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L ogistics O fficer A ssociation Enhancing the military logistics profession since 1982 Executive Board President Col Tom Miller president@loanational.org Vice President Lt Col Kevin Sampels vicepres@loanational.org Treasurer Lt Col Jeff King treasurer@loanational.org Information Officer Lt Col JD DuVall InfoOfficer@loanational.org Chief Operating Officer Ms. Krista L. Paternostro krista@loanational.org Membership Development Ms. Wendy Yonce membership@loanational.org Chapter Support Maj Camille LaDrew chaptersupport@loanational.org Executive Senior Advisors Lt Gen Judith Fedder Webmaster/Website Lt Col JD DuVall webmaster@loanational.org www.loanational.org T h e E x c ep t i o n a l Rele a se Editor Lt Col Richard Fletcher editor@loanational.org Assistant Editor Col (ret) Mary H. Parker, 412 AMX/MXAD assteditor@loanational.org LOA Executive Director ER Managing Editor/Publisher Marta Hannon marta@loanational.org ER Worldwide Staff Lt Col Michelle Hall, 43 LRS/CC Lt Col Paul Pethel, AFMC/A4US Maj James Dorn, ACSC Student Capt Timothy Dodson, 95 RS/LG 1LT Scott Manno, OC-ALC/GKJLA Ms. Donna Parry, AF/A4/7PE Graphic Design MMagination LLC – Atlanta, GA www.mmagination.com LOA National PO Box 2264 – Arlington, VA 22202 Issue No. 122 - Winter 2011
The Exceptional Release Winter 2011 - Contents FEATURES industry partner
Focus on a LOA Industry Partner: Northrop Grumman..........................................................8 EDUCATION
Logistics Officer and Civilian Force Development in the Twenty-First Century
By Lieutenant Colonel Christopher De Los Santos.........................................................28
Advanced Logistics Readiness Officers Course Update
By Mr. Lance Kaplan, Mr. Gregory Hannon and Mr. William McCambridge.................32
USAF Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School
By Lieutenant Colonel William Maxwell........................................................................34
AFRC’s 21A Professional Development Seminar
By Lieutenant Colonel Darren Paladino..........................................................................38
Everything I Needed to Know About Tactical Maintenance Leadership I Learned From Teaching
By 1st Lieutenant James P. Guthrie.................................................................................40 leadership
Perspectives : Lieutenant General Tom Owen................................................................44 Focus on a LOA Chapter Leader: Major John Adams......................................................48 Focus on a LOA Chapter Leader: 1st Lieutenant Rob Berry............................................50 Focus on a LOA Chapter Leader: 1st Lieutenant Ashley Maddox-Hewko........................52 Focus on a CGO: Captain Mieke Bruins........................................................................54 from the flightline
Logistics Leaders…Empowerment, Innovation
By Colonel David Haase, Lieutenant Mike Schumacher, Chief Master Sergeant Robert Hughes............................................................................56
Teaming with Industry Partners
By Major Tiffany Feet......................................................................................................58 Table of Contents (Continued from Page 1)
Continued on Page 2...
voices | President
President’s LOG(istics) Fellow Loggies, I’m honored to have been elected as your LOA President. Colonel (ret) Doug Cato served for seven continuous years at the National level, as the Conference Chairman for four and then as the President for three. He led change, set a visionary course, and took concrete steps to expand what can be accomplished by LOA. Like many volunteers before him, he gave what is to many of us our most valuable commodity—time. He gave that time to an organization he believed in. Doug we thank you for all you have done. This organization is a selfless one, which I would argue has been key to its success. Our focus remains on profes- Col Tom Miller sional development and contributing to logistics problem solving. Your superiors count on your professional development so that you can shoulder the incredible responsibility that is placed upon you. Your subordinates count on your professional development because it is central to the health of the organization you lead and pivotal to mission accomplishment. In the austere budget environment we are about to enter, being the most informed leader with the right skill set will be of even greater importance. LOA has three key ways to contribute to our professional development and they each play an important role. The highest impact on a logistician’s professional development can be made at the chapter level. The interaction, the thought provoking discussion, and the opportunity for mentoring and learning are irreplaceable. During our last conference, Lt Gen Fedder asked us to generate ideas for policy changes and your chapter was the focal point for formulating those ideas. Our newly appointed Regional Directors are working with Chapter Presidents to make sure they have the resources they need to provide you those experiences. Our journal, The Exceptional Release, provides the second key tool for professional development. The articles are informative and thought provoking. Some articles teach you about a key concept important to logistics while others offer alternative solutions which are still in the developmental stage. You will grow professionally from reading the ER and being current on the topics of the day. You will also mature professionally by contributing an article; I encourage you to do that.
expeditionary logistics
From “Flying Lions” to “Lion Haul”
By Major Gregory M. Kuzma...........................................................62
Joint Logisticians Embedded with USAID’s Humanitarian Assistance Response Management Teams
By Ms. Sonia Biswas and Colonel John Hickok . .............................68
JET Success: Lessons Learned
By Captain Dan Moates...................................................................72
Expeditionary Heavy Maintenance
By Colonel Jeffrey W. Decker and 1st Lieutenant Thomas M. Clark, Jr...................................................74 VOICES | In Every Issue
President’s LOG(istics), Colonel Tom Miller...................................... 2 LOA Regional Directors to Strengthen Chapter Initiatives.................3
Editor’s Debrief, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Fletcher...................... 4 LOA Outlook, Ms. Krista L. Paternostro ........................................5 From the E-Ring, Lt Gen Judy Fedder............................................... 6
SES Speaks, Ms. Patricia M. Young .................................................... 7 Chapter CrossTalk............................................................................. 77 Milestones.......................................................................................... 84
2 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
The conference is a third key vehicle for professional development. This past conference had many changes including the use of social media for senior leader questions and senior leaders asking the audience questions instead of the reverse. We also had a breakout session on LOA members participating on Air Force-level problem solving teams with Repair Network Integration, and an opportunity to contribute changes in problem definition and solving for the Air Staff. Your LOA National Staff is working diligently on even more significant changes to next year’s conference. Stay tuned in the coming months for ways we will enhance interaction, offer training/education, and problem solving opportunities. The theme of this ER is “Developing our Logistics Leaders.” That is what we do. We have military and civilian members in every echelon of the logistics enterprise and they have a great deal to offer. Take advantage of the lessons in these great articles, and grow from them. V/R,
Tom
Col Tom Miller, President LOA National And Your LOA National Board
voices | LOA regional directors
LOA Regional Directors to Strengthen Chapter Initiatives With almost 80 local chapters around the globe, LOA is proud of its grassroots community and is pleased to see engagement and support for LOA by its local chapters, both small and large. However, with the strategic focus of the LOA organization broadening, the LOA National Board has endeavored to provide more visible and consistent support to local chapters by creating a new level of leadership and guidance. In August of this year, the LOA National Executive Board appointed nine new Regional Directors to serve as a liaison and conduit between the National Board and the local chapters within their respective regions. These nine LOA leaders were selected following an extensive nomination process within the local chapter community. Past LOA President, Col Doug Cato, Retired, announced the appointments this past fall. LOA National President Col Tom Miller conveys, “Professional development continues to be the central focus of LOA. Doug and his team recognized the difficulty in providing responsive support to the almost 80 chapters where that key professional development takes place from just the LOA National Board. The creation of Regional Directors, which are now positioned to mentor and assist chapter presidents, will fill a gap that has long existed for us. We owe a huge thanks to the officers and civilians who stepped up to take on this important role for our all of us.” The primary responsibilities of the regional directors will be to: n n n n n n
Further LOA National goals via focused chapter support
Serve as the chief administrator of the region for LOA, providing liaison between the assigned chapters and LOA National. Provide leadership and assistance with the creation of new chapters and recruiting of new LOA National members.
Conduct a monthly DCO/telecom with assigned chapter leaders to discuss chapter support, membership, and professional development related issues. Coordinate regional professional development activities. Liaise with host MAJCOM/A4 (and staff ), as required.
Each regional director will serve an initial two-year term. Although the regional directors will report directly to the LOA National President, there will be much interaction and interface with the LOA National Chapter Support Officer, Major Camille LaDrew and our newly-appointed LOA National Professional Development Support Officer, Lt. Col. Stephanie Halcrow. These two critical LOA positions already provide important strategic inputs and guidance to the LOA National Board, and will now have additional opportunities for dialogue within the LOA regions. The ultimate goal is to continue to provide value to our members. Adds Col Miller, “We recognize there will be secondary benefits from this initiative. We hope to see enhanced chapter support, an increase in the number of professional development opportunities, and most importantly, increases in regional crosstell. We want to capture and make good use of all of the success stories happening at the local chapter level. This initiative will help us to do that.” The new LOA regions have been drawn as follows: Inside CONUS: Region 1: Western Region - Maj Wendy Enderle Region 2: Mountain Region - Col Pat Kumashiro Region 3: North Central Region Ms. Jodie Johnson-Micks Region 4: South Central Region Ms. Rebecca Westlake Region 5: North Eastern Region Lt Col Ley Havird Region 6: South Eastern Region Col Tracy Smiedendorf Outside CONUS: Region 7: European Region - Col Marc Novak Region 8: Pacific Region - Lt Col Tim Gillaspie Region 9: AOR Region - Mr. Jim Marsh K
3 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
voices | editor
Editor’s Debrief Fellow Loggies, Wow! What an awesome conference in Ft. Worth. If your experience was anything like mine, then you heard
plenty about the challenges our Air Force is facing and have a full understanding that logistics continues to ex-
perience and initiate change to meet those challenges. You most likely renewed old friendships and networked
with other loggies and our industry partners. This is all part of the Conference experience. Without question, the Conference provided personal professional development just like our national journal, the Exceptional Release. This Winter edition does not disappoint!
Lt Col Richard Fletcher
As always, we have a tremendous lineup in our Voices and Leadership sections. Here you will find the first “From the E-Ring” article written
by Lt Gen Judith Fedder, Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics, Installations and Mission Support. Likewise, in her first article for the ER, Ms.
Patricia Young, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, provides us with her thoughts on developing
logistics leaders in her SES Speaks piece. Lt Gen Owen, Aeronautical Systems Center Commander, shares how his team is meeting today’s challenges head on and how they intend to posture themselves for future challenges. These two sections always provide a great opportunity to appreciate what is on the minds of our logistics leaders.
Obviously, this edition of the Exceptional Release is focused on Developing Logistics Leaders. Our premier advanced logistics school houses,
ALROC and AMMOS, provide an update on their programs to include an enhanced understanding of their purpose. Lt Col Chris De Los
Santos gives us a peek into the future training and education of Logistics Officers and our Civilian workforce. From the Reserve logistics
community, Lt Col Darren Paladino discloses information on a new course charged with developing reserve Aircraft Maintenance Officers. Lt Guthrie compares his experiences as a teacher to being a leader. There are strong comparisons to be drawn. I recommend you read his article to learn more.
Once again, the Exceptional Release is full of informative articles from the Flightline and Expeditionary Logistics. Col Haase and Lt Schum-
acher describe what it takes to be a leader on the flightline, and Major Feet explains how powerful the industry and the military team can be
when tackling the same challenges. In the Expeditionary Logistics section you will find articles from Airmen working with USAID to Airmen working on the CJTF-HOA staff to another Airman performing a JET tasking. I am always amazed at the unique and demanding jobs our
logistics officers find themselves performing.
Our next edition will focus on Airmen in Joint Logistics. If you have a joint experience you want to share with our fellow loggies, shoot me
an article. No joint experiences to share, no worries…we want to hear from you anyway. Tell us about the latest initiative in your squadron or group; or tell us about your deployed experience. Thank you for your continued support for the ER.
V/R,
Fletch Lt Col Richard Fletcher and your ER Worldwide Staff
4 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
voices | coo
LOA Outlook Dear LOA Members, It is with both delight and honor that I offer you my greetings and reflections since being named your Chief Operating Officer at LOA in September 2011. I am particularly proud to continue my service to professionals working within the national security community, having just completed three and a half years as the CEO of the Military Operations Research Society, based in Alexandria, VA. The work that you do for your country is significant and meaningful and it is an honor for me to be associated with this prestigious organization. The Logistics Officer Association is steeped in proud tradition and yet stands ready to embrace new innovations and the promise of an even Ms. Krista L. Paternostro brighter future. I am looking forward to a successful year under the leadership of our newly-elected LOA National Board led by LOA President, Col Tom Miller. Together with the rest of the LOA National Board team, we are eager to advance the professional development opportunities of our members by providing new and enhanced programs and services and more opportunities for collaboration across our entire organization. If you are like me, I am still riding the wave of enthusiasm from the 2011 LOA National Conference held in October in Fort Worth, TX! What a phenomenal event! Kudos and congratulations to the entire team who worked tirelessly to make it happen, ably led by our Immediate Past President Col Doug Cato, Retired; Conference Chairman Col Dennis Dabney, and our LOA Conference Director, Ms. Marta Hannon. The support from senior leaders within the USAF and Joint logistics community was exceptional and we collectively thank those honored members for their vision, leadership, and ongoing support of our organization. During the conference week, I had the chance to speak with many of you and to hear your thoughts and ideas on how we can work to expand the sphere of influence of LOA, ultimately creating more value for you in your day-to-day life as a national security logistician. Your inputs have been important to me and I want to encourage you to keep them coming. Please know that I eagerly await your feedback and ideas. You can email me directly at krista@loanational.org or you can send your ideas collectively through your LOA Chapter Presidents and Regional Directors. This is your organization, and your feedback is critical to ensure we are moving together in the most meaningful direction. The theme of this ER issue is Developing Our Logistics Leaders. I am pleased to mention just a few things that the LOA National Board will be tackling this year to help to advance this theme. One-stop resource for logistics information – We continue to build value in our website, www.loanational.org. The ultimate goal is to make this site the go-to resource for military logistics information. Be on the lookout for enhancements to the site including new opportunities for members to collaborate and exchange ideas online, an idea implemented exceptionally during the annual conference in Fort Worth. Career enhancement resources – This year’s job fair during the annual conference was the first step down a new road for LOA as we build a menu of career-building services for our members. An online, interactive job board, resume center, and other career development services are already under consideration for implementation this year. LOA Regional programming – And finally, with the launch of our new LOA Regional Directors initiative during the annual conference, we are excited to consider offering regional events facilitated by the LOA National Board at convenient locations within a number of LOA’s nine distinct regions. These professional development opportunities will encourage networking and information exchange throughout the year and will provide an additional layer of value for our members. There is more on our list to tackle this year and we encourage your participation and support. Become involved in your local chapter, encourage your colleagues to consider joining LOA, volunteer to support activities within your community, and finally, continue to share your ideas with your local Chapter President, Regional Director, or members of the LOA National Board. Let’s continue to work together to make this organization the pacesetter for the logistics community. Thank you welcoming me to LOA. I look forward to growing and learning with you and continuing to advance the mission and goals of this firstrate association. VR,
Krista L. Paternostro LOA Chief Operating Officer
5 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
VOICES | E-Ring
From the E-Ring Developing Logistics Leaders Our Logistics Officer Association has entered a new era. We are part of an organization with a renewed focus, one that taps into the talent and ingenuity of every member. While LOA has always contributed to the strength of our people and our profession, that impact is now bigger than ever. For those in attendance at the annual LOA conference, I hope you saw that. The event was a resounding success. It was great to meet with so many of you and be able to discuss both your triumphs and challenges. It was also an
Lt Gen Judy Fedder
excellent opportunity to discuss the state of our community and host a frank dialogue on the measures we are taking to deliberately develop professional logisticians. This is an exciting time to be in the Air Force, as the challenges ahead will provide opportunities for innovation, resourcefulness and, above all, opportunities for you to lead. I invite you to rise to the occasion by making the most of every learning opportunity, challenging the “norm”, and seeking out better ways of doing our mission. What was readily apparent from Day 1 of the conference was that our community is full of passion and commitment. Regardless of what we are faced with, Air Force logisticians find a way to make the mission happen--whether in a convoy, warehouse, depot, or on the flightline. Fiscal realities will predictably change the landscape of our force in the coming years—that’s a given. But I know our future is full of promise, and I am counting on your committed leadership at all levels to see us through. As loggies we are charged with being students of our craft, eager to leverage doctrine, the lessons of history, and industry’s best of breed to find positive solutions for every problem. The way we prepare ourselves and our Airmen is to seek out those opportunities to gain the training, education and experience that will prepare us for the challenges ahead. One of the challenges we are taking on at the Air Staff is to provide guidance on how we should purposely develop logistics leaders. We embarked on an effort to develop a logistics officer deliberate continuum of learning that synergistically links key education and training with properly-timed assignments and experiences. Similarly, we are building supply chain management and aircraft maintenance certification programs to add structure to the growth and development of civilian logistics leaders. For the enlisted force, we are moving forward with initiatives to keep our maintenance professionals on a specific aircraft longer to ensure flightline maintainers have the right level of experience. The goal is to develop officers, civilians and enlisted leaders with a clear sight picture of how their efforts at every level of the logistics enterprise contribute to combat capability. I am strongly committed to building on the momentum we experienced at the annual conference. As you will recall, I asked every LOA Chapter to propose logistics policy initiatives and recommendations on what we should stop doing and forward through their respective regional directors to my staff by Thanksgiving. In turn, we’ll scrub those initiatives and recommendations and I will provide feedback to LOA members via a webinar in mid-February. Your input matters, and I know it will make a difference in how we tackle what’s on our plate. Thank you for your active involvement in LOA and for what we will accomplish together as one Logistics team! Lt Gen Judy Fedder Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
6 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
voices | SES
SES Speaks Preparing Our Future Leaders Run a query in Google for leadership and it brings back 7, 970,000 definitions. Run a query on Amazon.com and they have 83,580 books on leadership. There is a plethora of information readily available informing and educating
people on how to be better leaders. The Air Force thru a variety of means offers over 100 classes and programs on
developing our Airmen’s leadership skills. Why so many books, definitions and classes? Leaders matter; they are Ms. Patricia M. Young what make nations successful and powerful; they are the keystone of our national defense. So, how do we develop logistics leaders? What sets logisticians apart? What skills do our logistics leaders require that differ from other leaders? In
my view, the foundational skills for any successful leader boil down to: the ability to communicate, interpersonal skills and humor.
Communication is at the heart of everything we do. Leaders meet mission requirements through their people. From the simple to the most complex
task, communication is the deal breaker. Knowing that your words have an impact is critical. Your message must be clear and concise as to not add confusion or create a mixed message. Your message must build consensus, inspire, drive solutions and resolve problems. There are times when you
should not speak but listen. Listening skills are just as critical as speaking skills and sometimes the most important part of communicating is listen-
ing. Our media today – email, Facebook and Twitter--make communicating even more of a challenge. In a social media environment, everyone is
connected. Your message can go far and wide and very fast…and you can’t take it back. The old adage, “careful what you say, it could come back to
haunt you”, takes on a deeper meaning in today’s environment.
Interpersonal skills build upon your communication skills and blends in with your people skills. A successful leader is so because of their people. We all have mentors--those leaders we sought out due to their success--to work with and gain their insights and wise council on how we can become a better leader. Every mentor has a different leadership style, some more effective than others depending upon the situation—all the more reason to
have more than one mentor. There is no one right way to motivate, encourage the heart and develop people. And, over time you will find what works
best for you. A vital aspect of interpersonal skills is feedback. A successful leader needs feedback, and it can be praise or constructive criticism. It’s
more than just getting feedback; it’s listening, processing and then adjusting to become better.
Humor – laughter is good for both the mental and physical aspects of our day. People are more easily influenced through a humorous illustration
than in any other way. Humor is a major component in persuading people…building consensus. Loyalty is more often won through one-on-one conversation and shared humor. We often spend more time with our work force than we do our families and our work days are filled with challenges and tough decisions. Humor is a great way to relieve the tension, build team spirit and keep morale up.
Due to the nature of the logistics business it crosses the AF enterprise; there is not a function, domain or mission that logistics doesn’t touch. Logisticians are support providers. To be an effective, efficient and skilled leader takes skill and practice as well as developing breadth and depth knowledge of the core business. It all stems from communicating, taking care of your people and humor. Lt Gen Reno recently stated in a LOA
article, “Logistics…It’s the backbone that gives us staying power and the muscle that gives us strength.” In my view, this holds true for our logistics leaders as well.
Remember….the best Leaders never stop learning… Ms. Patricia M. Young
Ms. Patricia M. Young, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
7 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
INDUSTRY PARTNER | nORTHROP GRUMMAN
Focus on a LOA Industry Partner Northrop Grumman: Large or Small – We Do It All By Mr. Terry Williamson I am sitting at my desk at Northrop Grumman debating from what perspective I should write this article for the ER. I thought I have two options, one from a U.S. Air Force retiree perspective and one from a Northrop Grumman perspective. While pondering this small
8 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
dilemma, it occurred to me that those two perspectives are actually the same. My personal and professional perspectives are much the same, which is one of the major reasons I work at Northrop Grumman. I am proud to be a contractor for the USAF and very happy about the tremendous work ethic my colleagues display on a day-to-day basis.
At Northrop we support a variety of programs and contracts across the USAF from large contracts like the B-2, Global Hawk and the Joint Stars program to small studies in a variety of areas. One thing remains constant in all of these areas and that is the desire to provide quality products that work when and where they are needed at an affordable price. When
(Photo courtesy of Northrop Grumman)
wILLIAMSON I left the Air Force after an exciting career, I wanted to continue to work in the same career field and to put into practice the logistics concepts and practices we all have developed and utilized over the years. Well to make a long story short, Northrop Grumman has allowed me the opportunity to do exactly that.
Block 30 Global Hawk lands at Northrop Grumman Palmdale, Calif. facility. (Courtesy of Northrop Grumman.)
At this year’s LOA conference in Ft. Worth, we had the historical opportunity to participate in the first ever Industry Partner Panel entitled the Industry Partner Power Hour Panel. Admiral (Ret) Jim Zortman, sector Vice President of Life Cycle Logistics and Support (LCLS) for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, was one of the participants in this ground breaking event. Having been a participant at other LOA events I was very pleased with the quality of the discussions between Mr. Larry Scheuble of Booz Allen Hamilton, Mr. Paul Dolan of Chromalloy, Mr. Jim O’Neill and Mr. Zortman. Their candid analysis of the very difficult environment the Department of Defense finds itself in and the desire to provide the deployed men and women with quality products was refreshing. I was also impressed with the thought provoking questions generated by the audience for these distinguished industry leaders. Colonel Walt Lindsley did a great job moderating this panel and I personally can’t wait until next year to once again continue this new era of industry participation. In the case of our LCLS organization at Northrop Grumman, it gives us an opportunity to not only share our problems and issues but also to share our overwhelming desire to support our USAF customer and their missions. In an effort to meet the most demanding
21st century aviation needs, LCLS brings world-class sustaining engineering to bear to improve reliability, maintainability and supportability, and we use advanced logistics-focused information technology systems to enhance Total Life Cycle Configuration Management (TLCCM) and to provide “real-time” visibility on all logistics aspects of our systems. Our highly-
skilled team is committed to partnering with our customers and providing innovative solutions that best meet their unique requirements throughout the product’s life cycle. Our cus-
tomers want, and quite frankly, deserve maximum aircraft availability. As a result,
we created the LCLS Division to combine decades of integrated logistics support experience and expertise in support system planning, design, engineering, supply support, servicing, maintenance & repair, technical data, training and disposal to provide full-spectrum aviation logistics solutions. LCLS defines and optimizes the support infrastructure to attain metrics that are allocable, measureable, and influence system design. We use innovative technologies to support our customers’ program design, manufacturing and test needs to optimize aircraft readiness at the lowest operational cost throughout the entire life cycle. Our past performance demon-
strates high customer satisfaction, top logistics awards, innovation and reach back to the greater enterprise, and leading indicator dashboard metrics enabling worldclass program management.
Northrop Grumman has a long history of providing our customers with products they will own for decades and use under the harshest environments. Our relentless pursuit of new and better ways to support our customers’ success enables us to provide them with state-of-the-art, agile and responsive systems. LCLS has provided customers with dedicated logistical support and repair expertise to provide timely identification of direct maintenance cost and readiness drivers and improvement solutions for over 30 years.
