By 1st Lt. Seth Church
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq - Soldiers of the 632nd Maintenance Company, 110th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 224th Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), have been conducting a wide variety of repair shop office operations at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq.
The shop office is required to pickup and turn in all repair parts in addition to keeping track of all maintenance work orders through the standard army maintenance system.
Their operational duties include supporting COB Adder units as well as the convoy security team with maintenance repair parts on equipment ranging from the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle to weapons repair and hose fabrications.
Two of the soldiers that are supporting the mission are Sgt. Morgan Baker, a Cleveland, N.Y., native, and Spc. Sean Riherd, a Mediapolis, Iowa, native. Both of these soldiers are shop office clerks with the 632nd Maintenance Company. Their primary military occupation specialty is, integrated family of test equipment operator/maintainer. They have been working outside of their primary MOS to fill the shortage of automated logistics specialists that are needed to support the mission and requirements to successfully run a shop office. Their roles in the shop office are crucial; without supply parts, none of the supporting shops would be able to conduct their maintenance missions.
“I have two of the best soldiers working for me, because they know exactly what to do, getting the job done with minimal supervision,” said Sgt. Selena Sullivan, shop office non-commissioned officer with the 632nd Maint. Company, and a McIntosh, Ala., native.
Since they have been working in the shop office, they have turned in 120 lines of serviceable excess shop stock repair parts valued at more than $800,000. Also, they have researched, cleaned, labeled, and organized excess parts in order to redistribute them back into the Army supply system.
Baker and Riherd said that they have learned from experience that receiving and turning in parts are vital to the maintenance mission.