332nd ELRS initiatives shorten supply lines

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- Airman 1st Class Curtis McCord checks in aircraft parts and supplies here Aug. 5. The 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's Receiving Flight Service Center processes approximately 350 aircraft parts a week, including broken parts and replacements, which it then ships to recipients across the base. Airman McCord, a flight service center journeyman assigned to the 332nd ELRS, is deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. His hometown is Troy, Ala. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Jason Epley)

332nd ELRS initiatives shorten supply lines

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- Airman 1st Class Carlos Fuentes validates documentation on parts due in for maintenance here Aug. 5. The 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's Receiving Flight Service Center processes approximately 350 aircraft parts a week, including broken parts and replacements. Airman Fuentes, a flight service center journeyman assigned to the 332nd ELRS, is deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. His hometown is Houston. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Jason Epley)

332nd ELRS initiatives shorten supply lines

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- Airman 1st Class Danielle Connelly checks in aircraft parts and supplies here Aug. 5. The 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's Receiving Flight Service Center processes approximately 350 aircraft parts a week, including broken parts and replacements, which it then ships to recipients across the base. Airman Connelly, a flight service center journeyman assigned to the 332nd ELRS, is deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Her hometown is Alamogordo, N.M. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Jason Epley)

332nd ELRS initiatives shorten supply lines

Published Aug. 8, 2008

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- The 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's Material Management Flight is at the forefront in changing the way logisticians support warfighters.

The flight has established a pre-positioned spare parts packages for deploying aircraft and is researching pre-positioning small-arms weapons for deploying personnel, said Senior Master Sgt. Andy Reisz, the Material Management Flight chief.

"One of our biggest challenges has been developing a more efficient aircraft spares support program with the goal of reducing mission capable requirements," Sergeant Reisz said. "In other words, we have to make sure we have the right parts stocked to support the mission."

The first program the Contingency High Priority Mission Support Kit, or CHPMSK, program. The kit is designed as an in-place spare parts package that's already on the ground when aircraft arrive at Joint Base Balad.

The deploying unit doesn't need to spend additional time trying to fill cargo aircraft, Sergeant Reisz said.

"Because of the high priority assigned to our mission here, the fill rate for our kits is typically more than 95 percent, which means we have most of the parts on the shelf when an aircraft break occurs," he said.

The kits also reduce the amount of airlift needed for parts. The CHPMSKs will save more than 30 pallet positions a year in transport requirements, Sergeant Reisz said.

A dedicated aircraft parts store on the North Ramp will complement the CHPMSK program by collocating F-16 Fighting Falcon spare parts with the fighters.

"This puts the parts where they're needed -- at maintainers' fingertips," Sergeant Reisz said.

The second program, from which some Airmen here have already realized benefits, is the weapons pre-positioning initiative. This test program examined the feasibility of placing weapons at Balad for issue to personnel when they arrive here. Deploying personnel with fewer bags can save the Air Force hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in excess baggage charges, said Maj. David Sanford, the 332nd ELRS commander.

"During Operation Desert Storm, Airmen deployed with up to seven bags each," Major Sanford said. "Pre-positioning the weapons reduces the amount of luggage each person carries when he deploys."

Improving processes for deploying aircraft and personnel will allow the Air Force to remain focused on flying, fighting and winning, Major Sanford said.

"By having equipment ready for Airmen and aircraft when they deploy, we can free up valuable cargo lift capacity for other missions," he said. "And the more we can streamline the deployment process, the more Airmen can focus on winning the Global War on Terrorism."