LCLS is dedicated to building strategic partnerships with our customer from the inception of their program. Our team includes many leaders who, at one time, were the customer. We collaborate with our customer to clearly define roles and team readiness, and to engage our customers early in the life cycle process to develop programs that provide appropriate design authority. By doing this, our customers are able to influence the design for both supportability and operations and support affordability--to capture the benefits of Acquisition and Logistics intersections in the same environment. Our highlytrained engineers provide sustainment engineering from the beginning of the program and design in modernization by planning for diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortages and will consistently provide upgrades to maintain lethality and reliability for the life cycle of the program. At Northrop Grumman we propose to be more than just a contractor, we are committed to truly being your industry partner. See you next year. About the author: Mr. Terry Williamson has served in a variety of positions since joining Northrop Grumman in 2004 to include the Global Hawk Product Support IPT Lead. Currently he is the Business Integration Manager for the Life Cycle Logistics and Support organization. Terry’s Air Force career spanned over 23 years, supporting a variety of aircraft in all aspects of aircraft/ munitions. K 9 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
VOICES | loa sHOUT oUTS
LOA Shout Outs Conference Attendees Share Their Experiences Participating in the Annual Logistics Officers Association National Conference helps facilitate a greater understanding and appreciation for the business practices, close cooperation, communications and mutual respect required between defense industry and USAF logisticians to achieve and sustain the required levels of operational capabilities to ensure our national security at the lowest possible costs.
- William “Mike” Hogan, Battelle
Teradyne is pleased to have been an exhibitor at the Logistics Officer Association National Conference since 2004. As an industry partner to the United States Air Force, we value the opportunity to become better acquainted with the dedicated warriors who serve and protect our nation. We enjoy the friendly banter that we engage in on the exhibit floor as it helps us align our products with the needs of the war fighter.
- Teradyne
While visiting the Exhibit Hall at this year’s LOA Conference, I had the privilege to speak with Mr. Ken Casey of USAA. Many military individuals choose to bank and/or be insured through USAA, and are aware of their dedication to lightening our load of checklist items leading up to deployments or frequent moves; however my exchange with Mr. Casey proved beneficial for future TDYs and periods of leave... I truly appreciated the time Mr. Casey dedicated to our conversation. His understanding of the military lifestyle was comforting, and it did not take me long to recognize he has quite the military history. I realized I should have been addressing him as Chief, as his years in the Air Force overshadow my time on this earth. USAA undoubtedly had much to gain when they hired an individual with such experience, and we, too, will gain from him as he continues to serve members of the military in this very different capacity.
- Capt Elisabeth Chenoweth
I visited Pratt and Whitney in regards to their eco wash program. I work in the C-5 MSG-3 Major Isochronal Inspection Dock at Dover AFB, Delaware and we are about to incorporate the eco wash to our ISO process. What was great about the booth was that they were able to explain some of the details of the program to include how long it takes and the benefits of doing the wash, which will amount to more fuel efficient and cleaner engines that will have longer time on wing. The booth also had an informative CD that will explain the program in even more detail so I can take it home and educate my people on the eco washes. All in all, Pratt & Whitney was another informative and useful booth at LOA!
- 1Lt Drew Vorhies, 436 MXS Maintenance Flight OIC, Dover AFB, Delaware
10 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
CSC came to LOA 2011 because it’s the largest gathering of Air Force logistics leaders and future leaders. CSC led a 12-booth complex called “Transformation Alley” to showcase the latest information about the Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS) and other eLog21 initiatives in a face-to-face setting. LOA members got a chance to see, touch and ask questions about ECSS, the enabling technology for Air Force logistics transformation and financial auditability. After seeing ECSS processes, transactions and training materials, LOA members better understood the progress of the program and were enthusiastic about all the new capabilities ECSS will offer them and the Air Force.
- Mark Douglas ECSS, Site Readiness Support Director, Team CSC
LOA is a concentration of the right mix of USAF leaders that need to know who we are and what we do. We get to meet with maintenance officers intimate with the flight line who know what their maintainers need today. We also get to meet senior leaders who know the direction we should be heading and can set us on a course to better support the warfighter tomorrow.
- Todd Pierson, Military Liaison, Kennon Aircraft Covers
Chromalloy continues to enjoy strong partnerships with OEM’s that utilize Chromalloy gas path coatings to optimize engine performance and extend the life of critical components. Additionally, Chromalloy’s direct relationship with the United States Air Force continues to expand as additional whole systems and supply chain components are opened up to competitive, safe and proven commercial practices. Many of these opportunities originated from conversations on the floor of the LOA conference. This singularly unique forum relaxes traditional barriers and allows industry and uniformed professionals to discover solutions that improve the sustainment of aircraft and engine systems. We learn a lot from listening at LOA, and that has enabled us to make smarter decisions as we grow.
- Paul Dolan, Chromalloy Military Affairs
The LOA conference presents the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) with the opportunity to meet key players in the logistics community. LOA attendees and exhibitors play an active role in participating in NDIA membership and logistics related conferences and activities. - Michael Kibler, Director of Corporate Membership Sales and Erica Utegaard, Associate Director of Membership Sales and Marketing
VOICES | loa sHOUT oUTS It was great getting to speak with so many Industry Partners at the LOA Conference. I learned about many new innovations that can save my organization time and manpower. The technologies of most importance to me in my current job are the innovations that will help streamline flight line maintenance functions. The different ways to cut manpower through self-checkout of tools, as well as safety tools like the noise canceling headsets and microphones, would be a great investment to make the maintainers job easier.
- Lt Col Erika D. Kelley
This year I was very pleased with the exhibit hall and the attempt the industry partners made to reach out to young CGO’s.
- Captain Francine Kwarteng
Why we chose to exhibit at LOA this year is quite simple, because LOA is a great organization that brings together many Air Force professionals and their leaders into an environment that fosters concentrated focus on important sustainment issues. Let me explain just a little further. AAI has a long heritage of supporting the Air Force warfighter with products and services. At your conference we get updated on your challenges and direction. This helps us focus on the same goals, which lately seems to be “do more with less.” One solution we offer that meets this goal is Performance Based Logistics (PBL) programs where we manage the supply chain on selected legacy components and utilize the Air Force depots to provide the touch labor. This helps resolve many parts obsolescence issues that lead to AWP and MICAP issues, at less cost. You can easily see how this directly helps the sustainers keep vital equipment ready and capable of performing its assigned mission, even though it is aging beyond its intended service life in a budget constrained environment. Now back to the original question. Our exhibit provides a place for the new logistics managers to get to know us a little better as well as a place for the senior leaders to come by and chat.
- Norm Burch Sr. Director, Business Development AAI Corporation
We have a booth at LOA because it is a great opportunity to interact with the tactical edge of the Air Force. The feedback from the logistics user community on the future of logistics is invaluable. LOA offers real conversations with airmen, senior leaders, and industry partners in the fight and discussing critical topics like transformation and training. Listening to what the members are saying is the key to success. General Breedlove said it, “tell us how to do it better.”
- Phil Waring PMP, CSCP, ICF International
Lockheed Martin is present at LOA national to first listen to the concerns of today’s logistician while also showcasing our numerous capabilities and competencies across the full spectrum of logistics. We pride ourselves on partnering with the USAF to support the warfighter’s mission. “We never forget who we are working for.” That’s the main reason for us being here.
-Dexter Henson
As I walked through the Industry Partner exhibit hall I came across Kelly Aviation Center’s booth, and stopped to talk to them about their company. As an OIC of the 67 AMU at Kadena Air Base, Japan, I was interested to find out what their role is in repairing the F100-220 engines that are used in our F-15C/D’s. As we made small talk, I told them that I had grown up in San Antonio and participated in the Alamo Area Aerospace Academy when I attended Madison High School. Little did I know that the founder of the Aerospace Academy, Mr. Joseph Wilson, was also here at LOA working at the Kelly Aviation Center booth. It was incredible for me to meet the person who got me my start in aviation over 8 years ago. Reuniting with such an influential part of my past this week at LOA 2011 has been one of the greatest highlights of the conference and I’m truly glad that I stopped by.
- 2Lt Adam Wickley
Exhibiting at LOA enables us to discuss Rolls-Royce products and services with key USAF logistic leaders. The wide range of LOA attendees allows Rolls-Royce to better understand logistics from the flightline to the Pentagon.
- Mr. Robert J. Settle, II - VP, USAF Customer Business
The AFGLSC is proud to support the LOA conference. This is our third year having a booth in the exhibit hall. We have been able to answer a lot of questions and pass on information about how we work to support the warfighter. If our onsite experts cannot answer a question, we get the query to an SME that can. We look forward to being a part of the future of the LOA.
NISH, under the AbilityOne Program, provides employment opportunities, through federal contracts for goods and services, for people who have significant disabilities. Our workforce includes more than 1,500 disabled military veterans. NISH came to the 2011 LOA Conference because we wanted to showcase our supply chain capabilities at one of the largest gatherings of air and space logisticians.
At LOA we get to speak to the Commanders as well as the Flight Line Operators and Maintenance staff. It gives us a tremendous opportunity to describe how our UmeCobra microphone is offering amazing clarity in noisy situations. The warm welcome that we have received at the LOA conference by the staff and organizers has inspired us to come every year.
Kelly Aviation Center was honored to have participated at the 2011 Logistics Officer Association (LOA) National Conference. As one of the proud LOA exhibitors and a true partner with the military, we were pleased to have the opportunity to inform LOA’s membership about our parallel missions: the safety, security and success of our warfighters. And that’s exactly what has driven our passion during the past twelve years of providing the most reliable, high performance aircraft engines possible for the men and women of the United States military.
- Burt Foutz
- Adithya M.R. Padala, President & CEO, UmeVoice Inc.
- Marie V. McManus,Key Account Manager
- Joseph A. Wilson, Lockheed Martin Kelly Aviation Center K 11 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
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Logistics Officer Association 2011 National Conference Scrapbook
Shaping Logistics
October 10-13
n
Ft Wor th Convention Center
n
Texas
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That’ll be one-gazillion-dollars.
Don’t be eyeballing my drink tickets!
Golf
Touchdown!
I call this my “jet putter”
Time for a snack!
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Special Section: LOA Conference 2011 | 15 Another fun day at the races. Watch and learn from a pro...
Do you carry that gun in case you get teased about your goatee?
Icebreaker You ain’t seen nothin’ yet! I’m just getting warmed up.
I said, “WHOA!”
Great minds think alike.
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Tuesday
My body’s here, but my mind is still in bed.
Three heroes Of course we know where we’re going. We’re loggies!
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Wednesday
Logistics at work.
Hey, did you see what I just Tweeted? 17 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
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Thursday
Three loggies walk into a bar...
Technology is amazing!
Juan Valdez has nothing on LOA coffee breaks.
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Winning smiles.
Seriously? We’re still on Roll Call?
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Congratulations! 2011 National LOA Scholarship Award Winners 1206-Only Scholarship Category After an extremely competitive selection process, four enlisted and one junior civilian logisticians were selected to receive a $1,000 scholarship. SrA Lauren Roseberger : Airman Rosenberger is from Tyndall AFB and sponsored by the Raptor Chapter. She is a Munitions Systems Journeyman in the Munitions Flight, 325th Maintenance Squadron. Airman Roseberger is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Medicine, and is maintaining a 3.33 GPA. SSgt Paul Palmer : Sgt Palmer is from Nellis AFB and sponsored by the Blackjack Chapter. He is a HH-60G Electrical and Environmental Systems Journeyman in the 763rd Maintenance Squadron. Sergeant Palmer is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Military Management and Program Acquisition, and is maintaining a 3.6 GPA. MSgt Marianne Sellers: Sgt Sellers is from Tinker AFB and sponsored by the Crossroads Chapter. She is a Logistics Planner Journeyman in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. Sergeant Palmer is pursuing a Master’s degree in Aerospace Administration and Logistics, and is maintaining a 4.0 GPA. SSgt James Tulio: Sgt Tulio is from Dover AFB and sponsored by the Air Bridge Chapter. He is a C-5 Propulsion Instructor in the436th Maintenance Group. Sergeant Tulio is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Aeronautics, and is maintaining a 3.8 GPA. Ms Maisha Young: Ms Young is from Tinker AFB and sponsored by the Crossroads Chapter. She is an Item Manager in the 431st Supply Chain Management Squadron. Ms Young is pursuing a Masters degree in Business Administration, and is maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
High School Scholarship Category In the newly-created, high school-aged category, applicants were required to write a paper focused on the role logistics played in a past war or battle. This year, four scholarships were awarded in this category. Receiving top honors, and a check for $3,000, Ms Kelli Goode. Ms Goode is the daughter of Major Sean Goode, she is sponsored by the Gateway Chapter, and a Senior at Mascoutah High School, in Illinois. She is an honor roll student and active in academic, extracurricular and professional development programs at her school, and in the surrounding community. She is a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, a member of her high school color guard team, and works at the Citizens Community Bank of Mascoutah. Kelli looks forward to going to college next summer to earn a degree in accounting, and plans to eventually become a CPA. Awarded 2nd place and a check for $2,500, Cadet (CAP) 2Lt Gionni Covacci. Cadet Covacci is sponsored by the Wasatch Warrior Chapter, and is the son of Major Claudio Covacci from Hill AFB, Utah. Gianni is the Cadet Commander of the Civil Air Patrol, and is now a freshman at Weber State University where he is studying computer engineering. Cadet Covacci is pursuing a degree in computer engineering, and hopes to receive a commission in the Air Force through the ROTC program. Awarded 3rd place and a check for $2,000, Ms Danielle Sadlo. Ms Sadlo is sponsored by the Pikes Peak Chapter, and is the daughter of Colonel Tom Sadlo from Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. She recently graduated from Christian Heritage High School, and is now working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary Education. In 4th place, and receiving a check for $1,500, Ms Carrissa Flinders. Ms Flinders is sponsored by the Wasatch Warrior Chapter. She is the daughter of Kevin and Mary Ann Flinders from Hill AFB, Utah. Carissa is a freshman at Utah State University where she is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in business. While in high school, she was a member of the National Honor Society and was listed in “Who’s Who” of High School Students. Carissa’s career goal is to become a public relations specialist, focusing her effort to develop company methods of improving employee morale and retention.
Bachelor’s Degree Scholarship Category. In this category, applicants were required to write a paper addressing energy inefficiencies within logistics operations. Earning the top prize and a check for $5,000, TSgt Ericka Barrett. Sergeant Barrett is from Ramstein AB, Germany, and is sponsored by the Barbarossa Chapter. She is the War Reserve Materiel Supply Lead for Headquarters, United States Air Forces in Europe. Sergeant Barrett is pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Professional Aeronautics, and is maintaining a 3.0 GPA. 20 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
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Master’s Degree Scholarship Category. In this category, applicants were required to write a paper addressing the organizational construct of the Logistics Community. Awarded the top prize, and a check for $5,000, TSgt Ian Rohde. Sgt Rohde is from Barksdale AFB, and is sponsored by the Cajun Chapter. He is the NCOIC of the Personnel Reliability Program & Security Management Section in the 2d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. Sergeant Rohde is pursuing a Master’s degree in Business Administration, and is maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Receiving the2nd place award, and a check for $2,500, 2Lt Carl Zunker. Lt Zunker is from Aviano AB, and is sponsored by the Dolomite Chapter. He is the Assistant OIC of the 510th AMU in the 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. Lt Zunker is pursuing a Masters of Aeronautical Science degree, and is maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
The Lieutenant General Zettler Lifetime Achievement Award Winners
The Lieutenant General Zettler Lifetime Achievement Award is to recognize members of the Logistics Officer Association who have demonstrated sustained superior leadership in service to LOA for 10 years and the logistics profession for at least 20 years.
Colonel (ret) Luke Gill: Col Gill was the second National President of MOA and during this critical time of the organization, he provided the requisite leadership and guidance to keep the fledgling organization together and grow. Additionally, when he was selected as MOA President, he was the Exceptional Release (ER) Editor. The outstanding ER publication we have today is a direct result of his efforts in those early years and his dream of creating a professional forum for communication for all members--obviously it has become that and so much more. One of the most important leadership initiatives he championed was to stop the exclusivity of having to be nominated by a current member to be considered for membership. Even today, he recommends that LOA reach out more to the joint community and actively recruit members from other services. To this day, Luke is a fervent supporter and active member in the LOA and is participating, along with several other Founding and Charter Members, in a select group to help develop the future road map for the LOA.
Colonel (ret) Lori Hill: Col Hill has been a LOA Member since the early ‘90s and active at every base as a ‘behind-the-scenes’ action officer--always willing to take on the tasks that needed to be accomplished. After a stellar 23-year career as a maintainer and logistician, she is still a very active LOA member in retirement…even while working for the Navy! She has worked numerous conferences over the years to include staring in the first Logistics Ladies’ Dinner for 0-6 and General Officers. In fact, Col Hill is our LOA Conference “go-to” action officer still to this day. She is a professional in everything she does and accomplishes each task with professionalism and grace. The National Board members have always known that if you need something done to just call on Lori Hill. She will take the ball and run with it…any time…every time…and do it right!
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Congratulations! And the Winner is‌. Lt Gen Donald J. Wetekam LOA C hapter of the Year Award is given to an outstanding large LOA chapter (71 or more members) The 2011 Lt Gen Donald J. Wetekam Large Chapter of the Year was awarded to the Capital LOA Chapter, Washington DC. Right: Accepting for the Capital LOA Chapter was Ms. Lynn Arias.
Ms. Debra K. Tune LOA C hapter of the Year Award is given to an outstanding medium LOA chapter (31-70 members) The 2011 Ms. Debra K. Tune Medium Chapter of the Year was awarded to the Kanaloa LOA Chapter, Hickam AFB, HI. Left: Accepting for the Kanaloa Chapter was Maj John Adams.
Col James L. Hass LOA C hapter of the Year Award is given to an outstanding small LOA chapter (under 30 members) The 2011 Col James L. Hass Small Chapter of the Year was awarded to the Cowboy LOA Chapter, FE Warren AFB, WY. Right: Accepting for the Cowboy Chapter was Lt Col JD DuVall
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General George T. Babbitt National Distinguished Service Award recognizes two LOA National members who made the greatest contributions to furthering LOA National’s goals and objectives during the past year. The 2011 General George T. Babbitt National Distinguished Service Award winners are: Lt Col (ret) Dave Miller (left) and Ms Marta Hannon (right).
Maj Gen Mary Saunders C hapter Distinguished Service Award recognizes LOA National members who made the greatest contributions in support of their local LOA Chapter activities. The 2011 Maj Gen Saunders Chapter Distinguished Service Award winners are: Major John Adams, Kanaloa LOA Chapter, Hickam AFB, HI (top right); Lt Robert Barry – Sonoran Chapter, Luke AFB, AZ (below); Lt Ashley Maddox- Crossroads Chapter, Tinker AFB, OK (lower right)
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Congratulations! T he Honorable D udley C. Sharp Award recognizes the individual who has substantially improved the operational cost effectiveness of the Air Force. This achievement must affect many logistics units or lead to multi-million dollar cost savings. 2010 Honorable Dudley C. Sharp Award recipient: MSgt Mario Hodges. Sergeant Hodges distinguished himself as the Chief of Supply for the 390th Intelligence Squadron at Kadena Air Base in Japan. Master Sergeant Hodges’ logistics leadership was pivotal in his unit earning a rare 100% Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency Unit Compliance Inspection rating for 2010. Master Sergeant Hodges has demonstrated professionalism and dedication in the performance of outstanding service to the logistics community during this award period.
T he General T homas P. Gerrity Award recognizes superior performance by a unit for maintenance and mission support of the Air Force Mission. 2010 General Thomas P. Gerrity Award recipient: The 92nd Maintenance Operations Squadron from Fairchild AFB, Washington. The 92nd MOS deployed 390 Airmen with zero warzone processing errors. Sixty electronic technical assistance requests were routed to depot enabling local repairs saving the Air Force $1.3 million. Analysis scrutinized six months of Hourly Post Flight data and recommended changes slashing workload by seven percent. These actions culminated in two “Excellent” ratings, and two team awards, during the 2010 Unit Compliance and Logistics Compliance Assessment Program inspections.
T he Ronald L. Orr Award recognizes the Air Force staff civilian assigned to a FOA, MAJCOM, HAF or SAF/IE installation or logistics activity that has spearheaded notable accomplishments to improve business processes or organizational efficiency of military activities 2010 Ronald L. Orr Award recipient: Mr Anthony N. Mauna. Mr Mauna is assigned to Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. As the Logistics Panel Chairman, Mr Mauna’s complete overhaul of the Command business processes resulted in $86M in FY12 Space and Cyber logistics efficiencies. The requirements reviews he successfully championed are now an annual business process within AFSPC. He organized comprehensive Logistics Support Reviews for $1.2 Billion per year in requirements for 242 logistics lines and created the 1st-ever AFSPC Weapon System Sustainment Enterprise Prioritization model to develop 1-n list for sustainment. K
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Many Thanks!
2011 Scholarship Donors Benefactors Individuals or businesses donating $1000 or more to the LOA Scholarship fund.
From left: General Gary North; Mr. Hector Gavilla, ATTI; Mr. Larry Scheuble, BAH; Brig Gen (ret) Art Cameron, Lockheed Martin; Ms. Mary Ann Horter, Lockheed Martin; Ms. Pam Valdez, Boeing; Col (ret) Bob Drewitt; LOA President Col Doug Cato. Benefactor donors not in attendance: Col (ret) Geary Wallace
Patrons Individuals or businesses donating $500-$999 to the LOA Scholarship fund.
