BREMERTON, Wash.— Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center (NAVSUP FLC) Puget Sound officials recently announced the expansion of the Materials Handling Equipment (MHE) Shop’s Fleet Sustainment Program (FSP).
The expansion incorporates a focus on supporting operational commands throughout the Pacific Northwest Region.
MHE Shop personnel have been building up the program for over two years. They recently announced funding approval of $1.25 million for further expansion of the command’s fleet sustainment capabilities.
“The FSP is what we’ve been working on for the past few years. It is an initiative to grow FLC Puget Sound’s footprint in the area of fleet support,” said Brian Devine, NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound MHE Regional Manager.
MHE includes diesel, propane, and electric forklifts, electric pallet trucks, and specialized equipment for ordnance handling. The MHE Fleet Sustainment Program handles MHE assets for both sea and shore customers.
The MHE Shop maintains the fleet of NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound equipment used in the command’s material handling and warehousing activities at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Naval Station Everett, and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
The two-man shop also manages an “Afloat Pool” of equipment maintained by the MHE Shop for use by operational units. The Afloat Pool inventory currently consists of 39 pieces of equipment. The expansion plan will eventually increase the number of Afloat Pool assets to approximately 55 and include heavy-duty shipboard forklifts and compact industrial cranes specially designed for lifting materials in tight spaces and low clearance areas.
“The Afloat Pool contains assets that we maintain here at our facility in Bremerton that are available for emergency issue to ships when their equipment is not serviceable and cannot be fixed quickly before redeployment,” Devine said.
The MHE staff is actively helping shore units become more independent to focus on increasing fleet support resources.
“We are assisting area shore commands with building their own inventories and setting up their own programs if they have the capability,” Devine said.
Along with managing equipment pools, Devine and MHE Regional Trainer/Technician Eric Notter make repairs, maintain equipment maintenance logs, stock parts and tool inventories, and work with vendors to procure parts and contract repair services. The pair’s duties also include on-site troubleshooting and maintenance, and transfer of equipment to and from installations throughout the region via their shop trailer, 2-ton pickup, or 5-ton flatbed truck.
According to Notter, the MHE team performs both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, limited overhaul of electrical equipment, and unscheduled, emergency repairs for the fleet.
The MHE Shop also manages a certification and training program for Sailors and FLC employees. The instructors, Devine and Notter, both experienced MHE operators, teach basic forklift operation, safety, and hands-on maneuvering skills to personnel from sea and shore commands in the area. After graduation, students return to their commands with the MHE credentials and skillsets needed to move equipment, provisions, and supplies safely and effectively in a challenging shipboard, warehouse, or operational environment.
The NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound Fleet Sustainment Program is dedicated to keeping the flow of materials moving to support the fleet’s mission.
“Our sole purpose is to increase sustainability for FLC Puget Sound, the Afloat Pool, and shipboard material handling equipment,” Devine said.
Commands interested in sending sailors to train and certify on forklifts with the NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound MHE team or learning more about the FSP can call Eric Notter, FLC Regional Trainer/Technician, at 360-340-1391 or Brian Devine, MHE Regional Manager, at 564-252-1507.
NAVSUP FLC Fleet Logistics Center Puget Sound is based in Bremerton, Washington and serves sea, air, and shore commands throughout the Pacific Northwest and Western Pacific AOR. It is one of eight FLCs under Commander, NAVSUP. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, NAVSUP employs a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel. NAVSUP and the Navy Supply Corps conduct and enable supply chain, acquisition, operational logistics and Sailor & family care activities with our mission partners to generate readiness and sustain naval forces worldwide to prevent and decisively win wars. Learn more at www.navsup.navy.mil, [https://www.facebook.com/navsup](https://www.facebook.com/navsup) and [https://twitter.com/navsupsyscom](https://twitter.com/navsupsyscom).
| Date Taken: |
03.12.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
03.12.2026 19:01 |
| Story ID: |
560444 |
| Location: |
BREMERTON, WASHINGTON, US |
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34 |
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