Martinez’s and Estrada’s responsibilities are fundamental to the unit and its mission priorities. They both uphold a high level of integrity, discipline, and professionalism as the first line of defense to minimizing inventory loss and maintaining property accountability which directly impacts the Division’s readiness.
“It’s always important to have good clerks in maintenance positions, and these clerks actually do care about their jobs,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2, Daniel DeJesus. “If I give them an assignment or task today, I expect it done today because readiness is our focus.” DeJesus passionately continued, “How much readiness is that when you need to go to the range tomorrow, but your truck is broken? Nothing gets fixed if nothing got ordered.”
The 92A’s, commonly called clerks, function as a smaller supply support activity element for the Battalion. Logistically, they have direct oversight on the unit’s inventory, provide automation maintenance support for the mechanics, and manage the commander’s property using the Global Combat Support System-Army technology (GCSS-A).
Pertinent data on equipment readiness, Turn-In of excess non-expendable repair parts and Non-Mission Capable equipment, to name a few, must be reported to the Battalion and Division Commanders then up the chain of command to the Department of The Army.
“I was part of the semi-annual Command Maintenance Discipline Inspection at the Division level and HHBN automated logistics team did well,” said CW2 Jason Stanley the 82nd ABN Div. Materiel Readiness Chief.
On average, the clerks service 10-40 customers per day. They manage the accountability of all repair parts and components to includes kits, assemblies, and subassemblies valued at more than $1 million.
If anyone were to question, what is it that makes these young Paratroopers so self-driven and adapt so quickly in such a complex job? Romero searched her thoughts for an answer.
“I like the challenge, that’s what I like about this job even if you think you know it all you really don’t. There is so much more to it than just dispatching, generating equipment servicing records, and issuing parts,” said the 20-year-old quartermaster. “I plan to have a college degree in Business and this MOS (military occupational specialty) is perfect towards helping me achieve it.”
Estrada, on the other hand, credits her first-line supervisor Sgt. Chaz Harrell for her work ethic and experience, which she, in turn, uses to train and mentor Romero.
“What I love about my job is the people, it’s just better coming into a work environment when you enjoy the people you work with,” said the soft-spoken Paratrooper. “Just having other Soldiers you can communicate with help, because sometimes when I am having a bad day sharing it makes me feel like I am not alone, and it helps build a professional bond.”
The positive work environment is the foundation of Estrada’s relentless pursuit of success in her career field and her physical and mental agility, which led to her winning the Soldier of the month board for May of 2021.
Both Estrada’s and Romero’s work ethic may be a direct representation of their leaders, mainly their first-line supervisor Sgt. Chaz Harrell. He embodies the attributes of a leader and uses an uncommon competence approach to develop his Paratroopers.
“When I am doing counseling, I sometimes allow my Soldiers to critique me, tell me what their expectations are, what they think I am doing wrong, so I can fix it,” said Harrell.
The quartermaster non-commissioned officer admits we are not perfect leaders, but he has proven that his leadership style builds trust, comradery, and competent self-starters working two levels above their grade.
“I can be an effective leader for you and your work performance is going to be ten times better because we are working together,” said Harrell to his 92A Airborne Paratroopers.

• Date Taken: 07.28.2021
• Date Posted: 07.28.2021 22:59
• Story ID: 401963
• Location: FORT BRAGG, NC, US
• Hometown: MEXICO CITY, MX
• Hometown: BRONX, NY, US
• Hometown: INDIANAPOLIS, IN, US
• Hometown: LINCOLN, NE, US