From left: General Gary North; Col (ret) Dan Steele, CSC; Ms. Lynn Arias, National Capital LOA Chapter; Lt Col (ret) Dave Miller; LOA President Col Doug Cato. Patron donors not in attendance: Raytheon, EADS NA, Lord Corporation
All Scholarship Donations are tax deductible – donate today! Contact Marta Hannon at marta@loanational.org 25 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
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Many Thanks! 2011 LOA Conference Sponsors Platinum Sponsor Northrop Grumman Gold Sponsors Booz Allen Hamilton n GE Aviation Silver Sponsors Battelle n Lockheed Martin Internet CafÊ Sponsor Standard Aero Ice Breaker Sponsor CSC Loggie Reception Sponsor Boeing Company Keycard Sponsor Chromalloy Badge Holder/Lanyard Sponsor Booz Allen Hamilton Golf: Predator Sponsor: Boeing Dragon Lady Sponsor: Nordam Break Sponsors Calibre n Chromalloy n NDIA If your company would like to increase exposure and sponsor next year’s conference, Contact Marta Hannon at marta@loanational.org
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The Exceptional Release A Professional Military Journal written by logisticians for logisticians The purpose of the Logistics Officer Association (LOA) is to enhance the military logistics profession. LOA provides an open forum to promote quality logistics support and logistic officer professional development. Policy on Written Submissions: The editor invites articles and other contributions on issues that support LOA’s purpose. Direct manuscripts, letters and other communications to: editor@loanational.org. Deadlines: The 15th day of January, April, July, and October. Story Format: Double-spaced, typed and electronically submitted to editor@loanational.org. Please visit the LOA website for more details. Photos & Graphics: Send individual electronic files (hi-res JPG, TIFF or EPS with type as outlines for ads) along with stories (as separate text files) and include cutlines/captions (numbered). Name your photo files with the author’s last name and number them according to their match with the caption, such as ‘smith1.jpg,’ ‘smith2.jpg,’ and so forth. All photos and ads should be at least 300 dpi or greater resolution. Submitter data: Should be typed at the end of the story file. Information included should be: Rank; full name; service; home mailing address; business name and address; business phone (DSN and commercial); email; three to five sentence biographical sketch; and a photo (as a separate file – see photos and graphics above). Editorial Policy: The editors reserve the right to edit all submissions for length, clarity and libel. All submissions become the property of LOA. Advertisement Formats: Each ad must be sent as a composite hi-res (300 dpi or greater) EPS file with fonts saved as outlines. Full-page ads with bleeds should allow at least 3/8” bleeds. Ad rates visit: http:// www.loanational.org/exceptional-release/advertisingrates.php Advertising Contact: Ms Marta Hannon, Managing Editor PO Box 2264 – Arlington, VA 22202 email: marta@loanational.org Phone 405-701-5457 Subscriptions: The ER is published quarterly and is available via membership in the Logistics Officer Association at the annual rate of $35. Access membership forms on the website at www.loanational.org.
education
Logistics Officer and Civilian Force Development in the Twenty-First Century By Lieutenant Colonel Christopher De Los Santos The 1999 CSAF Logistics Review (CLR) initiated a decade of radical change in the USAF logistics enterprise. Indeed, the logistics community has made several improvements at the strategic and operational levels of command to fashion logistics processes that are more responsive to Warfighters’ needs. However, the ramifications of such advances on legacy skills sets must be addressed to ensure Airmen are properly educated and equipped to operate effectively in the new enterprise construct. To achieve that goal, Headquarters Air Force has embarked on Deliberate Force Development. Deliberate Force Development establishes a well-defined continuum of education
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and training, linked to re-tooled career paths, to not only prepare USAF logisticians to meet today’s mission, but also to posture for tomorrow’s challenges while incorporating dynamic changes in the geopolitical landscape, technology, process evolution and fiscal realities. Developing a deliberate continuum of learning begins by purposefully linking learning objectives to specific education and training venues. This may seem elementary, but it’s an area where we have considerable room for improvement. Eliminating duplication and overlap in logistics courses will help us greatly in this regard. For example, in years past, Logistics Readiness Officers (LROs) could attend the In-
With the revamp of the LRO Career Field Education and Training Plan (CFETP) [due to be published in Summer 2012], we will, for the first time, purposefully link specific courses to career milestones and training objectives throughout an entire career. termediate Logistics Readiness Officer Course (IROC), the Advanced Logistics Readiness Officer Course (ALROC), and the Air Force Institute of Technology’s (AFIT) LOG 399 Course. All three courses were developed and fielded independently, which inadvertently meant they duplicated efforts by aiming at the same audience and addressing similar subject matter. Moreover, while these courses may have met needs in the field, unfortunately they did not link to broader training and development objectives, and no one authority provided guidance to provide that linkage, or to ensure course material remained relevant and applicable. This dynamic is even greater in our civilian logistics community. With over 130 occupational series,
De Los santos
Robert Rayborn inspects a nitrogen cart May 11, 2011 at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. Mr. Rayborn is an aerospace ground equipment technician at the 60th Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Michael Battles)
it’s no surprise there are a myriad of logistics courses available: some “home-grown” in the workplace, some through Air Education and
Training Command (AETC), some through other Major Commands (MAJCOMs) and sister services, and some through civilian insti-
21X Deliberate Continuum of Learning [Pre-Decisional Prototype]
EXECUTIVE
ADVANCED
INTERMEDIATE
ENTRY
Review of strategic initiatives affecting the logistics enterprise
Furthermore, the 21X community is restructuring the Utilization and Training Workshop (U&TW ) to provide the methodology by which we link learning objectives to education and training venues. One of the first steps in that direction occurred during the June 2011 21R U&TW where the HQ Air Force 21R career field management team moved the U&TW process away from its traditional limited review of AETC course material towards a more
Study of advanced concepts in Tactical Operations, Agile Combat Support, Supply Chain Management, Life Cycle and Joint Logistics
Practical application of skills and key processes learned in initial skills course
Basic theory and doctrine, organizational structure, and key processes
Integrity - Service - Excellence
tutions. While many of these types of courses have intrinsic value, linkages to specific career development and training objectives are lacking. With the revamp of the LRO Career Field Education and Training Plan (CFETP) [due to be published in Summer 2012], we will, for the first time, purposefully link specific courses to career milestones and training objectives throughout an entire career. The intent is to then repeat that same process for aircraft maintenance officers and civilian logisticians.
Ü 1
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education | LOGISTICS OFFICER AND CIVILIAN... cupational Analysis Report (OAR) generated by AETC’s Occupational Analysis Division. With perspectives ranging from the tactical to strategic, the 21R U&TW set in motion a review process that purposefully links education with training requirements throughout the LRO Deliberate Continuum of Learning. For Aircraft Maintenance and Munitions Officers, a similar U&TW is planned for summer 2012. The long-term goal is to adopt this U&TW
comprehensive and holistic view of career-field specific education and training. Force developers invited Air Force Expeditionary Center (EC) and AFIT cadre to join the Career Field Manager, nine LRO Colonels and over 40 officer, enlisted and civilian subject matter experts from both academia and the field to participate. The workshop also incorporated a review of field inputs from more than 70 LRO interviews and several hundred surveys from an Oc-
AFGLSC SCM Certificate [Pre-Decisional Prototype]
Level 2 in Supply Management Technical Competencies
Level 1 in Supply Management Technical Competencies Foundation Level for Fundamental, Leadership & Management Competencies Supply Management Experience (2 years)
Foundation Level for Fundamental, Leadership & Management Competencies Supply Management Experience (3 years)
Level 3 in Supply Management Technical Competencies Foundation Level for Fundamental, Leadership & Management Competencies Supply Management Experience (4 years) BDE*
Level 4 in Supply Management Technical Competencies + Level 3 in a second Workforce Category Experienced Level for Fundamental, Leadership & Management Competencies Supply Management Experience (6 years) IDE*
Level 5 in Supply Management Technical Competencies + Level 3 in TWO other Workforce Categories Advanced Level for Fundamental, Leadership & Management Competencies Supply Management Experience (8 years) SDE*
2 yrs of College or Associate’s Degree*
Bachelor’s Degree*
Master’s Degree*
Business/Log related Master’s Degree*
Supervisor Assessment
Supervisor Assessment
Supervisor Endorsement
Supervisor Endorsement
Supervisor Endorsement
Overall Level 1
Overall Level 2
Overall Level 3
Overall Level 4
Overall Level 5
Recognizing Professional Subject Matter Expertise Integrity - Service - Excellence
Professional Mx Certificate Program [Pre-Decisional Prototype]
approach to all logistics force development: officer, enlisted and civilian. Our civilian logistics leaders also have several force development initiatives in work based on the 2008 DoD Human Capital Strategy (HCS). Four workforce categories with corresponding competencies and proficiencies define the HCS. Those categories are: Supply Management, Deployment/Distribution/Transportation, Maintenance Support, and Life Cycle Logistics (LCL). The Air Force Global Logistics Support Center (AFGLSC) leveraged the HCS in order to develop the Supply Management (SM) Certificate pilot program. The pilot program serves to provide a competency-based professional development framework. Within that framework, logisticians find 5 levels, each with specific experience, training and education requirements. Levels 1-3 focus on the tactical level, developing functional depth and experience. Levels 4 and 5 broaden the individual’s aperture to focus on logistics enterprise breadth, which also necessitates experience in another workforce category. The Air Force Civilian Logistics Career Field Manager also currently leads an effort to standardize Core Personnel Documents for the Logistics Managers, Material Management Flight Chiefs, Deployment and Distribution Flight Chiefs, and Traffic Managers. These “core docs” will align the duties and competencies required of each position as outlined in the Logistics 2 Readiness Squadron (LRS) restructure under PAD 08-01. With respect to our civilian aircraft maintenance workforce, the Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) Logistics Functional Office spearheaded an effort to develop a Professional Maintenance Certificate Pilot Program (PMxCP). Like the AFGLSC SM pilot program, the PMxCP provides a five-level competency-based professional development framework. Finally, the Air Staff is partnering with AFMC to carry out a Life Cycle Logistics (LCL) Workforce Reconstitution Effort. As part of that effort, AFMC is reviewing position coding Air Force-wide to ensure the coding accurately captures LCL workforce requirements. To date, the effort identified over 700 additional positions that qualified for LCL coding. Accurately identifying our LCL experience requirements will
Recognizing Professional Subject Matter Expertise Integrity - Service - Excellence
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3
De Los santos
By challenging traditional career path paradigms and developing innovative ways to educate and train our workforce, we can continue to equip Air Force logistics leaders, both military and civilian, with the tools necessary to accomplish the mission, whether today or tomorrow. facilitate a deliberate approach to growing that same expertise. Mission demands and fiscal restraints will continue to force us to leverage innovative approaches in delivering education and training. It is imperative we consider an approach that blends distance learning, first-person simula-
tion, on-the-job informal training, and, where necessary, in-residence venues. We will also continue to watch industry and our sister services to harvest and implement applicable best practices. The way ahead for our logistics community promises to be chock-full of challenges and opportunities. By challenging traditional career path paradigms and developing innovative ways to educate and train our workforce, we can continue to equip Air Force logistics leaders, both military and civilian, with the tools necessary to accomplish the mission, whether today or tomorrow. Historically, tactical success has been rewarded with access to leadership opportunities at the operational and strategic levels of command. However, with the migration of many key processes to an enterprise-wide approach, tactical competence alone may no longer serve as ample preparation for future leadership opportunities. Consequently, we must take advantage of every opportunity to expose logistics leaders to operational and
With perspectives ranging from the tactical to strategic, the 21R U&TW set in motion a review process that purposefully links education with training requirements throughout the LRO Deliberate Continuum of Learning. strategic levels earlier in their careers in an effort to deliberately develop competent senior leaders entrusted with a global enterprise. Deliberate Force Development does that by methodically preparing logisticians from day one. About the Author: Lt Col Christopher De Los Santos is the Chief of 21R Education and Training in the Directorate of Logistics, Headquarters Air Force. K
447th Air Expeditionary Group, commander, Col. Gregory Marston, talks to security forces and logistics readiness Airmen after the first vehicle equipped with a custom-built “Chavis Turret� was handed over the security forces for testing at Sather Air Base, Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Scott McNabb)
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education
Advanced Logistics Readiness Officers Course Update: ALROC RE-Tooled By Mr. Lance Kaplan, Mr. Gregory Hannon and Mr. William McCambridge
The Advanced Logistics Readiness Officers Course (ALROC) was developed in response to a Corona tasking for advanced training in the tenets of Agile Combat Support (ACS). Then Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Jumper, in coordination with General Handy, decided the Air Mobility Warfare Center, now the USAF Expeditionary Center, as the Center of Excellence for ACS, was the perfect venue for the new course. The purpose of ALROC is to prepare Logistics Readiness Officers (LROs) for their advanced roles and responsibilities across the full spectrum of logistics readiness operations. Since 2004, the focus has been to prepare critical thinkers to function effectively in the expeditionary combat environment. On 8 November 2011, the 226th graduate received the distinctive ALROC diploma, joining a select group of Air Force officers who will help shape the future of military logistics.
As with any relevant, responsive training, ALROC is evolving. LRO Developmental Team (DT) members used the Utilization and Training Workshop (U&TW ) conducted in June of 2011, at Lackland AFB, to accomplish an in-depth review of LRO career field training. During this review, the DT members and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from across the Air Force finely honed the education continuum to ensure a more holistic approach to LRO training. The team of experts looked at all training available for LROs: from the LRO Basic Course through the new LRO On-The-Job (OJT) courses to the career field’s premier course, ALROC. Concurrent with the U&TW, the USAF Expeditionary Center conducted an Instructional System Development (ISD) workshop in October with a smaller group of SMEs. This group convened to ensure all the proposed changes to ALROC met the intent of Col Rick Cornelio, the USAF LRO Force Development Chief. Starting with ALROC Class 12A in April 2012, students will focus on the multi-faceted processes and resources needed to function effectively and employ the tenets of ACS, both in garrison and in expeditionary environments.
ALROC Class 11B at the Defense Logistics Agency. (Courtesy of Defense Logistics Agency)
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Kaplan, Hannon and McCambridge The re-tooled course will be approximately 9-weeks and will include TDYs to the Pentagon, a major command logistics division, an Air Logistics Center and the Air Force Global Logistics Support Center. The shortened course will eventually enable the Air Force to run an additional ALROC class annually. Each class is comprised of a maximum of 16 students containing active duty and AFRC LROs with 5-9 years of commissioned service. The prerequisites will not change. Candidates must possess the 21R3 AFSC and a Squadron Officers School diploma. Thought not required for attendance, deployment experience is highly desired. Major changes to the curriculum include an enhanced focus on in-garrison operations during the Ready the Force and Prepare the Battlespace ACS master process phases. New lessons include: Compliance and Inspection, Logistics Strategic Plan, Squadron/Wing Budgeting, and enhanced blocks on Logistics Readiness Squadron functions of Deployment and Distribution, Material Management, Vehicle Management and Fuels Management. Other changes to the curriculum add more tactical information to lessons throughout the course. In concert with the course improvements and new tactical focus, there is an increased emphasis on expeditionary base-level roles and functions during the master processes Position the Force and Employ/Sustain the Force. Additionally, a new lesson on Close the Operating Location was added to Recover the Force. Finally, the Capstone Mission Employment Exercise was re-tooled to encompass all curriculum changes. At the end of the day, the USAF needs logisticians prepared to address ACS head-on. Upon graduation, ALROC students will be prepared to work effectively in positions at the Squadron, Group, and Wing as well as in all command and control nodes throughout the Air Force.
Site Survey Initial Meeting with Millville Air Park Officials. (Courtesy of ALROC Class 11B)
Major Okumura Compiling Airfield Capabilities during Site Survey Exercise. (Courtesy of ALROC Class 11B)
The ALROC staff at the United States Air Force Expeditionary Center is committed to producing the most technically proficient LROs possible. We believe it is important to keep the training relevant and to update and change the courseware when appropriate. The re-tooling of ALROC provides the Air Force highly skilled, trained and competent LROs for today’s fight and tomorrow’s future. About the authors: Lance Kaplan, Gregory Hannon and William McCambridge combined have over 70 years active duty experience in Operations and Logistics and have been ALROC Instructors since the inception of the course in 2004. K
ALROC class visiting WR-ALC (Courtesy of WR-ALC PA)
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education
USAF Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School Can the Air Force Afford Advanced Training in a Resource Constrained Environment? By Lieutenant Colonel William Maxwell Tomorrow’s threats for the United States will not be like those of the past. The wars of the future will be more unpredictable because of the threats from non-state actors and failing states and more dangerous because the weapons of war are increasingly deadly and widely available. History continues to show that there is no such thing as a fair fight. In every struggle, one opponent is superior to the other, but it comes down to the tactics that support an operationally achievable strategy that will decide the victor. It is possible for a less advanced force to win if their tactics offset or negate the advantages of the superior force. Based on a decade of observing our tactics, our potential
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adversaries know that asymmetric warfare aimed at countering our technological advantages has a strong impact on our ability to operate. Our future adversaries will design means to impose a contested and degraded operating environment upon the United States military in order to reduce our technological advantages. Leaders in our military must deal with this threat and all the while, they must deal with the financial crisis that is the most clear and present danger to our country’s future. The impact of today’s resource constrained environment is reaching every mission and every person in our Air Force. Flying hour programs will shrink, providing less of the crucial training our operators need to remain the best in
the world. Budgets will dwindle, reducing the training, tools, and equipment that units can afford for their people. Personnel levels will decrease to push the Air Force down to its statutory authorized end strength and, as positions become vacant through force shaping, we will have less of our most critical resource, people, to accomplish a mission that is getting tougher to sustain because of aging equipment and increasing costs of modernization efforts. This environment holds many challenges for leaders. The most important challenge will be answering the call to accomplish our mission of defending the Constitution of the United States with the oldest fleet of aircraft, missiles and equipment the Air Force has ever
maxwell possessed with less resources than have been available in decades. The challenges will translate from the strategic to the tactical and face every leader in the Air Force from the Secretary, Chief of Staff, and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force to the Lieutenant and Senior Master Sergeant leading their flightline Aircraft Maintenance Units. How will they accomplish the mission of the United States Air Force in this resource constrained environment? In my short Air Force career, I have found that there are four fundamental things that people can count on to accomplish the mission they are responsible for… Training, Tools, Technical Data and the Team. These four separate things integrate to support an Airman’s ability to accomplish the mission. I will focus the remainder Staff Sgt. Patrick Cannon prepares an F-16 Fighting Falcon conducts preflight checks June 22, 2011, during an exercise of this article on the first of these at Misawa Air Base, Japan. Sergeant Cannon is a weapons loader assigned to the 14th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Lipscomb) integrated things--Training. Effective training is fundamental to role and understands the impact of each spe- overarching requirements of mission accomany Airman being able to perform his or her cialized role on the larger Air Force mission. It plishment through a stronger understanding role in the Air Force’s mission. There are stagis through the integration of all specialties that of his or her primary role and the integration es to training that Airmen must go through. the most effective and efficient Airman will of that role with the other roles around them. There is basic-level technical and skills training emerge. Integration is not merely meant to Advanced training allows each Airman to be that every Airman must master to accomplish convey an image of a “jack of all trades/master more effective and efficient by allowing fewer their individual role. Maintainers must underof none”, or intended to require the impossible people to accomplish their individual role stand how to maintain their assigned operattask of mastering all specialties. Many Logis- while integrating with those of other specialing system, be it aircraft, vehicles or missiles. tics Readiness Officers today would likely say ties around them. But advanced training is Supply personnel must understand every asthat their level of mastery has decreased as the broader than intermediate training, is inherpect of material management. Transportation number of required skills has increased. In- ently more expensive and more difficult to and logistics readiness personnel must master stead, the integration of which I write is the master. The Air Force has invested years into resource distribution, transportation manageunderstanding of the impact of the Airman’s the development of advanced training and it ment, and operational planning. There is inprimary specialty on those areas around him has paid off through increased effectiveness of termediate training that increases the depth of or her and the impact of those specialties on each and every graduate. their primary specialty. At the basic and interthe Airman’s specialty. The difference in intermediate level, this training allows Airmen to mediate and advanced training is found in the One successful example of advanced training accomplish their assigned role and to supervise began in the Air Force in 1949 with the esdepth of integration taught. others with similar training. Although this tablishment of the Aircraft Gunnery School, type of stove-piped training can be incredibly which became the USAF Fighter Weapons As Airmen become effective, it can also be very inefficient, because School in 1954 and then, after a series of exleaders, they must not only each Airman understands their role, but only pansions and Air Force reorganizations, betheir role. Those that lead through tomorrow’s came the USAF Weapons School in 1992. Tounderstand the aspects challenges will abhor inefficiency. day’s Weapons School consists of 17 squadrons of their specialty; they teaching 22 specialties at eight locations across The challenges of tomorrow ask more from us must also be trained in the the United States. The expansion to every opthan to just understand and accomplish our inarts and abilities of those erational career field from air, space and cyberdividual roles. As Airmen become leaders, they space brought with it an increased effectivearound them. must not only understand the aspects of their ness of every career field that has been added. specialty; they must also be trained in the arts Weapons Officers are taught to be the best of and abilities of those around them. Through Airmen that attend intermediate training their specialty and then are trained on integraunderstanding the specialties that support their achieve a deep understanding of their primary tion of the specialties in support of the full Air part of the mission and those that they support, specialty. But a graduate of advanced trainthe Airman becomes a true master of his or her ing will achieve a deeper understanding of the Ü 35 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
education | usaf advanced maintenance... Force mission. The advanced aspect of the current Weapons School exists not in developing the best operator in a specific operating system, but in the integration of all operations specialties into the broader mission. The success of advanced training for operations is seen daily in the newly developed tactics and increased operational understanding of integration of all aspects of air, space and cyber power. The logistics community began its advanced training at Nellis AFB, the home of advanced training in the Air Force, through the establishment of the Air Expeditionary Force Logistics School in 2003, which divided into the Advanced Logistics Readiness Officer Course (ALROC) and the Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School (AMMOS) in 2004. The courses were taught to officers in the logistics community to develop a highly skilled, operationally focused logistician. The graduate of advanced logistics training is a warrior skilled in integration of maintenance, munitions and logistics to achieve operational requirements. ALROC adjusted the tactical level curriculum to an operational focus based on the changes to the Logistics Readiness Officer (LRO) career field, and provided the LRO community integration training on mission generation and operational planning and execution, while AMMOS focused on maintenance and munitions operations with integration of logistics capabilities and operational requirements. Similar to the other advanced training venues, the curriculum taught at AMMOS is the most rigorous maintenance training the Air Force has to offer with the highest standard required for graduation. It is designed this way for a reason. AMMOS is about combat maintenance operations and the true test of the graduates will be supporting combat operations around the world. The curriculum is arranged to make graduates the best maintenance officers possible and then teach integration of logistics and operations issues. Additionally, the curriculum was designed to teach the graduates to instruct with the intent to fulfill an instructor role in their units to spread the curriculum to more than the select few that are able to attend the residence program. The choice to maintain this advanced training is a difficult one in the resource constrained environment because this investment is expensive. Advanced training of the magnitude provided at AMMOS comes at a substantial cost. To run AMMOS, there are the financial costs of running the school and of sending 24 students a year through a 15-week program at Nellis
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The advanced aspect of the current Weapons School exists not in developing the best operator in a specific operating system, but in the integration of all operations specialties into the broader mission. AFB that includes three TDYs beyond the boundaries of Nellis. Additionally, there is an opportunity cost in the instructor manpower billets that keep highly skilled officers away from operations and in the time the students spend away from their garrison duties. However, the money and time spent on this course, is not just an expense to pay, but is an investment in the Air Force’s future. The school is developing a team of highly skilled maintainers that are capable of leading maintenance teams to prepare for and execute operations around the globe. This is bigger than just basic technical skills and even continuation training. This team of graduates is a resource for Air Force leaders to ensure that through masterful leadership in maintenance operations that the Air Force is ready to fly, fight and win. As resources dwindle and there are fewer maintenance officers to achieve the peak of effectiveness required in our critical field, those that remain must be better leaders than ever before. So, we must find ways to better train all maintenance officers while abiding by the reality of our resource constraints. Expensive through necessity, advanced training venues, like AMMOS, must find ways to increase efficiency as resources shrink. Nontransformation will only get an inefficient institution closed, no matter how effective it is. AMMOS’ future will be a precise balance of effectiveness in graduate capabilities with efficiencies in the training process. Gone are the days of the plethora of training opportunities to steadily, but slowly, bring leaders up to a level of effectiveness that the Air Force needs to remain the best in the world. Replaced is a reality that must show every training event to be extremely beneficial for the cost associated. With less training events available that means that the opportunities that remain must be the pinnacle of effective training. This advanced training provided at AMMOS has succeeded in being the most effective venue possible by maintaining the highest standards and most rigorous maintenance training program available in the Air Force today.
Those that take on the challenge of advanced training venues normally find that advanced training is the toughest challenge they have ever taken on. Tougher than any undergraduate or advanced academic degree program; tougher than any other training environment, but they also find that it is the most beneficial training they have ever received. Every minute of an AMMOS student’s time counts. Each academic day is filled with lessons of new information and each night is filled with work on exercises of the new information as well as reading for the next day of new objectives. Since 2002, the curriculum of AMMOS has been refined into the rigorous syllabus we have today. Every objective and exercise has been scrutinized to provide the most return on investment and ensure the most effective graduates return to the operational Air Force. This is not a school to improve your golf game or a 15week trip to Vegas; this is a school to create the most highly skilled maintenance officer that the Air Force has to offer and the instructors take that very seriously. The cadre of AMMOS has successfully created one of the few most intense training environments the Air Force has to offer and this environment has developed some of the best maintenance officers in the Air Force. Graduates of AMMOS have been assigned as maintenance operations leaders and staff officers, and have successfully employed their skills across the spectrum of logistics responsibilities. First and foremost, the most important success of any graduate is in their ability to lead maintenance operations in their assigned organization and countless graduates have taken operational units to new heights across the Air Force. Additionally, graduates have been instrumental in accomplishing site surveys and opening new forward operating bases in Afghanistan, Iraq, and across Africa and Southwest Asia in extremely austere locations
The curriculum is arranged to make graduates the best maintenance officers possible and then teach integration of logistics and operations issues. Additionally, the curriculum was designed to teach the graduates to instruct with the intent to fulfill an instructor role in their units to spread the curriculum.
maxwell and have organized reception and integration of aircraft arriving at a deployed location for the first time. Graduates have analyzed and rebuilt Unit Type Codes for operational wings in AFSOC, ACC and AMC to increase mission effectiveness and eliminate waste. They have analyzed Operational Plans and recommended changes to maintenance operations plans and logistics support plans to increase plan effectiveness and eliminate limiting factors. Clearly, any officer would do the best they possibly could to accomplish any of these objectives if they were tasked to and many would
succeed. However, AMMOS graduates have had the opportunity for advanced training that gives them a special insight into these issues and integration of maintenance, logistics and operations. This gives them increased credibility through a more in-depth understanding of the work they must accomplish and the impact to the operational mission. The credibility is not because of their knowledge alone, but rather is a collective credibility built through a combination of the integrated understanding of maintenance, logistics and operations along with a breadth of experience
that spans eight years worth of graduates. The AMMOS graduate holds a place within a special team of experts where each team member has a slightly different Air Force background. Each graduate can reach into the community of graduates to ask for assistance or just to pitch an idea for some actionable and credible feedback. This culture, built through the shared experience of the crucible of advanced training, is strong and reaches across the entire Air Force. The culture of graduates makes the Air Force stronger by honing the Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for all to learn and by instructing and advising those they have the pleasure to serve with. The key to winning in tomorrow’s wars will be through the most effective and efficient use of the resources we have at our disposal. The Training, Tools, Technical Data and the Team of tomorrow’s Air Force must find a way to win in the unpredictable and potentially contested and degraded operating environment of tomorrow within our constrained resources. As our future foes determine ways to mitigate our technological advantages, we must find ways to out-fight them and that way is through advanced training. Advanced training is the most effective means of creating the best possible Airmen. Although, the cost of advanced training in cost and time can be high, the benefit is untouchable through normal continuation training because of the level of integration across every perspective of the Air Force mission offered. Advanced training of tomorrow must find ways to become as efficient as possible while maintaining its edge on effectiveness. Advanced training, like that offered through AMMOS, should be the keystone to the future of training for Air Force maintenance and logistics officers to expand combat capability and ensure our leaders of tomorrow are the best in the world. As fewer leaders face a more challenging and unpredictable environment, this is an investment the Air Force cannot afford to stop. The moment we stop investing in the Air Force’s future is the moment we make a turn toward mediocrity. To remain the strongest Air Force in the world in a resource constrained environment, we must keep advanced training.
