Photo By Capt. Monika Comeaux | Master Sgt. Benito Torres Jr., the NCOIC of the 4th Sustainment Brigade Liaison team...... read more read more
LSA ANACONDA, Iraq-The 4th Sustainment Brigade Liaison Team assigned to 3rd Corps Support Command Headquarters at Logistical Support Area Anaconda does many different things from briefing the commanding general to scrounging for packaging materials, to accomplish their mission.
Although traditionally a liaison team would act as a link between two military units, ensuring mutual understanding and cooperation, the 4th SB liaisons spend the majority of their time hunting down much-needed parts in different warehouses on LSA Anaconda.
"Our main goal is to be a liaison for the 4th Infantry Division when it comes to Class VII (major end items, mostly vehicles) battle damage and Class IX (repair parts) from TAP (Team Armor Partner)," said Master Sgt. Benito Torres Jr., liaison team NCOIC.
"Delivering Class IX ground and air repair parts are the only additional tasks we took upon ourselves," he added.
The liaison team currently supports the 1st, 2nd and 4th Brigade Combat Teams of the 4th Infantry Division.
They ship parts to 10 different forward operating bases, Torres explained. The team ships the largest amount of parts from the TAP warehouse.
The warehouse provides high-dollar electronic parts for certain versions of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and for the M1A2 SEP (System Enhancement Package) Abrams tank, said Amy Deana, TAP site lead, who works with the liaison team on a daily basis.
"Since January of this year, 4 ID units received parts worth a total of $25.8 million," she said.
When a unit needs a certain high-dollar part, they order it through a computerized system, said Torres. An item manager at Fort Hood receives the order and ships it to the TAP at LSA Anaconda.
The liaison team comes in, groups the parts by destination and palletizes the items. The pallets are moved to the Joint Distribution Center at LSA Anaconda, and they are shipped by air to the Arrival Departure Airfield Control Group at the Baghdad International Airport, before they finally make their way to their destination at the individual FOBs.
"It generally takes two to three weeks to get parts to customers," said Robby Butler, a supply technician for General Dynamics Land Systems working at the TAP.
However, if a unit urgently needs a part from TAP or any other warehouse the liaison team works with, and is able to locate the part on hand in the warehouse bench stock, the liaison team does something called a "walk-through," Torres said.
They have the warehouse pull the item, and to expedite delivery, team members manifest themselves with the part on the next flight, or combat logistics patrol, heading to where the part is needed, and hand-deliver it to the unit within 72 hours.
Their job requires a lot of patience, they have to know all the "players," understand the supply system and they have to be able to multi-task.
The team does not have any proper packaging material - it has been on order for a while. They also lack forklifts or cargo trucks, yet they somehow always manage to "beg, borrow and bargain," as Torres said, to get the parts to their customers.
"The other day we shipped 104 Bradley up-armor kits," said Torres. It took eight Palletized Load Systems with trailers to get those items from the warehouse to the shipping yard. They overcame all obstacles to accommodate their customers.
"You need an outgoing personality to deal with the various people you meet," said Sgt. 1st Class Frederick Tyler, originally a light-wheel mechanic from the 4th SB.
This is his first time as a liaison. He has picked up several new skills since he started working in his current position.
"I've learned the different aspects and avenues of shipping out parts and tracking them," he said.
Torres is the only one of the five-man team, who has some supply experience, being a unit supply specialist. In his last job he worked at the 4th Inf. Div.'s property book office.
The rest of the Soldiers learned most of what they know on the job. Torres made sure that every member of the team was comfortable with all aspects of what they do.
People at TAP like working with the liaison team.
"Torres is one of the best LNOs we ever had," said Butler. "He pays a lot of attention to detail. He makes sure that the job gets done."
The liaison team stands ready seven days a week, 24 hours a day, awaiting new orders. They take a lot of pride in their work.
"The highlights are helping people and ensuring that forward projected combat power is kept fully mission capable," said Tyler.
| Date Taken: | 05.05.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 05.05.2006 02:25 |
| Story ID: | 6277 |
| Location: | BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 171 |
| Downloads: | 53 |
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