Staff Sgt. Wesley Britt (left), Senior Airman William Jones and Senior Airman Justin Vesely (above) work together to solve a problem with the canopy of an A-10 Thunderbolt II June 16, 2011, at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. The three Airmen are assigned to the 52nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Matthew B. Fredericks)
About the Author: Lt Col William Maxwell is the Commandant of the USAF Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School (AMMOS) and was a graduate of AMMOS in 2004. He is a career maintenance officer with 16 years of operational flightline experience ranging from fighters to tactical airlift aircraft. Most recently, he was the Commander of the 763 MXS. K 37 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
education
AFRC’s 21A Professional Development Seminar By Lieutenant Colonel Darren Paladino In 2009, the Air Force Reserve Command’s (AFRC) Director of Logistics established a training program that would provide a forum to prepare 21As for leadership positions within maintenance units, focusing on aircraft, personnel, and equipment management at home station and in deployed environments. This informal training program, known as a Professional Development Seminar (PDS) is direct-
ed primarily at the traditional CGO reserve force, addresses the AFRC/A4’s areas of interest, and provides the added benefit of creating a forum to connect the reserve 21A career field together.
FOUNDATION Both the developing airmen concept in AFDD 1 and the doctrine found in Air Force Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (AFTTP) makes
Students and cadre for the Aug 2011 21A Professional Development Seminar, Peterson AFB, CO. (Photo courtesy of Maj Collin Shelton, USAFR)
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the technique of continuous learning authoritative—serving as “the solid foundation on which tactics can be executed.” AFTTP 3-3 also clearly describes aircraft maintenance culture in “fact-of-life” terms where maintenance leaders make a practice of balancing mission generating priorities with compliance and readiness. This operational environment demands a practice of personally increasing one’s job knowledge through experience, systems
paladino
The initial 21A PDS cadre designed the course around this foundation to meet the director’s intent and advocated wide use of TTPs to prepare CGOs to run their units. and policy knowledge; and study in both formal and informal training venues. The initial 21A PDS cadre designed the course around this foundation to meet the director’s intent and advocated wide use of TTPs to prepare CGOs to run their units.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT At first, designers modeled the 21A concept from the existing AFRC 21R PDS. The first version of the 21A PDS borrowed the 21R delivery method, duration, and the use of subject matter experts. The 21A version differs in its grounding of material to the concepts found in AFTTP 3-3 and use of Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School (AMMOS) graduates as instructors. After validation of the course content by the 21A Development Team (DT), instructors delivered the first test course to the experienced full-time AFRC FGO population. Via peer review, this test course ensured the inclusion of content useful to the field.
FORMAT Topics and mentoring are assembled and scaled as modules based on instructor and
guest speaker availability. The format includes two lines of effort: 1.) L essons derived from mission generation: aircraft, personnel and equipment. 2.) M entoring via guest speakers or panel discussions involving senior leaders serving at MAJCOMs, AFRC’s Director of Logistics or deputy, joint staff logisticians, aircrew, and recently-returned deployed leaders. Generally, the course starts with a discussion of aircrew training requirements with a weapons school graduate as a guest speaker. This sets the tone for later discussion on how to achieve the balance of fleet health and sortie production. This discussion is spread over the 2.5 days and pauses to dive deeper into the issues that affect it: personnel management, equipment management, Status of Resources and Training System (SORTS) and AEF Reporting Tool (ART), deployed leadership, and reconstitution. Following the test version, requests were made to include more detail and a wider range of maintenance tactics. For the first time, the course will include modules in MAF maintenance and scheduling challenges in addition to annual flying and maintenance program development.
FIRST SEMINAR AFRC/A4 provided the first seminar to 20 students during 10-12 August 2011 at the 302 AW, Peterson AFB, CO. In addition to the topics described in the format, the deputy AFRC/ A4 and all NAF/A4 directors were present to add amplifying remarks and provide individual mentoring to all students on their DT vectors.
Post-seminar surveys showed that the fleet health, aircrew training requirement, and unit manning topics were the students’ favorite and the most comprehensive areas covered by the course. They also showed that the individual mentoring sessions were well-received. Many other respondents asked for details on metrics in application, less personnel management information, and an additional day to permit more discussion.
Post-seminar surveys showed that the fleet health, aircrew training requirement, and unit manning topics were the students’ favorite and the most comprehensive areas covered by the course. FUTURE The director originally envisioned the 21A PDS to be offered twice annually. The instructor population is now at the point where twice a year is possible, especially since the modules are developed and the format is mature. AFRC projects the next two seminars in late spring and winter 2012. About the Author: Lt Col Darren Paladino of the Robins AFB chapter organizes the AFRC 21A Professional Development Seminar and currently serves as the Program Integration Branch Chief with the AFRC/A4 staff. K
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education
Everything I Needed to Know About Tactical Maintenance Leadership I Learned From Teaching
By 1st Lieutenant James P. Guthrie Before joining the Air Force I had what I considered to be a successful career as a teacher. For seven years I taught Japanese to middle and high school students in Virginia, preceded by another two years of teaching English in Japan. During my nine years of teaching, I focused on how I ran my classroom and how to get the best results from my students. This focus was tremendously helpful to me when I transitioned to the Air Force because many of the lessons learned from teaching were applicable in the Armed Forces with minimal tweaking. Additionally, while teaching, I completed a Masters degree in Educational Leadership, which gave me another set of tools in my tool box. While I don’t consider myself a leadership guru, I do consider myself a competent leader because of the depth of my prior experience and the focus I put on drawing out the best in my students. At first glance, the transition from teacher to Air Force maintenance leader might seem a bit incongruous and one might wonder what one has to do with the other. However, it should be recognized that the maintenance career field has a large number of young men and women who are just starting out in the world as young adults. These young people are not far removed from the motivations and emotions found in most high school students. Further, while infantry based units like those found in the Army and Marines might be focused around compliance, modern Air Force maintenance is focused around finding the best, safest and most efficient way of doing things. Certainly, an Air Force maintainer’s foremost concern should be TO compliance, but if that same maintainer can find a way to improve the process in the TO, then we encourage that creative thinking (i.e. by submitting an AFTO Form 22), which really is no different than the modern American approach to primary and secondary education. If a maintainer believes an aircraft is unsafe, we encourage him to defend his viewpoint and use logical arguments based on evidence to do so— another traditional approach in American primary and secondary education. Ultimately, for some the transition from educator to tactical maintenance leader might be quite easy because the qualities of a good classroom leader should reflect those of a strong tactical maintenance leader. Based on this argument, I have drawn out six ideas developed during my time teaching and studying leadership that I believe are key to being a successful maintenance leader.
1) Manage/Lead by walking around.
Getting out and about (leading by walking around) allows leaders visibility of people and assets. (Photo courtesy of A1C Gregory Padgett)
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If you’ve ever taken any courses on management or leadership or even cracked a book on the subject, the odds are pretty good you’ve seen this before. This is because it works! Simply put, “managing/leading by walking around” is the practice of walking around your area of responsibility freely and engag-
guthrie ing with what you find there. In a classroom, 3) Create an environment where This can go hand in hand walking around allows the teacher to see what people feel safe taking risks. is happening everywhere. It prevents notes bewith management by For the majority of my teaching career I was a ing passed, desks being drawn on, and students walking around; find out foreign language teacher. A key part of any forfalling asleep. By never knowing if the teacher eign language teacher’s job is encouraging stuwhat your people do, what is going to head their way or not, the students dents to feel safe enough in the classroom that they’re interested in, and tend to be more alert and proximity allows for they are willing to make mistakes often. In fact, greater interaction between the student and the what they want to do. foreign language teachers probably need to enteacher. The exact same benefits can be reaped courage people to make more mistakes than any by walking around your shop or flightline. By other type of teacher because it is only by using allowing your people to see you and you to see a foreign language that you really learn it and people learning the basics them, there is greater interaction. You have the opportunity to catch of a foreign language are guaranteed to make mistakes by the truckload. your Airmen doing something great, stop rumors, and inspect the little The trick is to address the errors that matter and not beat the students things you might miss if you only walked through your work area once a down with corrections. week. The best teachers are consistently moving through their classroom and the best maintenance leaders should too. Our Air Force strongly encourages lean initiatives and basic lean doctrine teaches that the best suggestions for leaning a process often come from the people who work hands-on with the process. But how many Good teachers care about their students and push them to succeed. Airmen are willing to go to their officer or the pro-super and suggest a Good leaders also care about their people and push them to succeed. way to change a process that has been in place for years? This is where we can learn from foreign language teachers. This can go hand in hand with management by Encourage people to examine the processes in walking around; find out what your people do, When an Airman comes to place and ask themselves, “How can I make this what they’re interested in, and what they want you with a suggestion, don’t better?” When an Airman comes to you with a to do. Let them know you’re actually interested suggestion, don’t automatically shoot down the automatically shoot down in those things. You can’t fake this; you actually idea because it came from an Airman. Don’t have to care and want to learn about your people. the idea because it came assume that because you’ve followed the same If you can’t bring yourself to care about your Airfrom an Airman. process for five years it is the best way to acmen, you probably need to switch careers. complish your goals. Even if the idea presented isn’t an immediate winner, this is the kind of thinking you want to encourage. You want that Airman or NCO to go back to his peers and talk about it some more, refine their ideas, and come back to you. Never create an environment where your Airmen or NCOs are afraid to offer an opinion or ask a question. Anybody can say “No” to a suggestion. A good leader will explain why that idea won’t fit, but encourage the person making suggestions to come back with more. In other words, address the errors that matter, but don’t beat people down with corrections.
2) Care about your people.
Ü
Holding people accountable ensures that expectations are met throughout your unit. (Photo courtesy of 1Lt James P. Guthrie)
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education | everything i needed to know...
4) Establish and maintain standards Any teacher worth their salt will spend at least 50% of the first two weeks of school establishing ground rules and standards. As a middle school teacher, I would make my students go over my rules every day for the first two weeks and there was a quiz at the end of the two weeks on them. As a high school teacher, I went over the rules for the first three to five classes and made my students and their parents sign a statement saying they had read and understood the rules of my classroom. This may seem excessive, but you’d be surprised how effective it is when a student misbehaves and your can pull out a piece of paper they signed saying they wouldn’t act that way. The reason all good teachers put that much time into establishing standards is that it gives everyone a common base to start from…when everyone understands what is expected from them. However, this foundation will only be useful as long as you maintain those standards. I read somewhere that the rule you choose to ignore might as well not exist anymore. Once you have let something slip once or twice you’ll find it slipping four or five times. At a certain point you can no longer effectively lay any claim to that rule because you’ve let it slide. This applies for teachers with things such as being tardy, classroom disruptions, bullying, etc. This applies to maintenance leadership in areas such as arriving at work on time, proper customs and courtesies, program management, and forms documentation. As a maintenance leader you have to establish standards when you arrive at your new work area. This doesn’t mean you come stomping in like King Kong, beat your chest and establish a new world order. When you get to your new unit, you need to sit down with your SNCOs and lay out your expectations for them and let them know what they can expect from you. Then do the same thing with your NCOs and your Airmen. Then go back to your ranking SNCOs individually and do it again. Then go over it one more time in front of everybody as a unit. It might seem repetitious, but establishing what you expect the standard to be is worth saying more than once, especially if you have any hope of holding people to it. And by the way, that is the easy part. The hard part is maintaining those standards…and making sure your SNCOs and NCOs do too. While most classrooms have 25-30 students and one teacher (i.e. one supervisor), the typical AMU has well over 100 people and multiple supervisors. If one of those supervisors starts failing to maintain standards, others will follow. Remember, it is the NCO’s job to hold the Airman accountable. If he fails to do so Establishing standards gives everyone a common place to work from. (Photo courthen two failures have occurred. One, the Airman is failing to meet tesy of 1Lt James P. Guthrie) the standard of behavior. Two, the NCO is failing to meet standards as a supervisor by not enforcing maintenance of the standard in the 5) Hold people accountable Airman. A third failure could very easily occur if you or one of your As a teacher there were seven words I hated hearing from a student more SNCOs doesn’t correct this as soon as you become aware of it. than anything else: “Why did you give me a (insert grade here).” My response to this was always the same, “I gave you nothing… The Air Force has, in my opinion, a fantastic you earned what you earned.” My students were always mechanism for this that is often underused: It might seem armed with a rubric for their projects or a thorough test the initial feedback, mid-term feedback, EPR/ repetitious, but review and review sheet for their tests. I was careful to OPR system. Far too often I have seen people establishing what you explain the parameters of what was expected of them in either pencil whip this or use a standardized expect the standard terms of homework and classroom participation. Addiformat with no real thought given to what tionally, I found that the students who actually paid atthey expect from their people. This is a terto be is worth saying tention while all this was going on did very well in my rific system for establishing and maintaining more than once, classroom. Those who did not were held accountable via standards and it’s a lot like getting the student especially if you have their grades. Holding people accountable goes hand-inand their parents to sign a piece of paper sayany hope of holding hand with establishing and maintaining standards. Once ing they understand and agree to follow the people have been educated on what is expected of them, rules of the class. people to it. the supervisor’s job is to ensure they meet those expecta42 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
guthrie not allow them to be wrong any more. It requires effort to investigate the matter and find the root cause so that the problem can be addressed and not just the symptoms of the problem. Finally, it requires you to keep up with the paperwork, if necessary, that can accompany such accountability measures.
6) Be yourself. I had the great fortune to teach in the inner city schools of Richmond, Virginia for a couple of years. It was a tremendously enlightening experience for me. Usually, I was the only white person in the room as the majority of my students were black or Hispanic, many living at or below the poverty line. One day, after teaching at one school for about a year and a half, one of my co-workers came up to me and asked me where I went to school to be a teacher. We discussed this for a few minutes and I asked her why she brought it up. She said that she was always impressed with how well I got on with my students despite some obvious cultural differences. She had a white male student teacher at the time that simply couldn’t connect with his students. I had an opportunity to observe him a few times and it always seemed to me that he was trying too hard to be “the teacher” to the students. He couldn’t just be himself. Kids know when you’re faking it and will punish you accordingly. So will maintainers. I firmly believe the most effective leaders, no matter what the leadership arena, utilize a leadership style this is a natural extension of who they really are. People who are naturally quiet will almost never be effective trying to utilize a boisterous “Teddy Roosevelt” style of leadership. Likewise, people who are naturally loud and passionate will be hard pressed to carry off the quiet, scholar-soldier style. I firmly believe that one reason Patton and MacArthur were successful was due to they knew who they were and capitalized on that knowledge as leaders via their leadership style.
tions. If those expectations aren’t met then the supervisor has to hold them accountable. Again, the rule you choose to ignore might as well not exist. If someone is habitually late to work or fails to properly fillout aircraft forms and you don’t hold them accountable when it happens, then you will have little to no ground to stand on when you want to mark down their EPR.
In OTS, I remember being told to use your time as a Lieutenant to discover your personal leadership style. It was good advice, but as a Maintenance officer, your learning curve on your own leadership style is a lot steeper than many other career fields. Perhaps the best thing you can do is be honest with yourself about who you are, what motivates you, what holds you back, and use that knowledge to craft goals for yourself as a leader. Your maintainers aren’t looking for Patton or MacArthur; they’re looking for YOU to lead them. The best leaders almost instinctively care for their people, get out to the work centers to talk with them, encourage them to join in the improvement process, and hold them accountable to standards of excellence. Good leadership has certain universal characteristics, whether they are found in the classroom or the flightline. While all of the suggestions listed require self-discipline and introspection to be effectively implemented none of them are out of reach if you can be honest with yourself and your Airmen.
By holding someone accountable you do three important things. First and foremost, you educate the person on what they did wrong and give About the author: 1Lt James P. Guthrie is the OIC, 55th Helicopter Mainthem direction in the hope they will learn and not repeat their error. tenance Unit, 923 AMXS. Lt Guthrie previously served as the OIC of the 55th EHMU at Kandahar Air Base from AprilSecond, you demonstrate to their peers that October 2011 and owes much to his maintainers the behavior that is being corrected is not acI firmly believe the most for giving him the opportunity to grow as a leader. ceptable and failure to meet the standard will effective leaders, no matter Lt Guthrie has nine years of teaching experience result in being held accountable for that failure. what the leadership arena, in Japan and America in both public and private Third, you lay the groundwork for any future utilize a leadership style this middle and high schools and possesses a Masters of accountability you need to enforce with that Education in Leadership Studies. K individual. Truly holding people accountable is hard at first. It requires the moral courage to tell someone they’re wrong and that you will
is a natural extension of who they really are
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LEADERSHIP | perspectives
Perspectives In Step With Lieutenant General Tom Owen Making Things Better In October 2011, I had the opportunity to speak to our LOA membership at the 2011 National Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. The theme this year was “Shaping Logistics”. As Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) Commander, this particular theme drives at the very core of what we at ASC strive to do on a daily basis. At this year’s conference I outlined just a few of the many initiatives underway at ASC which focus on shaping the field of Air Force acquisition logistics. Together, these initiatives can be grouped into three categories aligned with our center priorities; people, processes, and supportability. “People” initiatives Grow, Develop, and Engage our acquisition workforce. “Process” initiatives are those issues found within ASC’s AFSO21 response that focus on implementing efficient and effective processes. Finally, “supportability” initiatives, such as the Integrated Life Cycle Management (ILCM) Enterprise and Logistics Health Assessments, serve to reinvigorate ILCM into Program Planning and Execution activities. However, before I go into more detail on individual topics, it is important to outline just some of the challenges which have led us to this juncture. Out of concerns for the growing national debt, Congress passed the Budget Control Act which required the Department of Defense to find more than $450 billion in savings over the next ten years. Additionally, the Budget Control Act created the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction, a special task force charged to reduce federal spending by over one trillion dollars. We expect the vast majority of these savings will be realized from reductions to non-essential, discretionary, spending. Within the Air Force, most of the largest chunks of discretionary funds are allocated to the operating and investment portfolios managed by AFMC. As a Lt. Gen. Tom Owen, Aeronautical Systems Center Commander, speaks to members of the Logistics Officer’s Association at the 2011 National Conference. (LOA Photo by result, the Air Force will ultimately be forced to rack and stack its Donna Parry) priorities. The harsh reality is some current and future programs may be reduced, delayed, or eliminated. We will have to make tough choices to minimize our losses and, wherever possible, strike better business deals to maximize every penny of the taxpayer’s money we spend. Secondly, as we struggle to deal with declining budgets, we must also adapt to an evolving rule book. At the conference I showed a chart which depicted the results of a combined SAF/AQX and ASC/XRC study on acquisition-related policies issued between January 2008 and July 2011. Surprisingly, the study revealed that five-hundred, twenty-five policies were released in this 3.5 year period affecting acquisition programs in areas such as management, contracting, finance, engineering, security, IT, safety, and maintenance. In certain months the number of policies issued exceeded twenty-five, that’s almost one a day! Complicating the matter further is the reality that every policy change drives subsequent changes to training and course development. Sadly, this instability impacts our programs in terms of lost man-hours and schedule frustrations. The final challenge is the health of the acquisition workforce itself. In today’s fiscal environment the ability of our Air Force to grow a workforce proportional to the workload is unrealistic. This reality is true not only in acquisition but across all AFSCs within the Air Force. However, as the number of contract actions and dollar execution has steadily increased at ASC over the fifteen year period from 1993 to 2008, our organic Military and Civilian work force dropped by over 3,000 positions -- a staggering 51% decrease! Today, we are still in a period of recovery but I’m happy to report we are making progress.
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oWEN In the years following 2008 we successfully restored approximately 1,500 positions through innovative hiring techniques. Team ASC did this despite numerous work force disruptions resulting from Air Force and command level hiring controls, 90-day hiring freeze, and reduction driven losses such as the reduction in force boards, selective early retirement boards, voluntary separation, and voluntary early retirement. Secondly, to develop this new work force, we implemented several institutionalized training programs, both home-grown at ASC and through partnerships with organizations such as the Defense Acquisition University and the Advanced Technical Intelligence Center for Human Capital Development. Our successes in the “people” category not only enable ASC to maintain its commitments to our Warfighter customer but give me increased confidence in the other initiatives currently in work. The first of these initiatives falls within the “process” category and is one I’m particularly excited about because I feel it has the significant potential to improve our Air Force acquisition enterprise in the coming years. After realizing successes in implementing High Velocity Maintenance at WarnerRobins Air Logistics Center in 2007, the other Air Force Program Executive Officers (PEO) and I approached our Service Acquisition Executive with a rather daunting proposal. What if we could take the same AFSO21 concepts we applied to HVM and use these concepts to streamline the acquisition system? If this lofty goal were indeed possible perhaps we could realize significant savings through value stream mapping, elimination of non-value added processes and reviews, improved standardization, and reduced cycle times. Team ASC is stepping up to the challenge through High Velocity Acquisition (HVA). Like HVM, HVA builds on the principles of STANDARDIZE, OPTIMIZE, and RESPOND. HVA strives to effectively and efficiently deliver the right solutions, strategies, and support in an acquisition setting utilizing an integrated model that addresses people, process, tools, and training. HVA is being worked by a cross-functional team of experienced acquisition professionals. We have teamed with seasoned experts from across ASC, other centers, NAVAIR, Army, Coast Guard, and Academia. The HVA concept reaches back to the basics – what decisions are required at what points within the acquisition cycle to realize the largest impacts in controlling life cycle costs and reducing cycle times. HVA examines the processes impacting acquisition from requirements development through sustainment and provides a framework for decision making, knowledge capture, resource development and process standardization. HVA also creates an environment for tailoring personnel development, optimizing resource utilization, continuous learning, and process improvement. Under HVA we will soon be able to accelerate delivery of affordable, timely & responsive warfighting capability despite the many challenges awaiting us in the coming years. Another AFSO21 initiative worth mentioning is the implementation of the ASC Process Guidebook (PGB). The PGB concept was originally conceived in December 2009 as a core task for standardizing center operations across the six new PEOs created during AFMC’s acquisition reorganization. Today, I’m pleased to report that Team ASC published one-hundred and one Process Guides within five major categories: Program Management, Business, Technical, Resource/Personnel, and Support. In addition, seven of these are standard processes used across all three Product Centers. Just this past month ASC published a process guide for Quick Reaction Capability (QRC). This new process fields technologically mature capabilities through accelerated means, while still providing a level of capability that will be both militarily useful and in sufficient quantity to meet Warfighter operational needs. For 2012, we plan to add additional guides on Earned Value Management, Test and Safety Review Boards, and Acquisition Surge Exercise Planning and Conduct. Together, these new processes better equip our workforce with the skills needed to consistently deliver award winning capability, on time, on cost.
Lt. Gen. Tom Owen describes his three thoughts on careers during the Perspective on Leadership section of his 2011 National Conference briefing. Lt. Gen. Owen also spoke on the state of the Aeronautical Systems Center and several initiatives that are underway to improve acquisition and logistics. (LOA Photo by Donna Parry)
Finally, under “supportability” I’m pleased to report on two key center initiatives, focusing on Integrated Life Cycle Management (ILCM) during acquisition and
Ü
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LEADERSHIP | perspectives data rights. One of our 2011 High Value Initiatives was putting together a set of metrics that allows better visibility into how we as a Center are doing on implementing ILCM. These three metrics include: the Logistics Health Assessments (LHA), Material Availability Key Performance Parameters (KPP), and Source of Repair Assignment (SORA) completion. These metrics are reported to and managed by the ASC Senior Steering Committee which reviews them on a monthly basis. The first metric, LHA, provides a standard method for program office personnel to assess product support and to identify and control logistics risks. LHA create a sight picture of program logistics health at any point over the system’s life cycle and can be tailored with unique constraints for individual programs. LHA provides a mechanism for assessing, measuring, and recording, logistics planning and execution information. My team and I Lt Gen Owen visits Brooks AFB. (Photo Courtesy Brooks AFB, PA) have taken ownership of this metric and are now tracking LHA for all 116 ASC acquisition programs. We have also taken the additional steps necessary to standardize these assessments by creating an LHA chapter within our Process Guide Book. This extra step allows us to bring Logistics to the forefront of the acquisition planning across ASC in a disciplined manner. The second metric, Material Availability, assess the center’s progress in meeting OSD mandatory requirements for Major Defense Acquisition Programs. We make sure that our program Managers focus on Material availability throughout the program’s life cycle. This focus enables better business decisions that drive delivery of more reliable products, ultimately resulting in more available aircraft on the ramp for our using commands. By teaming with our major commands in this initiative, we realize a mutual gain for every dollar spent. We also realize synergy between our sustainment CONOPS and the many possible operational configurations, mission sets, geographic locations, and surge capabilities being considered by the customer. Thirdly, we have placed increased emphasis on ensuring SORA are completed for new acquisitions, and depot repair capabilities identified, prior to requesting proposals from our contractors. This proactive approach to completion allows for source of repair requirements to be assessed early in the acquisition. As a result, we are better postured to contract for the necessary data rights required to support depot activation within four years from the time our user reaches initial operational capability. Make no mistake about it; the US Government will assert rights to data to preserve our future options. This definition of data includes all technical drawings, diagrams, software code, manuals, or models required to support the sustainment strategy. Not only does this change enable future Air Force systems to be supportable during sustainment but also has the added benefit of reducing total program costs over the system’s life cycle. Since this metric was established in April 2011, ASC has successfully completed SORA on 75% of our new programs prior to request for proposal. In addition, ASC successfully asserted data rights during the KC-46 acquisition acquiring all necessary data required for installation, inspection, localization, isolation, disassembly, interchange, repair, reassembly, alignment, checkout, and maintenance. In the years ahead our Air Force will continue to face fiscal challenges, fly aging airframes, combat diminishing manufacturing sources, deal with parts obsolescence, and adapt to evolving threats. However, it’s imperative we remain true to our service priorities: not breaking faith with Airmen; ensuring sufficient capability to permit continued regional overseas presence; maintaining air superiority; sustaining ISR advances made over the past decade; and investing in our Long Range Strike family of systems. In order to work within this new environment, ASC like the rest of our service’s acquisition arm, will be fundamentally pushed to change our old ways of doing business, embrace AFSO21 concepts, and remain focused on supporting our Warfighters. We are once again in a time of change for our service and our nation. However, we’ve been here before; this ain’t our first rodeo! We have always persevered and we will do so now. Thanks to each and every one of you for your contributions to our Air Force and our Airmen. Team ASC stands ready to support you in all that you do.
Lieutenant General Tom Owen is the Aeronautical Systems Center Commander and Program Executive Officer for aircraft procurement and modernization programs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. K
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lEADERSHIP
Focus on a LOA Chapter Leader MAJOR GENERAL MARY L. SAUNDERS AWARD WINNER An Interview with Major John Adams
Helo Ride with Brits. (Photo courtesy of MSgt Ed Crowson)
ER: What do you like most about being a loggie? The opportunities…as Loggies we touch virtually every aspect of military operations. Given the broad impact of what we do and the skill sets that we are given, we inevitably find ourselves presented with unique opportunities taking us to some interesting places and situations. For example, I never thought I would be the Iraqi Ground Desk Officer in the Coalition Coordination Center at CENTCOM. You never know where you’re going to land but, given our training, we always have the tools to land on our feet. ER: What was your biggest learning moment? I have had a few…I think you learn something new every time you step into a new role and it is
94th EFS AMU at Kadena. (Photo courtesy of Kadena Audio Visual)
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aDAMS
Vital Statistics Name:
Major John Adams
LOA Chapter: Kanaloa Chapter, Hickam AFB, HI Hometown: Goldsboro, North Carolina College: CCAF Mount Olive College National American University Degree:
MAS Business Administration
Family: Melanie Martin Adams, Wife John F. Adams, III, Son Alley Marie Adams, Daughter Technical School: 2001 Duties/Current Duty: PMEL Technician Armament, AMMO, Systems Flt Cdr Fabrication Flt Cdr 13th AF Chief of Weapons Safety CMS Operations Officer Weapons System Support Branch Chief
hard to prioritize what lessons were the most important because all of them collectively make us better if we glean what we need to out of them. Each deployment of my deployments provided a new lesson. When I deployed to Diego Garcia, I led a team of 60 Ammo troops who merged with 25 additional troops already in place. The group dynamic of making the two groups one cohesive team was challenging to work through, especially since my flight chief was one of the 25. In the end it worked and worked great but between the beginning and the end there were a lot of growing pains to work through on both sides. When I deployed to Iraq and then a little later on to MacDill AFB, I found myself working in the joint environment not only working with sister services but also services from other countries…learning and understanding the cultural and organizational differences and how those differences effected mission accomplishment proved the most challenging aspect of those assignments and ultimately gave me a better appreciation for the strengths found in those differences. Finally, my last deployment to Kadena AFB, Japan as the 94th EFS AMU OIC proved to be one of the most rewarding and challenging. I deployed into Kadena with some of the best folks the Air Force has to offer and while I thought I knew a lot and was well prepared when I got there, by the time we left I discovered learned much more…about myself, the airmen I deployed with, the job I was tasked to accomplish and the Airmen that were left behind at home station…and the challenges of managing the expectations of all. There’s always more to learn. ER: What are you most proud of in your time on active duty? The Service. The gift of being allowed to participate as a team member on the best team on earth, the US Air Force…whether as a leader or a follower it’s always been an honor to be part of something greater than the pieces or the people individually or alone. Regardless of the organization or the size, it has always been about people coming together and doing the best job they can.
ER: What would you classify as your leadership style? Probably the most challenging question you’ve asked. Challenging because I think we’re different people at different times and situations…while there’s probably a default for all of us, you have to tailor your leadership style to the situation. In default, I would classify myself as a servant leader, defined as follows: Servant-leaders achieve results for their organizations by giving priority attention to the needs of their colleagues and those they serve. Servant-leaders are often seen as humble stewards of their organization’s resources: human, financial and physical. That’s not to say that there aren’t times when I have to exercise other leadership styles that are more appropriate to the situation. ER: As a recognized leader in your local LOA Chapter, what activities/events are you most proud of ? Our Chapter had an incredibly busy year. Some of the highlights include forging a joint venture with the Navy Supply Corp Association Hawaii that enabled us to capture career broadening opportunities for chapter. Additionally, we toured historic the Red Hill Fuel Storage Facility to learn about the multi-million gallon operation as well as the Virginia Class Submarine, USS Hawaii to learn about logistics challenges while under way and under sea. When we toured the Nimitz class Aircraft Carrier, USS Lincoln, we obtained insight into massive deployment operations aboard ship. Our tour of the Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command reminded us of why we serve and our unwavering national commitment to our service members while gaining repatriation process facts. Finally, we organized and ran the 1st Annual LOA/SCAH Golf Tournament and raised an amazing $6K to fund future LOA projects. K
Major Adams working on a Bomb Build pad at Beale AFB (Photo courtesy of Capt Ginger Crane)
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lEADERSHIP
Focus on a LOA Chapter Leader MAJOR GENERAL MARY L. SAUNDERS AWARD WINNER An Interview with 1st Lieutenant Rob Berry ER: What do you like most about being a loggie? The people. I get to work with so many different people and they all have their own set of challenges and successes. It is really cool watching them rise to the occasion and impress you. A close second would be the sense of accomplishment I get from what I do. The work we do is actionable; you can see the work you put in having an actual impact. The work isn’t just busy work to look busy, it actually serves a purpose. ER: If you have deployed, where did you go and what job were you fulfilling? I have not deployed; however, I did go to Goodfellow AFB to be their acting Installation Deployment Officer (IDO) for 2 months. It is definitely not a deployment, but it taught me a 1Lt Berry donating to a good cause. (Courtesy of Lt Apt). lot about the deployment process. ER: What would you recommend to your fellow CGOs to be better prepared for a deployment? Trust your UDMs. They are trained to do their job, so let them. However, be inquisitive. It is your deployment and you should be familiar with the process to get you there and back so when your people deploy you can help them through it. Just so you understand the process it may be beneficial to watch a “cradle to grave” deployment process aside from your own. Just be a fly on the wall in the UDM office for a week and it will pay huge dividends when you and your people are prepping for a deployment. ER: What was your biggest learning moment? My first week at Goodfellow was my first time being directly in charge of airmen. Keeping them motivated to work with a temporary IDO while maintaining their current OPS tempo, running a large scale deployment exercise for the base, and creating continuity for the new inbound IDO was a challenging experience for me. 1Lt Berry with POL management team in front of an R-11 Refueling Truck. (Courtesy of SSgt Crom).
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bERRY
Vital Statistics Name:
1Lt Rob Berry
LOA Chapter: Sonoran Chapter, Luke AFB, AZ Hometown: San Diego, California College: USAF Academy Degree: Social Sciences Family: Edwin (KC-135 pilot), Brother Michael (MIT graduate), Brother Brianna (MIT student), Sister Mellissa (Corban College), Sister David, Brother Technical School: April 2010 Duties/Current Duty: OIC Unit Readiness Assistant Installation Deployment Officer Fuels Flight Commander
1Lt Berry presenting a deserving NCO an award. (Courtesy of SSgt Crom).
ER: What are you most proud of in your short time on active duty? Without question, my experiences at Goodfellow AFB were the proudest. It was a tremendous learning opportunity for me. Not just about my job, but also what all I am capable of doing. ER: As a recognized leader in your local LOA Chapter, what activities/events are you most proud of? Despite the fact that our LOA Chapter has been very involved with fundraising events to provide scholarships to our airmen, I am actually most proud of the tours we set up with the local industries. We had the opportunity to go on a few Lunch Hour tours of local industries to see how they work. Whether it is their distribution centers, loading docks, or aircraft hangars it has been a great opportunity to see how they do business in a profit driven industry. K 1Lt Berry to bid farewell to fellow LRO’s departing for his deployment (Courtesy of unknown TSA rep).
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lEADERSHIP
Focus on a LOA Chapter Leader MAJOR GENERAL MARY L. SAUNDERS AWARD WINNER An Interview with 1st Lieutenant Ashley Maddox-Hewko ER: What do you like most about being a loggie? I love being able to see the results of my labor on a dayto-day basis. Each afternoon (or should I say night) I go home satisfied knowing that I have an impact on the mission. While it can be stressful at times I enjoy the amount of responsibility we are trusted with as CGOs. Every day is a challenge, but I am constantly learning and don’t have time to be bored! ER: What was your biggest learning moment? – My biggest learning moment occurred during my first TDY, a back to back Green Flag and Red Flag exercise to Nellis AFB in the Spring 2011. Due to aircraft parking we didn’t have a building from which to operate.
This was not
great from a logistics/ support perspective, but I got to spend the entire TDY on the flightline with the maintainers and I learned so much! ER: What are you most proud of in your short time on active duty? What makes me the most proud is the opportunity to take care of our people…things like being asked to perform someone’s retirement or to re-enlist one of our Airmen. I consider these opportunities to be a tremendous honor. As a junior officer, I am humbled to 1Lt Maddox-Hewko inspecting a E-3 AWACS landing gear. (Courtesy of SMSgt Garland Moore).
preside over an MSgt’s retirement ceremony. Just the other day I re-enlisted a SMSgt who I am certain will become a CMSgt and be someone you all hear about and next week I will re-enlist one of my hardest working SSgts. Being asked to be part of these special moments for my Airmen, confirms I am doing a good job of respecting and caring for my people. ER: As a recognized leader in your local LOA Chapter, what activities/events are you most proud of? I am most proud of our Annual LOA Golf Tournament and Rebuilding Together project. Each year the Crossroads Chapter has a golf tournament to raise money for our scholarship fund. Not only do military personal pay to compete but also our logistics partners throughout the community. These companies donate goods for our
1Lt Maddox-Hewko getting maintenance update from Expediter and Production Supervisor. (Courtesy of SMSgt Garland Moore).
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raffle, sponsor holes, and even send teams to compete. This year we
mADDOX-hEWKO
Vital Statistics
had amazing participation from companies like DRS, Boeing, Chro-
Name:
malloy, etc. The golf Tournament was a hit and we raised more than we
1Lt Ashley Maddox-Hewko
LOA Chapter: Crossroads Chapter, Tinker AFB, OK Hometown: Temecula, California College: USAF Academy Degree: Political Science Family:
1Lt Tyler Hewko
Technical School: April 2010 Duties/Current Duty:
had hoped. The Rebuilding Together project was even more special and memorable. Our chapter partnered with the community and another professional development organization to repair the home of a deserving elderly woman. Her home, which was built by her husband almost 50 years ago, was in a deplorable state. Due to her health, financial situation, and the fact that she still cared for her handicapped child, she let the home get to a state that was unsafe. Lowes sponsored the repairs and we provided the time, sweat, blood and tears. It took almost five straight days of work. Some of us took leave, some slept in their cars, but every minute was worth it. Words cannot describe the moment we
AGE Flight Commander Radar Flight Commander Maintenance Ops Flight Commander Aircraft Maintenance Unit OIC
unveiled her home. We made a real impact on her life as well as the lives of her neighbors. In the words of her son we gave their family a “beautiful and safe place to gather on Thanksgiving.” K
IS OUR MIDDLE NAME. Terrence Warner | TSgt, USAF (Ret.) | Graduate, School of Security & Global Studies Our military roots run deep. From Eglin AFB to Afghanistan, AMU is dedicated to educating those who serve. With access to quality courses, unrivaled support, and a book grant for undergraduates, we stand behind our community— 60,000 military members strong.
Learn More at www.amuonline.com/ER-mag
Some photos courtesy of the DoD.
MILITARY
Art & Humanities | Business | Education | Management | Public Safety & Health | Science & Technology | Security & Global Studies 53 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
lEADERSHIP | focus on a cgo
IN THEIR OWN WORDS… FOCUS ON A CGO Captain Mieke Bruins One sure thing about logistics…it is dynamic and challenging. No one tackles the dynamic and challenging logistics endeavors more than the Company Grade Officer (and some strong SNCOs). It is time to throw them a bone by putting them in the spotlight. Captain Mieke Bruins was submitted by Lt Col JD Duvall. Captain Mieke Bruins entered the logistics community following graduation from Logistics Readiness Officer Technical School in August 2004. This University of Arizona ROTC graduate is assigned to F.E. Warren Air Force Base. She is the Operations Officer for the 90th Logistics Readiness Squadron. Captain Bruins deployed three times in her seven year career—Iraq, Djibouti, and Afghanistan. For her efforts, she earned the AF Achievement Medal and Iraq Campaign medal, Joint Service Achievement medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the NATO Medal, and two Joint Meritorious Unit Awards.
Deployed to Afghanistan. (Photo courtesy of Capt Bruins)
The ER asked Captain Bruins to share her thoughts on being a leader… in her own words.
Captain Bruins on the biggest lesson(s) learned while deployed: First, and most important, KNOW YOUR JOB! Additionally, be prepared for the unexpected. If you deploy on a JET tasking, the Army may assign you duties you were not originally deployed to perform. This can be challenging professionally, and it helps to know your Senior Commissioned Officer. The SCO is your AF advocate in case you are put in a position that doesn’t meet the Request for Forces tasking. Another lesson I learned was to avoid getting forced to sign for something unless you know the whole story. I was told that I would be the Property Book (PB) Manager for $189 million in ARSIC-E (Afghan Regional Security Integration Command-East) property. I had no idea what I was getting in to. I had to learn a job that was impossible to learn under the best of conditions, but especially difficult while being the J4 (actual J4 was on R&R and TDY ) and during a major transition—Chief Warrant Officer 3 with PB Owner (PBO) experience was redeploying and theater provided equipment PBO was in Kabul and not very helpful. Added to the misfortune, I was not afforded the opportunity to fully account for all of the geographically separated property. At the end of the day, there was $2.2M of unaccounted for equipment. Yet another lesson learned from my deployed experience is to fight for your Airmen…no matter whether they work for you or not. In Afghanistan and in Iraq, we had Airmen who were poorly treated by the other services. It makes a difference to them to have a champion. FITNESS is another lesson learned. You won’t always have access to a gym or running area, but take great advantage of what is available at your deployed location because you will need it AND it will keep you sane. I had to do many ruck missions with the Army that would not have been possible if I let myself go. Another lesson learned is to listen to your predecessor and take lots of notes…you will be amazed at what you can miss those first days when you are exhausted and can’t focus. Notes have saved my bacon more times than I can tell you. Soon you will have to do the job yourself and quite often you are one deep so there isn’t anyone who can tell you what you’re supposed to do, but there are plenty of people who will tell you when you screw it up. When you depart, leave a continuity book…so many people neglect it and you would be surprised how much you will help the next person by doing something so simple. The final lesson learned is important for all Airmen to recognize. I was told by many senior Army leaders that they couldn’t do what they do without the AF. The senior Army leaders cherished our presence because we were the subject matter experts and we got things done…don’t ruin the great reputation we worked hard to get. Captain Bruins on being prepared for deployment: You probably won’t know everything about the job you are going to do. However, before you deploy, find out as much as you can about the job you are going to perform. Additionally, know the country you’re going to. Look up CIA fact sheets, books, and language information. The more you know about the culture, the religion, and the customs the better off you will be. Learn a little of the language and the locals will appreciate you taking the time and effort. The more you do to be respectful of these different countries and their cultures the more they will do to help you ensure mission
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bruins success. Another way to prepare for your deployment is to listen and learn at your CST. Odds are very good that you will participate in convoy operations. I did in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as many missions in Djibouti. It may seem silly and stupid, but most of the time you are being taught by the Army and those folks have been there and know what they are talking about. Knowing what they know can save your life. Finally, we are Loggies…plan ahead for what you will need when you get there because you won’t always be at a large FOB (Forward Operating Base) with all the amenities. On my last deployment in particular, we had no BX, no finance, and one DFAC. We were 2 Km from the FOB that received the mail and had to convoy over to get it. If there was red air, we neither got mail at the other FOB nor when there was mail were we able to get it. We sometimes went a month or more without mail. The more you plan in advance the less scrambling you have to do later. Since we had no finance, we were beholden to the finance at Salerno who would come maybe once a month and we never knew when. Bring checkbooks with you, but be prepared with cash because you never know. The new Eagle cash card is nice, but if you’re downrange is completely useless. Captain Bruins on her proudest moment(s): The people that have worked for me, with me, or that I have instructed. I have had my share of those Airmen that either don’t get it or don’t care. More often than not I am proud to have worked with great Airmen. With regard to my time as an OTS instructor, I have had some of the hardest working students out there and when I get to see them now on active duty I am so proud of the officers they have become. Captain Bruins on keeping leadership skills honed: I think the best leaders are the ones that know their people…walk around, learn their jobs, read CDCs and AFIs and sit where their Airmen sit doing what their Airmen do. You can’t fight for what’s best for your people if you don’t truly understand what your people do every day. Mission is crucial, but if your troops don’t respect you, don’t know what is expected of them, or feel betrayed/ignored/unsupported, you will never complete the mission. Airmen are your biggest assets…take care of them and they will take care of you. K
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from the flightline
Logistics Leaders… Empowerment, Innovation By Colonel David Haase, Lieutenant Mike Schumacher, Chief Master Sergeant Robert Hughes When faced with a limited resource environment, Winston Churchill told his senior staff: “Gentlemen, we have run out of money. Now we have to think.” As we watch the news, read the paper, or listen to the radio, none of us can avoid being bombarded with speculation about large budget cuts for the Department of Defense (DoD). Nothing in this world is certain, but signals are strong that the DOD is facing significant budget pressures. While senior military staffs in Washington, DC will make tough force-structure and mission decisions, it is critically important for Airmen at all levels to embrace coming challenges and set new conditions for mission success. Future success does not rest solely with senior leaders back at the Pentagon. Today, the smartest and best-educated Airmen in our history are serving in the Air Force and we, as logistics leaders at all levels, must leverage this powerful capability. Simply put, today’s Air Force logisticians must create a work environment that empowers every individual in every unit to look beyond traditional ways of meeting the regulative and bureaucratic constraints that shape how we currently do our jobs. We must find new and innovative ways to be more efficient, while still complying with standards.
200 coordination folders proved to be lost or delayed, thus causing a backlog. SSgt Rickey Massey (Munitions Operations Section), acting as an empowered Airmen, saw this as an opportunity to improve the scheduling and transportation process. With full buy-in from 86th Logistics Readiness Squadron’s distribution professionals and Air Mobility Command’s air transportation experts, the team leveraged available collaboration software and developed a cross-agency coordination process for munitions shipments. This system, with input from all process experts, became a “total shipment visibility (TSV )” dashboard. This TSV dashboard enabled all staff functions to use a single, transparent and integrated transportation scheduling process. SSgt Massey’s leadership and cross-functional teamwork made TSV an impressive success. In only a few months, the shipment backlog disappeared. While TSV did not change directives or governing policy, it leveraged the principles of transparency, integration and cooperation to significantly reduce the manpower required to navigate a complex process.
When faced with a significant vehicle maintenance funding shortfall, Lt Col Ryan Coyne’s 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron (VRS) chose to lead, rather than sit and wait for the consequences of this shortfall. Major Christine Stevens, 86 VRS Operations Officer, noted that the “sixyears without a Vehicle Validation Visit (VVV ) and one third of their budget tied to Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding was A great example of this kind of leadership and innovation was recently not sustainable.” Vehicle management professionals took their message championed by Major Ken Benton and the 86th Munitions Squad- to Team Ramstein leadership and set off on a base-level vehicle reducron. Professionals in this unit who ship hazardous cargo were operat- tion. Ultimately, they championed an effort where units self-identified ing under an outdated, inefficient process requiring the manual transfer 445 excess vehicles. Through leadership, teamwork, and plain hard work, of paperwork between multiple organizations. As a result, more than they built velocity in the inspection, disposition, and transportation process. In only six months, Ramstein’s 2,153 vehicle fleet was reduced to 1,867 vehicles. 86th Munitions Squadron Airmen execute a With an AF-directed virtual VVV on the rapid outload in support of Operation UNIhorizon, the 86 VRS loggies are well on their FIED PROTECTOR. (Courtesy of A1C Brea way to reducing their fleet by 25% while imMiller, 86AW/PA) proving fleet readiness, saving money, reducing manpower requirements, and sustaining the mission. Led by Lt Col Joel Gartner, the 86 LRS also found a way to improve mission performance by eliminating waste that was commonly accepted because that is how we’ve always done business. “The mandate from Chief Master Sergeant Robert Hughes (Superintendent, 86 LRS Materiel Management Flight) was simple,” said TSgt Matthew Kostos, NCOIC/Individual Protective Equipment. “As a storage and issue facility we should focus our efforts on eliminating excess inventory and returning underutilized warehouse space back to the 86th Airlift 56 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
haase, schumacher, and hughes Wing.” Marching orders in-hand, TSgt Kostos and his team of professionals set about doing just that. The 86 LRS had become a storage dump for expired Chemical Warfare Defense Equipment (CWDE) left over from as far back as the closures of Bitburg and Rhein Main Air Bases. Leadership took on the inefficiency, initiated a thorough inventory, packaged excess equipment for shipment and coordinated disposition with higher headquarters.
Lt Gen Loren Reno discusses special purpose maintenance with SrA Caleb Wilford from the 86 VRS (Courtesy of 2d Lt Mike Schumacher, 86LRG/CCE)
The results were impressive. 63,846 assets, 218 pallets, 89,000 pounds of excess gear—nine, 40 foot sea van containers in all-were returned to the Defense Accountability Reutilization and Disposal Project (DART) for redistribution as training assets across the joint service community. Additionally, five CWDE storage facilities were consolidated into a single warehouse. This effort returned 142,000 square feet of facility space to the 86th Airlift Wing for reutilization. “Other benefits have also been realized from this initiative,” Chief Hughes said. “We save work hours because we no longer inventory unneeded gear, we save resources from traveling back and forth between warehouses, and equipment once utilized to maintain unneeded stock is now relocated to our main warehouse.”
TSV, vehicle reduction, and right-sized CWDE provide a few examples of logistics innovation and highlight the opportunities for logistics leaders to “take on the tough tasks.” Each situation showcases how Airmen willing to look beyond long-standing and bureaucratic processes can reduce manpower drains while simultaneously enabling more effective, responsive, and compliant operations. An important lesson is that leadership is more than leading and managing under the mountain of regulations and policies that tell us how to do our job. Our Airmen deserve leaders willing and able to set a course that seeks out innovation. Today, our military must work smarter, not harder. We are privileged to have a force comprised of amazing, smart, and energetic Airmen. When empowered and encouraged, our Airmen will deA1C Cody Small, SSgt Richard Gajewski and SSgt Gustavo Corte showcase a vehicle velop more efficient processes. fleet transformed to meet Team Ramstein unique mission requirements—“Right vehicle for the right mission”. (Courtesy of 2d Lt Mike Schumacher, 86LRG/CCE)
About the Authors: Colonel Haase is Commander, 86th Logistics Readiness Group, 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany. His group houses the largest transportation, supply, logistics plans and War Reserve Materiel accounts in the Air Force, comprised of almost 1,053 military and civilian personnel. The Logistics Readiness Group supports the supply, transportation, and readiness requirements for 3 wings, 26 geographically separated units and the largest DoD community overseas. Additionally, the group oversees a munitions stockpile valued at over $448 million. 2nd Lt Mike Schumacher is the Executive Officer for the 86th Logistics Readiness Group. He orchestrates staff and administrative action and keeps 4 squadrons mission focused. He is the Barbarossa LOA Chapter Information Officer at Ramstein AB.
CMSgt Robert Hughes, 86LRG Superintendent and TSgt Matthew Kostos, NCOIC Individual Protective Element discuss M50 Gas Mask inspection criteria (Courtesy of 2d Lt Mike Schumacher, 86LRG/CCE).
CMSgt Robert Hughes is the superintendent for the 86th Logistics Readiness Squadron Materiel Management Flight. He delivers operationally focused supply support to three wings, NATO, HQ USAFE and two NAF HQs. He also bridged a four month Gap as the 86th Logistics Readiness Group Superintendent. In this capacity he guided operations across 4 squadrons and was lead advocate for the Group’s 1,053 Airmen. K 57 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
from the flightline
Teaming with Industry Partners An AWACS Success Story
First flight following block upgrade. (Courtesy of Dave Clavey, AWACS Modification Integration Operations)
By Major Tiffany Feet
Imagine getting called to the boss’ office late Friday afternoon and being briefed about a big project for you that involves installing a very large and technically complex modification to the unit’s aircraft fleet. The workforce will not be excused from their normal day to day duties, the budget is limited, and it’s critical that you stay on schedule. Impossible? Below is the story of a team that did just that and not only stayed on schedule, but beat it. In times of scarce resources and shrinking budgets, proper teaming with industry partners can make the difference in ensuring Warfighters have the latest technology at a cost the government can afford. No one knows this better than Air Force Materiel Command’s (AFMC) E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) Block 40/45 modification team. 58 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
Empty Fuselage 1…Block 40/45 modification removes and replaces all mission system consoles and computers. (Courtesy of Dave Clavey, AWACS Modification Integration Operations)
feet
The Block 40/45 modification is the largest E-3 modification to date and unlike most modifications, the first production installation will be accomplished without a trial installation or kitproof. This team is a dynamic make-up of government employees from the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center (OC-ALC) at Tinker AFB, the AWACS Developmental System Management Office at Hanscom AFB along with contractors from the Boeing Corporation with expertise in engineering, logistics, acquisition, program management, and operations. The Block 40/45 modification is the largest E-3 modification to date and unlike most modifications, the first production installation will be accomplished without a trial installation or kitproof. The $2.9 billion modification will require 25,000 production hours to install on the first aircraft. In essence, the modification will upgrade the aircraft’s antiquated, circa1970s, mission computing hardware and software using Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solutions. The initial systems were designed for a service life of fifteen years; the systems on the E-3 are currently over 30 years old. The mission computer and display processor are not, and cannot be made compliant with current Department of Defense (DoD) directed standards and architecture for Command and Control (C2) systems. The Block 40/45 modification will provide solutions for the current system’s operational and technological obsolescence, rapidly decreasing reliability, maintainability, supportability, and inability to integrate future technologies and growth opportunities. Simply put, the Block 40/45 modification removes the 1970s computer technology and replaces it with 21st Century technology. To grasp the scope of just how large this project is, picture what video games looked like in the 1970s when Atari first introduced us to Pong, and now compare that to the look and capabilities of today’s Xbox 360. The Block 40/45 modification also automates many tasks that previously were done manually, thereby increasing the operator’s situational awareness. Early in conception, planners slated the Block 40/45 modification for installation completely by contractors at Boeing facilities. After exten-
sive analysis to lower costs, AFMC proposed having government employees install the modification concurrent with the aircraft‘s already scheduled Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM). This concurrent approach eliminated duplicative work between the modification and PDM, but also improved aircraft availability by reducing aircraft down time. This approach may seem like an obvious solution, but it did have some drawbacks. Skeptics said there was no way to add a modification as large and complex as Block 40/45 to the PDM schedule without stalling the E-3’s PDM line; a situation with potential to affect the entire fleet. These skeptics said it simply could not be done.
New Mission Console: Block 40/45 modified mission system console. (Courtesy of Dave Clavey, AWACS Modification Integration Operations)
Leadership from all involved organizations were confident about executing the new strategy but understood this would be no easy victory. Teamwork and early planning would be critical to the team’s success. As a result, the Joint Modification Working Group ( JMWG) was established in early 2009 to address everything needed to accomplish the modification, to include tools, training, tech data, facilities and parts, all of which needed to be in-place prior to the first aircraft being inducted. The team consisted of the Electronic Systems Center (ESC) at Hanscom AFB, two organizations from OC-ALC at Tinker AFB, and Boeing. One of the team’s largest hurdles to overcome was integrating Boeing’s P73 Panel: Modified communication console. (Courtesy of Dave commercial policies and proce- Clavey, AWACS Modification Integration Operations) dures with the government’s. The daily business processes for these Next, the team needed to develop a process entities is significantly different, and fulfilling for delivering parts and organizing them into the demands of both could be quite challeng- manageable packages for the technicians to ing. Take, for example, the Block 40/45 in- work with. The team secured workspace on structions for accomplishing the modification. Tinker AFB for Boeing and Air Force support Boeing utilizes drawings and plans to execute personnel to work side-by-side. Once Boeing modifications whereas the Air Force requires personnel received and inspected parts from work control documents. Air Force planners their suppliers, the Defense Contract Manageand Boeing engineers worked side-by-side to ment Agency accepted the parts on behalf of translate the Boeing products into useable tech the government. The government support perdata for the aircraft technicians. In all, over sonnel, located directly adjacent to the Boeing 1,100 work control documents were created.
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from the flightline | teaming with industry... workspace, received the shipments for parts’ organization. Air Force personnel packaged the parts into “job boxes” tied to each specific task and then delivered them to the modification facility. When a technician received a work control document it would indicate a code if parts were required. The technician then proceeded to the support section to pick up the “job box” associated with that task. Another large hurdle was security. Installing the Block 40/45 modification changed the aircraft’s classification while at PDM. This meant the team needed to develop and execute a plan to ready the facilities and the workforce to handle a higher classification asset than previously managed. Leadership had to plan for, fund and schedule installation of physical security measures. Additionally, all required investigations had to be completed and the workforce trained on new policies and procedures. Lastly, all of these requirements had to be properly documented to ensure unhindered access for both government and Boeing employees in order to do their jobs. Despite the exceptional pre-planning and coordination, the team knew that with any modification, no matter how good planning is, there will inevitably be things that don’t go according to the plan. The team’s next challenge was to develop a process to handle issues during execution. One of the JMWG’s greatest accomplishments was developing the engineering change process and standing up a triage team to address Block 40/45 issues as they arose. The triage team consisted of Air Force and Boeing engineers as well as Air Force contracting officer representatives, all located shipside during the modification. With Boeing maintaining design authority of the system and the ALC completing the installation, a process was required to integrate both organizations’ approaches towards dealing with changes to the original plan. Furthermore, that process had to be responsive enough to eradicate work stoppages and keep the aircraft moving on schedule. The team came up with the concept to document all discrepancies on a Worksheet Write-Up (WSW ) stored in an existing database known as AIRWAVE. When technicians encountered a problem during installation, they had Boeing and Air Force engineers on-site to determine how to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. A WSW would be submitted into the system, an engineering disposition proposed for the problem and then the government would approve it. Only then, could the team implement the resolution. It is
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important to note the type of personnel each organization assigned to the triage team. Simply having a Boeing administrative representative on-site would not have been much help to the technician encountering a problem except to serve as a middle man between the technician and engineering. Likewise, if the government had simply put a program representative shipside, the process would have taken much longer because the contracting officer had to approve every change. Thus, the team was careful to select personnel with the right skill sets required to do the job and the authority necessary to make decisions quickly.
Furthermore, it is having the right type of industry partner working side-byside with the right type of government employee, but the key is not differentiating between the two. These are only a few examples of the challenges the JMWG overcame. In all, the team resolved over 300 formal action items before inducting the first aircraft in the fall of 2010. Members of the JMWG now make up the team executing the Block 40/45 modification.
If there is one theme throughout this project, it is industry partners working side-by-side with government employees. Furthermore, it is having the right type of industry partner working side-by-side with the right type of government employee, but the key is not differentiating between the two. These individual agencies are successful because they work as one team and share a common goal. This philosophy of teaming with our industry partners, coupled with the necessary pre-planning, can help any program achieve success. The Block 40/45 modification team realized its success when, in May 2011, they completed the hardware installation phase of the first Block 40/45 modification, 30 days ahead of schedule. Now that’s teamwork! About the author: Major Tiffany A. Feet is a student at Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB AL. She is an Aircraft Maintenance Officer and has served in the United States Air Force for 22 years in maintenance as both an enlisted technician and officer. Major Feet has worked on a variety of airframes including helicopters, fighters, bombers and C2 platforms. Her past assignments include Hurlburt Field, FL; Osan AB, Korea; Kirtland AFB, NM; Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, Nellis AFB, NV, Barksdale AFB, LA; and Tinker AFB, OK. K
Triage Team Meeting 1…Ken Brown (center), ESC AWACS Modification Integration Chief, leads the Triage Team in modification issue discussions. (Courtesy of Dave Clavey, AWACS Modification Integration Operations)
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Expeditionary Logistics
From “Flying Lions” to “Lion Haul” Joint Logisticians Evolve an Adaptive Logistics Network in East Africa By Major Gregory M. Kuzma
Logistics provides the framework and connectivity in order for a mission to succeed.
In my 13 years of working in military logistics, I have witnessed many units and agencies strive to be more efficient with their resources. But few have matched that of Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTFHOA) of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), in its effort to make the transport and use of assets more effective for the Warfighters and costeffective to American taxpayers. The continent of Africa is populated by over one billion people, divided among 800 ethnicities speaking over 1,000 different languages and spread over 50 countries on a land mass about three and a half times the size of the continental United States. There is no doubt the challenge and prospects in AFRICOM’s Area of Responsibility (AOR) are dynamic and complex. AFRICOM was established in 2008 under the command of General William “Kip” Ward, USA, with the responsibility to protect and defend US national security interests by strengthening the defense capabilities of African states and by conducting military operations in order to deter and defeat transnational threats. This responsibility is the basis for AFRICOM’s Theater Security Cooperation plan, which is the cornerstone of sustained security engagement with African partners. The plan addresses three primary capacity building functions: building operational capacity, building institutional capacity and developing human capital. The common thread that ties these three functions together is…logistics. That’s right—logistics!
CJTF-HOA, plus partner nations from more than 10 African nations and South Korea.
The conference expanded the understanding of partner nation logistics operations, established cooperative partner nation relationships and built on those relationships for the future. According to the CJTF-HOA website article, Major General Barbara Faulkenberry, AFRICOM Deputy Director for Logistics, commented during the conference that “As logisticians, we know that when you look at the ability to accomplish a mission--whether that’s peacekeeping, responding to a national crisis, the defense of a nation, or the humanitarian response to a catastrophe--we think of the mission.” Gen Faulkenberry went on to say, “Logistics provides the framework and connectivity in order for a mission to succeed.” The conference culminated with a demonstration of the pre-positioned Expeditionary Assistance Kit system, which converts and purifies local water sources to potable water. The equipment can deliver benefits in a variety of medical, military and industrial situations, and does not adversely affect the environment.
Growing the East African “Logistical Intra-theater Operations Network” (aka LION) African partner nations are beginning to recognize the impact logistics has on the three primary capacity-building functions and have benefited from AFRICOM’s growing number of training events over the last several years. According to an article posted on the CJTF-HOA website, military logistics officers gathered in January 2011 to participate in the first East African Coalition Logistics Conference, hosted by CJTF-HOA. This conference brought logistics officers from AFRICOM, its sub-component commands for the Army, Navy, Air Force; and 62 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
CAMP LEMONNIER, DJIBOUTI - Captain Gordon Kakooko, Uganda People’s Defence Force (left) and US Navy Senior Chief Susan Brandenburg, CJTF-HOA (center), review a group dynamics exercise as Lieutenant Colonel Justin Ojiambo Khaduli, Kenya Ministry of Defense, looks on during the East African Coalition Logistics Conference. . (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Katherine McDowell).
Kuzma Today, CLDJ remains vital to US security interests as an expeditionary base supporting an expanding mission. Logistically, CLDJ is colocated with the Djibouti Ambouli International Airport and is in close proximity to the Port of Djibouti, a major African seaport, making it an ideal site for supporting AFRICOM’s diverse operations. The camp’s ability to support the DoD’s global transportation infrastructure network is critical. In addition to the evolving transportation infrastructure within the AOR, AFRICOM continues to depend on adjacent command infrastructure and main operating bases for logistical support. Although they are located in other geographic regions, these sites are critical intermediate logistical nodes in support of operations in Africa. CJTF-HOA’s joint logistics directorate employs logistics subject matter CAMP LEMONNIER, DJIBOUTI - US Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Kert, CJTF-HOA (center), explains the work- experts from every branch of service ings of the Pre-positioned Expeditionary Assistance Kit (PEAK), a unit that can provide potable water and renewable in the Joint Logistics Operations energy, to delegates of the East African Coalition Logistics Conference. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Center ( JLOC) for an expanded task Katherine McDowell). force role in coordinating and executing cargo and passenger movement The conference was a unique opportunity for US military logisticians throughout East Africa. The Joint Logistics Planning Center ( JLPC) to share best practices with their military counterparts in East African consists of regional logistical planners determining support requirements countries, enabling them to have a stronger understanding and appreciafor Forward Operating Locations (FOLs) and coordinating those needs tion for logistical issues and solutions. “New roads, new railway netwith units operating in their respective countries. Additionally, the loworks and new ports will clearly improve capabilities for logistics in the gistics Headquarters Support Center assists customers by filling those region in the future,” said Mr. James Swan, former US Ambassador to requirements through ordering, tracking and shipping supplies down the Republic of Djibouti, speaking at the conference, according to the range through the use of both military and commercial transportation CJTF-HOA website article. “Partner nations here in the region are assets. The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) also plays an important heavily involved in efforts to improve the logistics base here in East role in providing troop support to not only CLDJ, but also to the many Africa.” FOLs in the HOA Combined Joint Operations Area (CJOA).
Would you believe LIONs could fly?
Since 9/11, US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have relied heavily upon the joint task force framework to inspire collaborative utilization of assets (e.g., Common User Logistics) to increase supportability and efficiency with fewer resources at a lower cost to the taxpayer. This situation is no different in the AFRICOM AOR. CJTF-HOA, established on October 19, 2002, is AFRICOM’s forward joint task force operating on Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti (CLDJ). While a joint staff works on CLDJ, many service members are forward deployed and embedded with partner nations performing an array of activities such as militaryto-military programs, civil-to-military affairs projects and professional military education programs. The task force, along with coalition partners, Non-Government Organizations, Department of State and federal agencies, such as US Agency for International Development, indirectly provide assistance to regional organizations helping to enhance collective peace-keeping; improve humanitarian assistance response; and support civil-military operations. The task force does this through Civil Affairs Teams, Naval Mobile Construction Battalions—better known as Seabees—and military advisors.
The past several years, the JLOC’s Joint Movement Center ( JMC) has managed the East Africa (EA) LION C-130 Hercules missions and the C-12 Huron Operational Support Airlift missions directly supporting the FOLs. The JMC prioritizes passenger and cargo movement, and assists with overall air movement. Ultimately, the JIMC makes the most impact by advising and assisting CJTF-HOA’s commander regarding the most cost-efficient modes of transportation movement per DoD directives and transportation policy.
Leaning the EA LION When General Carter F. Ham, USA, took command of AFRICOM on March 9, 2011, he quickly faced several major challenges. Within days of taking the guidon, he oversaw combat operations in Libya with Operation ODYSSEY DAWN; witnessed South Sudan declare independence as the world’s newest country; and saw the unfolding of the worst famine in six decades in the Horn of Africa. Although General Ham’s focus was set on dealing with these conflicts by using all available resources, he did so as a judicious steward of resources to accomplish
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Expeditionary Logistics | from “flying lions”... theater objectives. “With the fiscal challenges we face at home and the competing global demands on our military forces, we are dedicated to helping build partner nation capability at the lowest cost possible,” said General Ham to the House Armed Services Committee on April 5, 2011. “We do this through a detailed planning process that links our programs and activities to our theater objectives and carefully justifies resources.”
weight limit minimums are required for C-130 aircraft, depending on the mission type, to justify support. As a result, the EA LION experienced a 50% mission cancellation rate, thus signifying under-utilization of the C-130 aircraft. In other words, the cargo met minimum weight requirements to fly about half the time.
At the same time, the CJTF-HOA JMC staff researched and identified commercial air, land and sea carriers as a more cost effective means Joint logisticians assigned to the CJTF-HOA JMC staff analyzed the compared to military airlift (MILAIR) in the HOA CJOA. DLA initiEA LION C-130 intra-theater airlift missions between March and July ated ground convoy support in Djibouti and Ethiopia thereby illustrat2011 for ways to reduce costs and ining that commercial carriers could carry crease cargo movement efficiency. Led some of EA LION’s burden. JLPC In an effort to increase the by US Air National Guard MSgt Richplanners took it a step further by utiutilization rate of the C-130, while ard Harger, the JMC team conducted lizing commercial shipping companies reducing cost to the US Government, cost analysis and mission impact of reto mail smaller packages to re-supply ducing the EA LION frequency and the FOLs in Uganda and Kenya. AddiCJTF-HOA J4 reduced the number of impact it would incur on down range optionally, the JLOC team engaged the C-130s by 50% each month, saving erations. Under the operational control Surface Deployment and Distribution the DoD an estimated $5.6 million of Headquarters 17th Air Force out of Command to coordinate commercial per year in operational costs. Stuttgart, Germany, the 617th Air Mocarriers to move larger items, such as the bility Division positioned a C-130 airSelf Contained Above-ground Tanks, to craft in Djibouti to fly an intra-theater Kenya by multi-modal means from the route through the CJOA. During this period, the EA LION achieved Port of Djibouti by sealift and ground transport. To put it in perspective, an average of 27% capacity rate. According to Africa Command Manual MILAIR, being the most expensive means to move something, could (ACM) 4500.03 Transportation: Airlift Procedures, Table 1, specific potentially costs hundreds of thousands of dollars while commercial sur-
CAMP LEMONNIER, DJIBOUTI - SrA Everett Smith, a C-130 crew chief with CJTF-HOA, backs-up a K-loader filled with military aircraft parts, driven by a PAE contracted employee. The equipment was delivered to the Ethiopian military to help maintain its tactical airlift fleet via an EA LION intra-theater airlift mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Joseph L. Swafford Jr.)
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kuzma face shipping costs could be a fraction of that at several thousand dollars. While the biggest drawback to commercial surface shipping may be time (weeks as opposed to days), it certainly pays to plan ahead when it comes to logistics. While this paradigm shift was more cost-effective and reduced the demand for C-130 lift, there was still a requirement to move certain types of cargo via MILAIR. In an effort to increase the utilization rate of the C-130, while reducing cost to the US Government, CJTF-HOA J4 reduced the number of C-130s by 50% each month, saving the DoD an estimated $5.6 million per year in operational costs. Also, $2.16 million is recouped annually by not having to re-position one C-130 from Ramstein AB each month. To retain the flexibility of MILAIR, C-12 aircraft were used to move certain types of cargo. The JLPC team also explored a mutual airlift sharing option through a local Acquisition and Cross Service Agreement between coalition partners to move cargo on their aircraft on an as-needed basis. It is important to note that one of the biggest challenges in Africa is acquiring diplomatic clearance. Sometimes more than 14-days of advance notice are required for military aircraft. To inspire more deliberate planning, planners projected their airlift requirements up to 90days in advance to use more cost-effective options. With the exception of occasional aircraft maintenance delays, CJTF-HOA continues to logistically support all FOLs with one C-130 per month, supplemented by a C-12, providing a sizeable savings to the taxpayer. The C-130 average utilization rate went from 27% during March to July, to 90% in August and September. The C-12 average utilization rate went from 42% to almost 84%. These cargo utilization rates dramatically exceeded ACM 4500.03 cargo minimums and substantially reduced the number of cancelled missions during the months of August and September by spacing out the ENTEBBE, UGANDA - TSgt Dean Hoopes, CJTF-HOA, prepares a generator for a C-130 EA LION intra-theater airlift mission to Dire Dawa, Ethiopia in support of a Naval Mobile Construction MILAIR lift frequency. Battalion (“Seabees”) project in late July 2011. While assigned to CJTF-HOA, he and other joint
Rolling to the Future: LION Haul
team members in J4 periodically deploy downrange to train US country team members on proper cargo preparation and manifesting of personnel as well as assist with retrograde of 463L pallets & nets. (U.S. Air Force photo by Maj Gregory M. Kuzma).
As efforts to increase partner nation capacity take place around Africa, the need for a more deliberate strategic framework to support these efforts must also increase. At the operational level, the business rules that standardize logistical best practices at CJTF-HOA and Camp Lemonnier will benefit from a natural evolution of a global end-to-end distribution network.
However, advances in distribution functions will certainly not result from a single Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century event or happen overnight. It will take a collective effort from the joint team to implement incremental changes to improve the distribution system. Some of these changes will be procedural from lessons learned or through technological advances driven through emerging technologies. In the current budget-constrained environment, we must look closer at finding smarter ways to operate overseas. The end-state must be to promote deliberate, purposeful planning methods, as well as enable predictable and cost-effective transportation and shipping modes.
As a starting point, the AFRICOM Deployment and Distribution Operations Center team convened a distribution working group of subject matter experts from each service component in early October to focus on two explicit tasks to meet the current fiscal environment: 1. Transition the intra-theater airlift (e.g., EA LION) from a frequencybased MILAIR mission in support of CJTF-HOA requirements to an enterprise-wide commercial air and surface distribution solution. 2. Define roles, responsibilities, processes and other initiatives required to meet this objective.
The working group recommended using current DoD guidance, such as the Defense Transportation Regulation, as the foundation. However, the working group agreed to allow some flexibility for the unique operating conditions at CLDJ and associated FOLs to fine-tune mutual support through the creation of site-specific standard operating procedures.
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Expeditionary Logistics | from “flying lions”... For instance, did you know that CLDJ is the first and only US camp on the continent of Africa? Just about everything associated with overseas installations, such as relations with local authorities, importing supplies or using organic logistics assets lack precedents at CLDJ. In fact, while other bases in Europe and Southeast Asia can rely on over 60 years of shared experience, CLDJ has existed as a truly independent camp for only about three years. Initially a subordinate unit of CJTFHOA, CLDJ now falls under the commander of Navy Region Europe, Africa (NAVAF) in Southwest Asia. Led by a Civil Engineer Corps Navy Captain, NAVAF manages military port operations in Djibouti, as well as base services, such as the installation transportation office, for several combatant commanders and coalition partners. The CLDJ Installation Travel Office—the Navy equivalent of an Air Force Traffic Management Office—handles the growing number of cargo movement requests for commercial shipping in East Africa. As the responsible command, NAVAF provides traffic management-trained personnel for the newly established host ITO to support the growing mission for Camp Lemonnier’s tenants to maximize even greater cost savings and avoid shipping delays. To fully implement this transition with commercial shipping carriers, in July 2011 AFRICOM directed service components to establish their own Transportation Accounting Codes (TAC)as well as DoD Activity Address Codes (DODAACs) within the AFRICOM AOR by October 1, 2011. Service-defined TACs were needed because the air mobility budget was divided among the service components for FY12. With DODAACs established, joint planners and DLA are able to provide doorto-door service for sustainment of FOLs virtually eliminating the need to re-handle cargo in CLDJ. In other words, when supplies are ordered they can be shipped directly from the factory to the FOL through commercial vendors, further reducing the EA LION intratheater lift requirement. As the Adaptive Logistics Network continues to evolve in Africa, we must continue to serve as good stewards of our nation’s resources. While remaining committed to our regional partners, our activities must be prioritized based on robust assessments, new strategic concepts developed, as well as identifying and implementing efficiencies. In the words of the first AFRICOM Commander, General William “Kip” Ward, “we need to be smart and versatile to 66 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
apply the right resources at the right place and the right time to get the job done.” About the Author: Major Gregory M. Kuzma is the Operations Officer for the 919th Logistics Readiness Squadron, at Duke Field, FL. He is a Lifetime Member of the LOA-Emerald Coast Chapter, MOAA, and the Air Force Sergeants Association. He is currently deployed in support of Operation EDURING FREEDOM at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, as the Director, Joint Logistics Operations Center for Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.
Above: CAMP LEMONNIER, DJIBOUTI - Petty Officer 3rd Class Garry Robinson, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 7’s water well team and Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin Clayton assigned to NMCB 74’s water well team, work together to secure cargo in the bed of a military tactical vehicle prior to embarking on a convoy from Djibouti to the next drilling site in Ethiopia on December 9, 2010. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Lindsey).
Author’s note: This article was made possible by contributions from the outstanding men and women of the CJTF-HOA J4 Logistics Directorate. K
Expeditionary Logistics
Joint Logisticians Embedded with USAID’s Humanitarian Assistance Response Management Teams
US Airmen from the 435th Air Mobility Squadron out of Ramstein AB unload blankets, tarps and water containers provided by USAID off a C-130J aircraft in Djerba, Tunisia. US government worked aggressively to provide needed humanitarian assistance to relieve suffering caused by the conflict in Libya. DoD C-130s also provided Egyptian nationals transportation from Djerba, Tunisia to Cairo, Egypt. (Photo courtesy Staff Sergeant Brendan Stephens)
By Ms. Sonia Biswas and Colonel John Hickok Beginning in February/March 2011, the United States government (USG) began responding to two humanitarian disasters that involved DoD support. USAID’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), as the lead government agency for US humanitarian assistance (HA), began deliberate efforts to address the HA needs during these crises. The first of these events was the complex emergency in Libya due to ongoing violence that led to large-scale population outflows of Libyan and third country nationals (TCN), fleeing the conflict between Qadhafi regime and opposition forces. The second event was the 9.1 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that impacted the northeastern coast of Japan on March 11th. The 10-meter high waves caused massive destruction and led to a humanitarian and nuclear disaster. The establishment of a close working relationship between OFDA (the lead agency for US Humanitarian 68 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
Assistance) and DoD was critical to both the timeliness and appropriateness of the American response.
The Need for DoD Coordination For both Libya and Japan, USAID established Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DART) that deployed to Egypt, Tunisia, and subsequently Libya, and Japan, respectively. USAID also activated Washington-based Response Management Teams (RMT) for both
The three Joint Staff LNOs were quickly embedded into the RMTs and worked with USAID RMT staff, as well as LNOs from other USAID offices and various USG agencies.
emergencies. Early on in each response, it was evident that DoD support would be needed for the USG humanitarian response. In order to facilitate information flow and DoD support coordination, the Libya and Japan RMTs both requested Joint Staff Liaison Officers (LNOs). The Joint Staff Logistics Directorate supplied three personnel (1 Air Force and 2 Army Logisticians) to support this effort. The three Joint Staff LNOs were quickly embedded into the RMTs and worked with USAID RMT staff, as well as LNOs from other USAID offices and various USG agencies. From within USAID, the Office of Food for Peace, the Office of Transition Initiatives, and the Office of Military Affairs provided LNOs to the RMTs. USAID/ OFDA also augmented the Libya RMT with staff from the US Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration plus the Japan RMT with experts from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the US Department of Energy, and the US Department of
Biswas & Hickok Health and Human Services. For both RMTs, the LNOs worked together with USAID RMT staff to provide the needed support to the respective DART.
OPERATION UNIFIED PROTECTOR: Humanitarian Ops during Combat The Libyan DART focused on providing full-scale humanitarian support for displaced Libyan peoples and TCNs. This included not only basic survival commodities such as water and relief supplies, but also included sanitation and hygiene planning, providing agriculture and food security, and coordinating the evacuation and repatriation of TCNs. The ongoing protection of displaced Libyan peoples remained a primary concern throughout operations. Although the DoD played a limited role in providing transportation for TCNs and humanitarian supplies, the Joint Staff LNOs were critical to the successful de-confliction of USAID’s humanitarian efforts with ongoing DoD and Coalition military operations.
OPERATION TOMODACHI: Unprecedented Disaster
the Libya DART…in part due to the nature of the crisis, but also due to Japan’s significant domestic disaster response capability. The Japan DART’s activities included urban search and rescue operations, providing expertise in nuclear operations, conducting assessments, and distribution of relief items to those most in need. DoD support was much larger in Japan than in Libya, and Joint Staff LNOs again proved their value through extensive tracking and coordination of the enormous DoD footprint, and communicating needs between DoD and USAID.
Win-Win Situation Overall, having the Joint Staff LNOs on the Libya and Japan RMTs could be best described as mutually beneficial. LTC Doug Brown, USAR, one of the three Joint Staff LNOs who played a vital role in both the Libya and Japan RMTs, stated “the biggest benefit for DoD was having visibility of both OFDA and DoD operations and possessing the capability of bridging the gaps between the two.” He went on to say “the biggest difference between the DoD and OFDA staffing operations is the method
The Japan DART’s focus differed greatly from
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More Information on USAID and Humanitarian Assistance: As the lead federal agency for organizing USG international disaster response, USAID/OFDA created the Joint Humanitarian Operations Course ( JHOC) in 2004 to establish a formal learning environment for select US military leaders and planners to discuss the relationship between USAID, its partners, and the US military, and to prepare participants to work collaboratively during HA/DR operations. For information on scheduling this two-day course, please contact the USAID/OFDA Military Liaison Unit at mlu@usaid.gov. OFDA Website: http://www.usaid.gov/ our_work/humanitarian_assistance/ ReliefWeb: Administered by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), this is the leading on-line gateway to information on humanitarian emergencies and disasters. http://www.reliefweb.int
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Members of the 730th Air Mobility Squadron wait to unload supplies on a K-loader here March 19. An international charter aircraft delivered 95 tons of blankets, plastic sheeting, hygiene supplies, soap and jerry cans to assist with earthquake and tsunami relief efforts. (U.S. Air Force photo/Osakabe Yasuo)(Released)
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Expeditionary Logistics | Joint Logististicians.. for communication. DoD communicates extensively via secure means while USAID communicates predominately on unclassified systems. Having the Joint Staff LNOs on the RMTs helped the organizations communicate and share info despite using different systems.” Steve Catlin, the Team Leader for USAID/ OFDA’s Military Liaison Unit, noted “while collaboration between DoD and USAID during the standing up of an RMT is beneficial, what we’ve learned is that a continuous educational process and collaboration between our organizations helps us both learn and build a body of knowledge and experience that allows us all to be better prepared for the next response. This continuous engagement also allows us to strengthen our knowledge of the issues and inform our respective leadership of the role of each organization.”
All for One… Depending on the type of disaster or complex emergency and the needs on the ground, the US military may have a unique skill set that can greatly assist the delivery of US humanitarian assistance. USAID and DoD, together with the rest of the interagency partners, are con-
tinually working to improve on their coordination in humanitarian responses through mutual participation in training, exercises events, and education programs. In this way, all actors are cooperating to execute what is in the US national interest and do the greatest good for the host nation and populations affected by disasters. Having Joint Staff LNOs participate on USAID RMTs when DoD is involved in the humanitarian assistance effort is a win-win situation for both DoD and USAID.
About the Authors: Ms. Sonia Biswas is currently a Humanitarian Assistance Advisor/Military at the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA). She served on the Libya RMT and directly coordinated with the DoD LNOs. Col John Hickok is currently serving as the Joint Logistics Operations Center Division Chief, Logistics Directorate, Joint Staff. He served on both the Libya and Japan RMTs prior to his current position. K
InterAction: The largest alliance of USbased international development and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations. http://www.interaction.org/
USAID/OFDA 101 Introduction to OFDA Established in 1963, the Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) is the primary office within the US Government (USG) responsible for facilitating and coordinating all US Government emergency assistance overseas. The office is part of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and is located in USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA). With a staff of approximately 250 personnel world-wide, OFDA responds to approximately 70 to 80 emergencies annually. OFDA staff also helps formulate and then oversees rehabilitation and disaster mitigation programs. In FY10, OFDA’s budget was approximately $1.3 billion, or slightly more than 5 percent of USAID’s total budget.
Service members lift a knocked-down wall off a damaged car March 29, 2011, in Noda Mura, Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joe McFadden)
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Biswas & Hickok
Airmen use forklifts to move pallets of water to a staging area March 26, 2011, at Sendai Airport, Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jeromy K. Cross)
OFDA’s Mandate OFDA’s mandate is to save lives, alleviate human suffering, and mitigate the economic impact of a disaster. OFDA responds to rapid-onset natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and floods; slow-onset natural disasters, such as drought and food insecurity as well as complex emergencies resulting from a combination of war, human displacement, and life-threatening insecurity. The office also provides assistance in cases when lives or livelihoods are threatened by other types of disasters. How OFDA Responds to a Disaster When a rapid-onset disaster occurs, OFDA’s duty officer is alerted, and OFDA personnel are placed on stand-by to respond. In the case of complex emergencies, OFDA staff closely monitors the situation to determine timing for an effective response. If conditions warrant, OFDA disaster experts deploy to conduct further assessments and determine priority needs. OFDA coordinates closely with the US Embassy or USAID Mission in the affected country to determine if and when USG humanitarian assistance may be appropriate. When an emergency arises, the US Ambassador, Chief of Mission, or Assistant Secretary of State responsible for the particular area can declare a disaster provided the event meets three criteria: the disaster exceeds the host country’s ability to respond; the affected country’s government either requests or is willing to receive US assistance; and a response to the disaster is in the US national interest. The office responds with funds and/or other assistance only after the appropriate USG official makes a disaster declaration. The Role of the Military in Disaster Response In FY10, OFDA responded to 73 disasters, with DoD providing support to 12. Out of the 70 to 80 disasters to which OFDA responds each year, DoD generally provides assistance in about 10% of the declared disasters. When lives are in immediate danger and the Command is in a position to render timely life-saving assistance, a military commander has the authority to act on his/her own authority to render immediate aid. Outside this immediate situation, any response from the DoD is a part of a comprehensive USG approach with OFDA as the lead. Official requests for DoD assistance are transmitted in an Executive Secretary (EXECSEC) memo from OFDA through State to DoD. This memo preserves visibility and decision-making authority for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) on the use of DoD assets and personnel and helps ensure that any request for assistance has been vetted and validated through senior management at USAID and State. The official memo also allows OSD to review the request against other demands on limited DoD disaster response resources. 71 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
Expeditionary Logistics
JET Success: Lessons Learned By Capt Dan Moates To say that I was anxious about my first deployment would be a bit of an understatement. While I am sure this is perfectly normal, my reaction was strengthened by the uncertainty of finding that I would be deploying on Aircrew and members of the 11th Movement Control Team load a C-130 at FOB Salerno, Afghanistan.. (Photo Capt a Joint Expeditionary Tasking ( JET), Dan Moates) supporting the Army mission at a often more complex when you realize that you have multiple sources of Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Afghanistan. I suppose my Commander thought he was providing me leadership with authority over you. You will likely be under the Tactical with a reassuring bit of information when he told me I would be com- Control (TACON) of an Army or Marine component, but will also have manding a Movement Control Team (MCT), but the fact that I didn’t an Air Force commander with Administrative Control (ADCON) over even know what this entailed left me wondering how to prepare for my you and your fellow Air Force personnel. It is entirely possible that you deployment. Having survived the experience and finding it to be an will encounter variations on this principle, which makes it all the more incredibly rewarding experience, I would like to pass on some lessons I important that you build and establish communications and strong relalearned to other CGOs who might find themselves in the same position tionships with all your leadership. someday soon. Some of these lessons were given to me in advance by others who had similar experiences, while others I learned the hard way, through trial and error.
Keep an open mind.
[A] rudimentary familiarization with the vehicles, materiel handling equipment or other equipment you can expect to encounter will accelerate your learning when you are immersed in conversations with your counterparts.
As you prepare for your deployment, you first need to keep an open mind when it comes to what you might be called upon to do, and the missions you may be called upon to support on your JET tasking. As Air Force Logisticians, we have a fairly specific set of functions that we associate with the term “Logistics”. For most of our sister services, however, this is not the case. For most of the military, logistics encompasses the entire supply train, from beans to bullets to construction materials. Distributing these materials also tends to fall under the purview of their logistics officers, whether that entails running a chow hall or running a convoy. While great strides have been made in recent years to ensure that JET taskings line-up with the purpose of the tasked career field, you will likely be called upon to tackle whatever tasks your leadership need accomplished.
Know your deployed chain of command. With that said, it will be vitally important to you and your team members to learn your chain of command. While this may seem simple, it is 72 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
Learn about your sister service before you deploy.
Perhaps the most useful step you can take in advance of your JET deployment is to learn about the service in which you will be immersed. Like many new environments, one of the first things you are likely to be impressed by is the amount you don’t know about the other services. This applies not only to their processes and methodologies, but also to their history, organization and the standards that define their culture. Trust and professional credibility can be lost very quickly by demonstrating ignorance (often misinterpreted as lack of interest) of these facets of their identity. One aspect is learning to speak the same language as the joint partners you will be working with. One example of this is the fact that while AF logisticians do not routinely speak in terms of classes of supply, this is common lingo for all personnel in other services, not just the loggies. While this might seem like a petty difference now, language barriers like this can pose major challenges in the high-paced deployed environment. Similarly, a rudimentary familiarization with the vehicles, materiel handling equipment or other equipment you can expect to encounter will ac-
Moates celerate your learning when you are immersed in conversations with your counterparts.
five minutes that would otherwise take weeks or months to learn.
Be a bridge builder, not a bridge burner.
Be confident about what you bring to the table.
As in any environment, informal relationships frequently lead to more effective and timely results than official channels. This is especially true when working closely with other services, as the deployed Airman is likely to be unfamiliar with their processes and organization. The contacts you accumulate can often point you in the right direction and save you valuable time and resources.
We have all heard the cliché stating “first impressions are lasting impressions.” Your JET experience will almost certainly provide you with many instances that prove this true. Many of the organizations with which you interact will literally have many months or even years of experience working together, due to the fact that they deploy as entire units. What this means to you is that when you walk into the meeting or workcenter of a sister service, you are truly an unknown quantity. The way in which you carry yourself will largely determine the reception you receive from your counterparts, which will in turn affect the success with which you are able to obtain the support needed for yourself and your team.
A useful illustration of this point is an educational experience encountered by many young Air Force leaders deploying to Army installations. They quickly realize that Army’s supply system is radically different from that of the Air Force, particularly within the AOR. Procuring the equipment and supplies necessary to safely accomplish the mission can be significantly hampered by having to learn through trial and error how to operate within this system. However, any Army officer or SNCO can provide an explanation of how to work their system in
If you are fortunate enough to lead a team of Airmen in your joint tasking, their expertise and capacity to learn and adapt will speak for itself. The 11 MCT was responsible for all inbound and outbound fixed-wing cargo
and passenger operations, as well as the cargo moved via Host Nation Trucking (HNT) throughout our area of responsibility. This involved performing air cargo operations on an unimproved runway under blackout conditions, as well as performing daily duties at the FOB entry control point, missions far outside the bounds of anything they had ever been tasked with before. The Airmen and NCOs of the 11 MCT not only took these challenges on without complaint, but also consistently identified shortcomings with the processes and procedures in these areas and provided innovative solutions. This is representative of the resilience and resourcefulness that Airmen bring to the fight, and JET deployments are a great opportunity to be a part of these great teams creating amazing results.
Conclusion Deploying with another branch of the service is a tremendous opportunity to learn and to broaden your perspective on joint logistics operations. It is often said that the only dumb question is the one you don’t ask; it is the humble opinion of this author that this axiom should be stamped on the front of every set of JET deployment orders. The sources for the information referred to in this article are abundant, but should certainly include members of the deployer’s organization who have had similar experiences. Let the successes and failures of those who have gone before you be the foundation of your success.
About the author: Capt Dan Moates is the Cargo Operations Flight Commander at the 60th Aerial Port Squadron, Travis AFB, CA. He deployed from 2010-11 as the 11th Movement Control Team at FOB Salerno, Afghanistan. K
Personnel from the 11th Movement Control Team stand at the edge of the FOB Salerno flightline. From Left to Right, SSgt Joseph Chilton, MSgt Robert Code, and Specialist Joseph Majdecki. (Photo Capt Dan Moates)
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Expeditionary Logistics Â
Expeditionary Heavy Maintenance
The aircraft simultaneously jacked and moored to the Jersey Barriers. (Photo courtesy of 1Lt Thomas Clark)
By Colonel Jeffrey W. Decker and 1st Lieutenant Thomas M. Clark, Jr. As everyone is well aware, expeditionary environments are typically quite different from what we are used to at home station. Many of these differences are the result of the constantly changing nature of the bases that we deploy to. While other differences are the result of how we operate and logistically support the mission. Recently, the 451 EMXG was presented with a unique, heavy maintenance scenario. One of the C-130J Hercules aircraft assigned to Kandahar Airfield (KAF) experienced a brake fire, and the damage that resulted was well outside the normal scope of maintenance seen at KAF. By working with agencies across the base and in the United States, we were able to develop a repair plan within our scope of abilities allowing the aircraft to return to service. The aircraft in question returned from a combat re-supply mission and shortly after landing experienced a brake fire. Upon pulling onto the taxiway, the fusible plugs on both right wheels melted, causing the tires to deflate. Immediately, the crew realized there was a fire and the aircraft was evacuated. Fortunately, two DynaCorp helicopter maintenance employees, who 74 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
were working on the adjacent ramp sprung into action, extinguishing the fire. The actions of these two civilian contractors saved the aircraft from further damage and likely prevented its loss. The C-130J Aircraft Maintenance Unit then dispatched nine maintainers to perform the crash recovery operation. Despite the extensive damage to the right main landing gear, they were able to jack the aircraft, remove the wheel and tire assemblies as well as both brakes, and reinstall new wheels and tires. The decision was made by the Team Chief to leave the right side brakes off in order to expedite the removal of the aircraft from the taxiway, which also serves as the airfield’s auxiliary landing strip. From the time the aircraft came to a stop, to the time it was cleared from the taxiway was less than two hours. The team returned a vital contingency option to the busiest single-runway airfield in the world. After the aircraft was returned to the parking ramp, the process of evaluating the damage began. The evaluation required the participation of personnel from across the 451 EMXG. Initial evaluation by the AMU and sheet metal
personnel revealed that the inner gear door needed to be replaced, along with the torque strut and both main landing gear struts. After this initial evaluation was concluded, the information was forwarded to engineers at the Warner-Robins Air Logistics Center to determine what additional components would have to be repaired in order to return the aircraft to service. After looking at the initial damage description, the engineer requested that the fuselage skin, adjacent to the wheel well, be tested for changes in hardness. The specified test was not possible at KAF, so an alternate testing method was utilized. This required an alternate tester, which was sourced and shipped from Al Udeid. The Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) technicians at KAF performed the hardness testing in a one-inch by one-inch grid covering 16 square feet. The hardness data was sent back to the engineer, who determined that the integrity of the fuselage skin had been affected by the heat, and a second skin needed to be installed over the existing skin. The next challenge was to complete the necessary repair procedures. The repair procedures
decker & Clark for the fuselage skin were not spelled out in the technical data. The procedures supplied by the engineers would have normally required a hangar and fuselage cribs to no-load the aircraft, neither was available at KAF. We had to devise an alternative method to accomplish the repairs. In order to do this, we obtained authorization to conduct the repair outdoors. Since the technicians were installing a second piece of skin instead of replacing the skin, we were also authorized to perform the fuselage skin repair without using fuselage cribs. This still left the issue of having an aircraft on jacks for an extended period of time while exposed to the weather, which changes rapidly and is unpredictable. To solve this problem, SMSgt Michael Mitchum, 772 EAMU Superintendant, suggested a method of simultaneously jacking and mooring the aircraft. The only problem was the lack of mooring points on the ramp. Therefore, we developed a creative solution to utilize 10,000 pound Jersey barriers provided MSgt Gary Beaty, 451 AEW Anti-Terrorism Officer. The
One of the brakes that caught fire. (Photo courtesy of 451 EMXG/QA)
Both right side brakes caught fire after landing resulting in extensive damage to the landing gear and landing gear bay. (Photo courtesy of 451 EMXG/QA)
Jersey barriers served as our mooring points. This left the final challenge of acquiring all of the necessary parts. One of the largest problems was ensuring that all of the necessary parts were either on-hand or on order. With the number of parts that had to be replaced, it would have been easy for an item to be overlooked. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the production supervisors and the lead technicians, this potential setback was averted and
all parts were on-hand once the last MICAP arrived. Many of the parts were either in our MRSP kits or readily obtained from nearby bases. However, some were difficult to source. Several of the items were zero-balance Air Force-wide. To overcome this obstacle and expedite our repairs, we were able to work with item managers and source suitable substitutes for these items.
While it would have likely been possible to get approval to perform a one-time flight to return the aircraft to home station for repair, we made the decision to pursue the repair at KAF. The decision was based on several factors. One consideration was the recent addition of an actual flighthour restriction to the isochronal inspection. Several of our other aircraft were getting close to the actual The results of the NDI testing to the fuselage belly flight-hour limit revealed how far the heat had managed to affect the and would need to fuselage skin. (Photo courtesy of 1Lt Thomas Clark)
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Expeditionary Logistics | Heavy Maintenance  be rotated back to home station. By repairing the aircraft in theater and then putting it back in the fight, we were able to preserve the health of the overall fleet. This ensured that the aircraft that were about to come up on their isochronal inspections, would receive priority for the upcoming iron swap. Another reason for completing the repair at the deployed location was the additional cost that would be incurred to swap out an aircraft early. Fuel costs alone would have exceeded $70,000. After all repairs were complete, the entire right main landing gear was replaced along with several of the surrounding fairing panels. Additionally, all of the wiring and most of the hydraulic hoses and lines within the vicinity of the brakes was replaced. Through all of this, the men and women of the 451 EAMXS and 451 EMXS displayed their incredible professionalism and maintenance expertise during the evaluaSSgt Adrian Sauceda installing the inner main landing gear door hinge. (Photo courtesy of 1Lt Thomas Clark) tion, repair, and return to service of the damaged aircraft. Due to their diligence, the aircraft returned from About the Authors: First Lieutenant Thomas M. Clark, Jr. is an Airits first flight Code 1, despite 34 days of downcraft Maintenance Officer assigned to the 19th time. Additionally, they were able to support Colonel Jeffrey W. Decker is the commander of the Maintenance Group, Little Rock AFB. He has an already demanding air tasking order, with- 451st Expeditionary Maintenance Group, Kan- served as the AMU Assistant OIC, Accessory out any decrease in mission effectiveness, even dahar Airfield, Afghanistan, to include two for- Flight Commander, AMC’s T-56 CRF OIC, and with one of eight available aircraft being out ward operating locations. He also serves as the is currently deployed to Kandahar Airfield as the of commission for an extended period of time. U.S. Air Force senior maintenance representative C-130J EAMU OIC. K with coalition and joint forces. The aircraft taking off for its operational check flight, from which it landed Code 1. (Photo courtesy of 1Lt Thomas Clark)
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VOICES | Chapter Crosstalk
VOICES | Chapter CROSSTALK
Chapter CrossTalk Cajun Chapter – Barksdale AFB, LA Submitted by Lt James Vermillion The Racin’ Cajun Chapter….Have you ever seen an Air Force logistician in full racing gear, taking a hairpin turn? The Barksdale - Cajun Chapter competed in the Bossier Parrish Community College 100, a mini NASCAR race to raise scholarship money for local students. Besides representing the Cajun Chapter in the charity event, our chapter had a blast rubbing tires and chasing the checkered flag against sponsors from around the community. The event spanned 2 days and 4 races, culminating in the main event, a 20 lap race featuring 23 suppedup racing machines. So, how did the car fair in the finale? As you know, it is not the results but the effort that matters. Unfortunately, the 21X Cajun Chapter racer had some untimely maintenance problems (ironic considering the crew was made up of several maintenance officers). Those petty problems did not drain the determination of our crew though, and we were able to repair the car and finish the race, making up several lost spots Crew Members Capt Scott Eberle (standing front), 1 along the way. Lt James Vermillion (kneeling front), 2Lt Ryan Huff The BPCC 100 (kneeling back) and Capt Brian Sporysz (standing back) complete a pit stop during the BPCC 100. Driver, raised $57K for Lt Drew Borders, looks on. local scholarships this year and event organizers plan on cranking up the heat for the 2012 race to raise even more. Competition, maintenance, free food and charity… what more could you ask for? Capt Scott Eberle passes on the inside during the BPCC 100 Main Event
Blackjack Chapter – Creech/Nellis AFBs, NV Submitted by Capt Justin Godfrey Blackjack members hosted a visit from the ACC Director of Logistics, Maj Gen Mark Atkinson. Topics discussed included the impacts of the impending budget reductions on leadership (“Exciting time to be a leader…will truly have to manage resources!”), logistics (“probably going to see less spare parts in a couple of years”), and operations (“…increased use of simulators and possible reductions to flying hour programs”). We thoroughly enjoyed the 2011 LOA National Conference in Ft Worth, TX (“Blackjack!...All or nothing!) and are looking towards the election of new chapter officers.
James River Chapter - Defense Logistics Agency-Aviation, Richmond, VA Submitted by Capt Alex Mol Greetings from DLA Aviation, Richmond, VA. Recent chapter highlights include a castings and forgings trip sponsored by the DLA Aviation Engineering Directorate just for our LOA chapter. The trip exposed chapter members to a working casting foundry and forging house. This unique experience gave our members an appreciation of our national manufacturing capabilities and the role of small business in our procurement process. They were also able to get a better understanding of sourcing parts with elements that are casted or forged and the complexity that each process adds to the entire supply chain.
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VOICES | Chapter CROSSTALK
VOICES | Chapter Crosstalk
Present at the event was a camera team from the Pentagon Channel. In an effort to spread the word on the castings and forging program, they will be airing highlights from the tours on the Pentagon Channel soon. Check it out on the Pentagon Channel site!
Left: James River members posing outside Lenape Forge Products forging house, Lenape, PA
Arc Light Chapter – Andersen AFB, Guam Submitted by Maj Billy Babbitt “Where the hell is Guam?” A frequent question asked by anyone who has not traveled to this tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, another common phrase is, “You have a LOA Chapter?” That question, up until recently has been hard to answer. Yes, there has been a chapter here on Guam, but keeping it invigorated has been a bit of a challenge. However, there has been some life breathed back into the chapter with new personnel PCSing in and a desire to not only re-invigorate the chapter, but also sustain it for years to come. As an initial step in the right direction, the chapter worked rapidly to plan a short notice trip to Kilo Wharf at Naval Base Guam in order to observe the 2011 Turbo CADS (Containerized Ammunition Distribution System) operation. Guam was the final stop for the MV Chapman making several stops in Korea and Japan, before proceeding back to California to offload and retrofit/upgrade munitions for the Pacific Theater. Members of the Arc Light chapter got to witness first hand a port operation seldom seen by your average military personnel, the download and upload of one of the Air Force’s only two dedicated maritime vessels, the MV Chapman. This operation included 100 inbound munitions valued at $110M and 142 outbound munitions valued at $14M.
Airbridge Chapter – Dover AFB, DE Submitted by 1Lt Ryan Chylewski The mission of Dover AFB is to deliver. And that is precisely what it does, providing 70% of CENTCOM’s airlifted cargo. The dedicated maintenance and logistics officers who ensure this monumental mission is carried out comprise the Air Bridge Chapter of LOA. Recently, chapter elections were held and the new executive council is comprised of Capt Jonathan Elliott (President), 1Lt Ryan Chylewski (Vice President), 1Lt Robert Honea (Treasurer), and Capt Mike Perez (Secretary). The chapter is proud to announce that one of its own 436th AW members, SSgt James Tulio of the 436 MOS, was awarded one of the 2011 LOA National Scholarships. We were also honored to have Lt Gen Reno speak at a chapter luncheon held in September. He discussed current and future logistics initiatives to include the state of LRO deployment taskings, maintenance programs, and transportation compliance standards. The future is bright for the Air Bridge chapter.
Emerald Coast Chapter – Eglin AFB, FL Submitted by Capt Megan Murtishaw The Eglin Emerald Coast LOA Chapter welcomed its newest member in July, the F-35A Lightning II. 33d Fighter Wing members of the Emerald Coast Chapter have been working hard for the last year and a half to reach this monumental day. The 33d FW is a “one-of-a-kind” wing integrated with Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Lockheed Martin members. The wing is responsible for pilot and maintenance training for the Air Force, Marine Corps and the Navy as well as foreign military services in the JSF program. The Wing stood down from F-15 operations in 2009, and was re-designated an F-35 unit later that year. All but 5 people were PCS’d out. Since then the Wing has grown from 5 to over 325. With the gradual increase in aircraft over the next two years, manpower will continue to increase, bringing maintainers and logisticians from various backgrounds in the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corp to support the F-35 here at Eglin. 78 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
VOICES | Chapter CROSSTALK
VOICES | Chapter Crosstalk
In order to be ready for the first aircraft arrival, the group gathered in small integrated teams with contractor support to run demonstration/validation exercises. For example, the 33 AMXS ran table top exercises on several key processes like sortie generation, material handling, joint technical data verification and cannibalization, how to move aircraft parts off one jet to another. All of these legacy processes are done with an all encompassing system called ALIS; (Autonomic Logistics Information System). ALIS is still early in its development, which not only are we learning a new system, but because it is so early in development processes that we as logisticians have been doing for years are much more complicated. There are other unique challenges, within the JSF program such as aircraft delivery schedule, contractor parts supply and service specific requirements, that truly makes this a one of a kind base. Working together with the Marine Corps and Navy aviation departments has revealed areas where we can increase our efficiencies throughout the F-35 fleet. One of our priorities is to work out how to accomplish this and satisfy service requirements when working across the three F-35 variants. Our biggest efficiency will be gained in the 33 MXS intermediate maintenance shops of wheel and tire, egress, non-destructive inspection, structural maintenance, fuels, and aerospace ground/support equipment. From the first aircraft arrival until the organic maintenance period starts, service personnel are being trained by Lockheed Martin and will work alongside them to gain experience. Being organic means the service has met all training necessary and demonstrated they can execute maintenance operations on their own. The wing with its integrated service members, the detachments and partnered contractors are working together to discover what we call the “art of what is possible.” All the logisticians within the 33rd FW worked very hard to prepare for the arrival of the newest fighter. From learning and implementing new programs, systems, and processes First F-35 arrives at Eglin AFB, July 14 2011 which do not interact with any other “legacy” systems, we have been forging new ground on how to operate in a one-of-akind environment.
Cowboy Chapter – F. E Warren AFB, WY Submitted by Capt Abbillyn Johnson Chapter president, Lt Col Jondavid DuVall is a huge advocate of the Logistics Officer Association (LOA) as well as champion to his members to attend the annual conference. Five members of the Cowboy Chapter attended LOAC 2011. They were Lt Col DuVall, Lt Franco Folino, Lt Stephen Ott, Lt Jared Rund, and Lt Jennifer Reichle. This year’s entourage was unique in a sense that it included two members from F.E. Warren’s 90th Missile Maintenance Group. Lt Folino and Lt Ott are the first missile maintainers (21MI’s) from F.E. Warren to ever attend a LOAC. These two young and upcoming maintenance officers were extremely pleased with what the conference had to offer. Lt Folino and Lt Ott are responsible for leading and organizing the efforts of enlisted Airmen from the 2M0XX career fields who are entrusted with keeping the deadliest weapon system ever conceived by mankind on alert status at all times in order to satisfy USSTRATCOM requirements. As one can imagine, working with the Minuteman III (MMIII) requires the dynamic utilization of a variety of tools across the 9,600 square mile missile field in the ongoing struggle to optimize the readiness levels of our nation’s most stalwart and feared strategic deterrence weapon system. The two Lieutenants were pleased to find that one of the industry partners in the convention center was Snap-On Tool Company. The gentlemen at Snap-On were glad to show off their brain trust of tool accountability systems along with other innovations. Namely, the Lieutenants were impressed with the tool box inventory system that Snap-On had developed. The tool box they were showcasing was outfitted with high speed camera technology and hardware/software that took real time visual inventory as drawers were opened and closed. The system provided instant feedback regarding who had checked out what tools and even if a tool had been replaced to the wrong storage location. The Lieutenants are preparing a brief that they will deliver to their leadership upon return to F.E. Warren in order to keep them abreast of the latest technology innovations our industry partners are offering. Additionally, the Lieutenants were pleased with the amount of logistical networking that took place during the conference. They were able to build organic bridges that will help them resolve issues they are currently facing at their respective levels. Overall, LOAC 2011 allowed for an opportunity to gain a world-class perception and appreciation of the logistical issues we are currently dealing with in our Air Force outside of the missile community. The Lieutenants will definitely be attending future conferences.
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VOICES | Chapter CROSSTALK
VOICES | Chapter Crosstalk
Wasatch Warrior Chapter – Hill AFB, UT Submitted by Capt Kevin Koren The Wasatch Warriors at Hill AFB were busy during the months of July through September. First, the chapter hosted a membership drive offering “free” root beer floats and the opportunity to sign up for membership during the event via laptop computers. LOA’s mission was communicated to over 75 logisticians with the chapter adding eight new members. Next, the chapter concluded their out-of-cycle elections and added a new Membership/Events Officer position to the board. Election results were announced at the quarterly luncheon held at Club Hill on September 14. During the event, LtGen Loren Reno, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters, provided remarks concerning Air Force priorities and challenges faced by logistics leaders throughout the Air Force. “If you are not willing to be a leader, an advocate, a zealot of change, you’re probably going to fall behind other leaders because our Air Force Organizations are going to have to depend on people who can lead change,” Lt Gen Reno said. Over 110 military and civilian loggies were in attendance to hear the senior logistician provide remarks before his retirement. Finally, the Wasatch Warriors were pleased to learn two of their high school essay submissions were announced as National winners. Gianni Covacci earned second place for his research on the military exist strategy out of Iraq and Carissa Flinders won fourth place. Both were LtGen Reno, AF A4/7, points out the need for not necessarily “owning” the tradirecognized at the chapter’s October meeting following the LOA Na- tional ways of doing things and the need for teamwork in addressing the needs of the war-fighter to logisticians at the chapter’s quarterly luncheon. tional Conference.
Alamo Chapter – Joint Base San Antonio, TX Submitted by Gary M. Grandstaff The Alamo Chapter held their annual scholarship luncheon at Ft Sam Houston on 17 Aug 2011. At the luncheon the chapter presented four $1000 dollar scholarships to two enlisted members and two civilians. The chapter also presented the first annual Garry B. Richey Alamo Chapter LOA Scholarship. Mr. Richey served as the senior advisor to the Alamo LOA Chapter from 2007 until his retirement in 2011. His philosophy of “Success occurs when preparation meets opportunity” inspired us to set up a scholarship in his name for economically challenged students to have the opportunity to further their education.
Mr. Richey presents Ms. Pricilla Flores with a $1000 scholarship, joining her is Ms. Janie Whiteley, Principal of the Healy Murphy Center and Mr. Gary M. Grandstaff, Alamo Chapter President
The annual Gary B. Richey scholarship is given to a graduating High School Student from the Healy Murphy Center in San Antonio TX. Healy Murphy is the first alternative center accredited in the state of Texas for at risk youth. Ms. Flores is the first recipient of the Garry B. Richey Alamo LOA Scholarship and plans to attend Palo Alto Junior College eventually transferring to Incarnate Word University to study business. The Alamo chapter proudly supports the local community in helping make a difference.
Last-Stand Chapter – Kandahar, Afghanistan Submitted by Maj Ben Smith Despite being deployed to one of the world’s busiest single runway operations, the Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan “Last-Stand” Logistics Officer Association Chapter remains committed to the continued education and professional development of our maintenance and logistics officer corp. Over the past Quarter, the Chapter has taken advantage of the diverse mission sets assigned to the largest NATO base, with 40+ nations, in the CENTCOM AOR. In order for the new leadership team to gain the “big-picture” perspective on the air effort here in Afghanistan, the chapter toured the 73rd Expeditionary Air Control Squadron highlighting their responsibilities for command and control of coalition aircraft operating 80 | The Exceptional Release | WINTER 2011
VOICES | Chapter Crosstalk
VOICES | Chapter CROSSTALK
within Afghanistan. Additionally, the Combined Joint Special Operations Air Detachment provided an in-depth tour of the AC-130 Gunship and a brief understanding of their unique USAF mission. Through partnership with our NATO allies, the chapter had the opportunity to tour the Royal Air Force’s 904th Expeditionary Air Wing GR-1 “Tornado” maintenance and logistics operations providing a different perspective on personnel, equipment, and supply chain management. In addition to the hands-on tours, chapter members also received several presentations from members of the Kandahar Airfield J4 staff and the 807th EASOS. The COMKAF, J4, responsible for the base fuel contracts, stepped us through the process of how fuel is ordered, stored, delivered and ultimately loaded onto our aircraft. This brief helped bridge the gap with our counterparts and was essential to ensuring the timely delivery of fuel so that no Air Tasking Order missions were lost due to logistics support. The TAC-P and J-TAC team from the 807th EASOS provided an in-depth “outside-the-wire” perspective on how combat airpower generated by our maintenance and logistics personnel relates to defeating the enemy and saving our peers on the ground. Next Quarter looks to be just as busy with upcoming site visits scheduled with our Sister-Service, Marine and Army aviation units as well as the CV-22 Osprey unit.
Tidewater Chapter – Langley AFB, VA Submitted by LtCol Keith Compton This summer the Tidewater Chapter branched out and journeyed to Garysburg, NC to tour one of Lowes Home Improvement’s 14 Regional Distribution Centers. These centers are used as temporary storage hubs, to enable quicker response times for local retailers to replenish their stock, without being overwhelmed with inventory. The one-million-square-foot facility holds around $55M dollars worth of inventory at any time, but turns over approximately $25M in inventory each week. LOA members engaged with the center manager on several topics, such as efficiency in facility organization and management concerns. The center demonstrates a highly delegated management style; despite having 800 employees only five main managers existed. This emphasis on problem-solving at lower levels allows the center to keep costs low by negating the need for middle layers of management. The members in attendance took away several insights through this examination of the commercial sector’s style of logistics.
Heart of Dixie Chapter – Maxwell AFB/Gunter Annex, AL Submitted by Capt Dan Langan The chapter saw new life breathed into it in recent months, as a new cadre of chapter officers took over. The arrival of AY12 students at Air Command and Staff College and Air War College provided a fresh infusion of highly diverse logistics experience from across the Air Force. In addition, the Air Force Logistics Management Agency (AFLMA) at Gunter, led by Mr. Sean Cassidy, has proved to be an excellent resource for exposure to cutting-edge ideas in logistics management. While the summer months were largely devoted to the of re-starting the chapter, we were able to take advantage of Air University’s preeminence and ability to attract senior Air Force and Joint leadership. In August, we welcomed Maj Gen Duane Jones, Director of Resource Integration, AF/A4/7, at a session hosted by AFLMA. We were extremely fortunate to welcome Vice Admiral Mark Harnitchek, Deputy Commander USTRANSCOM, where he discussed the role of TRANSCOM and the Joint Logistics effort during the recent humanitarian assistance operations in Japan, Pakistan, and Haiti, and the evolving nature of TRANSCOM’s logistics network in the CENTCOM AOR. We look forward to taking advantage of the accumulated wisdom at ACSC and AWC to discuss professional development with the chapter CGOs, most of whom find themselves outside of their core career fields.
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VOICES | Chapter Crosstalk
VOICES | Chapter CROSSTALK
Gunfighter Chapter, Mountain Home AFB, ID Submitted by 1Lt Daniel Anaya The Gunfighter Chapter enjoyed an active quarter with tours in both governmental and civilian agencies. Our trip to Boise International Airport was an insight into one of the aviation industry’s logistics leaders, Southwest Airlines. As Southwest unveiled their abundant logistics operations we identified similarities between our daily operations and theirs. Southwest’s “on-time logistics” is facilitated by using cutting edge software for tracking parts, planes, metrics, and a flexible supply network supported by large in-place caches and parts support. The Gunfighters had multiple take-aways for maximizing our organizational operations.
Logistics Crosstell! The Gunfighter chapter observes logistics and maintenance operations as Operations Director Troy Teeter of Southwest Airlines narrates the fluid operations his technicians use in turning an aircraft for another flight.]
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) is a complex organization that excels in coordination of logistics and communication operations between national, state and contracted resources all acting toward one goal— assisting with fire containment and emergency operations. Located at Boise International Airport, NIFC plays a part in all emergencies from the events of Sep 11, 2001 to the recent earthquake in Japan. NIFC was a perfect case study on how to execute and prioritize complex logistics requirements in order to facilitate multiple threats on strict timelines. Gunfighter Logistics Officers explore the Idaho Smokejumper Headquarters located within the National Interagency Fire Center compound in Boise, ID.
Tarheel Chapter – Pope Field/Ft Bragg, NC Submitted by Maj Janette Ketchum Members of the 43d Airlift Group (AMC) and the 440th Airlift Wing (AFRC) met in October for the first time in over a year to formally reestablish the Tarheel Chapter. This group of Total Force Loggies sent three officers to the recent LOA conference in Ft Worth
to kick off the chapter’s return. The chapter made up of Logistics officers from the 3d Aerial Port Squadron, the 43d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, the 43d Logistics Readiness Squadron, 440th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 440th Maintenance Squadron and the 53d Aerial Port Squadron will hold elections next month and the executive board will be in place by early 2012.
Pope Airmen outloading the 82d Airborne’s Global Response Force to support Operation Unified Response in Haiti (Jan 2010)
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BRAC to the future…on 1 Mar, Pope AFB, once again, became Pope Field. Although the name has changed, our mission remains the same. Five MAJCOMS: ACC, AETC, AFRC, AFSOC and AMC have units assigned to Pope Field, which is now part of Ft Bragg.
VOICES | Chapter CROSSTALK
VOICES | Chapter Crosstalk
Crossroads Chapter – Tinker AFB, OK Submitted by Captain Dan McGuire The past quarter has been very exciting for LOA’s Crossroads Chapter! The chapter earned recognition when two members, Ms. Maisha Young and MSgt Marianne Sellers (currently deployed), were awarded 2011 LOA National Scholarships. In September, LOA representation partnered with the Air Force Association for a 10th Anniversary Observance of 9-11 at Rose State Theatre. LOA members assisted with the coordination of distinguished visitors and guest speakers such as the Honorable Mary Fallin, Governor of Oklahoma and Major General David Gillett, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center Commander. In October, the Crossroads Chapter participated in Putnam City North High School’s Challenge Day activities, which spoke out against bullying, racism and discrimination in Oklahoma City’s public school district. The chapter’s new board is currently engaged in planning efforts for hosting a State of the ALC Address, a Command Chief Breakfast targeted at Company Grade Officers, and a CORONA Panel featuring past OC-ALC Commanders. Left: Major General David Gillett Presents Ms. Maisha Young her Logistics Officer Association National Scholarship of $1,000 for Higher Education during the Crossroads Chapter October 2011 Meeting.
National Capital Region Chapter – Washington D.C. Submitted by Lt Col David Sanford The National Capital Region (NCR) Chapter recently hosted Lt Gen Loren Reno, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. Lt Gen Reno presented the chapter a quick briefing, “Reno’s Rules to Live by,” providing guidance and mentorship on how to balance the demands of leadership, family, and the mission. Lt Gen Reno is projected to retire 1 Feb 2012 and at the conclusion of the presentation, the NCR Chapter presented him a book about the history of Washington DC. The book was signed by many chapter members honoring this “Top Loggie” for his 38 years of service to the Air Force and the United States.
Right: NCR LOA Chapter President presents gift to Lt Gen Loren Reno, HAF/A4/7.
Wright Brother’s Chapter – Wright-Patterson AFB, OH Submitted by Major Jean-Jacques Futey Recently, the Wright Brother’s Chapter members joined forces with the Dayton Chapter of the Society of Logistics Engineers (SOLE) in a combined meeting. During this unique event, chapter members exchanged ideas with SOLE members and were treated to a KC-46 program overview and update by Brigadier General Christopher C. Bogdan, Program Executive Officer and Program Director, KC-46 Tanker Modernization Directorate, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. The briefing highlighted acquisition strategy for a complex program with a storied past which influenced program strategy tasked with replacement of the KC-135 aircraft. BGen Bogdan discussed challenges and lessons learned related to the acquisition strategy, while most importantly, the meeting provided a forum for attendees to share acquisition, engineering, and program concerns and questions among each other and with the general.
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VOICES | Chapter CROSSTALK & Milestones
VOICES | Chapter Crosstalk
Fuji Chapter – Yokota AB, Japan Submitted by 1Lt Ksenia Voropaeva Narita FEDEX – A close look at a top U.S. logistics corporation in Asia. These days, it would be difficult to find someone who has not heard of the FedEx Corporation. Although, not all are aware that the Founder, Chairman and President Frederick Wallace Smith, was previously a ground officer in the United States Marine Corps. Fuji Chapter logisticians received an extensive look at the Narita FedEx Operations Center which embodies Mr. Smith’s dream of an international overnight delivery service. Additionally, Yokota AFB loggies were able to see the Ground OPS Sort System Warehouse, which was just recently opened in Tokyo. Due to the superb Japanese employee performance standards and low tampering, it is uniquely able to perform customs control and sorting operations under one roof, divided merely by a red taped line on the floor. The precision conveyor belts, superbly efficient warehouses and most importantly, the industry-to-military crosstalk solidified what LOA is all about. K
Members of the Yokota AB LOA Fuji Chapter on a day tour of FedEx Narita Operations Center.
Milestones Lt Col (ret) Lee Bridges writes: I’ve retired and moved back home to Southern Indiana. It was a grand adventure!
Col Michael Pelletier writes: In July 11 I finished my tour as the 116 MXG/CC working the mighty E-8 JSTARS at Robins AFB. Learned a lot about the active duty and Air National Guard Total Force--JSTARS was the AF’s only “blended” unit until 30 Sep. Made a short PCA across the ramp.
Capt (ret) Vaughan Whited writes: After 25 years I have decided to retire. Farewell Air Force team. To all those I’ve worked with both good and difficult, thank you for investing in my life. May our paths cross again.
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Col Richard Nelson writes: I’ve made the transition back from Kandahar to DLA Aviation in Richmond where I’ve assumed the duties as Director of Aviation Supplier Operations. Good to be back in the States but sure miss the mission and people of Kandahar.
Maj Michael Bliss writes: After a two year tour I’ve left Osan and I’m now the Commander of the 367th Training Support Sq, Hill AFB. K
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