Photo By Staff Sgt. Jason Thompson | (from left to right) Sgt. 1st Class Scoefield McMillan, with 13th Sustainment Command...... read more read more
Editorial by Chief Warrant Officer-4 Joaquin Serranocruz
Chief, Munitions Branch, 13th SC(E) Support Operations
FORT HOOD, Texas - With constant changes in the way our Army does business, leaders have a responsibility to maintain well-trained forces. Munitions Branch personnel with the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Support Operations are implementing an initiative to keep all of their ammunition stock control and accounting specialists and senior ammunition inspectors well trained by having them assist with work at the Fort Hood Ammunition Supply Point.
Ammunition stock control and accounting specialists operate the Standard Ammunition and Accounting System-Modernized computer hardware and software and use manual records to perform stock control and accounting procedures for ammunition, explosives, and associated explosive components. Senior ammunition inspectors supervise the receipt, storage, issue, and preparation of ammunition, ammunition components, and explosives for transportation and storage; they supervise ammunition stock control and accounting procedures for surveillance inputs; they conduct ammunition inspections and tests; they perform inspections of containers and vehicles transporting ammunition; they inspect storage locations and ensure compliance with storage compatibility, quantity, distance, and explosive safety limits; and they additionally ensure compliance with all ammunition safety requirements as prescribed in applicable Army regulations.
The 13th SC(E) Munitions Branch initiative involves ammunition personnel relocating from various units and locations across Fort Hood to work with conventional 4th Sustainment Brigade ordnance company Soldiers at the Fort Hood ASP within the Borrowed Military Manpower process. The initiative involves the section’s own personnel and other Soldiers from 1st Cavalry Division, 3rd Cavalry Regiment and other separate brigades that do not normally have the opportunity to work with the large amounts of installation stockpiled ammunition at the ASP.
In March 2013, the Fort Hood ASP supporting company, 664th Ordnance Company, 553rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sust. Bde., 13th SC(E), was notified that they were soon to be participating in the 2014 unit deployment cycle. The news challenged leadership to determine a way to continue support for Fort Hood and III Corps unit training requirements without the availability of the company of soldiers to assist. The initial thought was to prepare a civilian contract to contract support for the ASP. This was a great idea until leaders encountered delays with the contracting process.
The 13th SC (E) Munitions Branch worked closely with the Fort Hood staff leadership to employ the BMM process, navigating all regulations associated with the process. This was not an easy task, but completing the task early was absolutely worth the effort. The section worked closely with Fort Hood staff senior leaders and participated in the BMM Working Group to present the request for personnel support for the ASP to a board of Operations Sergeants Major from across installation.
Originally, some welcomed the idea while others doubted whether it was wise or not to support the request. By the conclusion of the BMM-WG process, all sergeants major agreed to support the request without promising any specific number of soldiers available from their ranks to support the request.
The problem was not solved at the BMM-WG, despite the board’s general concurrence. The next step was to present the BMM request to the BMM Review Board headed by the III Corps chief of staff. This board involved a voting process with the majority rule.
The 13th SC(E) SPO Munitions Branch’s personnel compiled information by calling and visiting every brigade support battalion across installation asking for the specific status’ of their munitions personnel and their qualifications to work at the Fort Hood ASP. The qualifications required included security clearances, local background checks, hazardous material handling qualifications, completion of training on automated munitions management systems, and special military vehicle driver licenses.
Fort Hood personnel managers worked for weeks trying to get to determine accurate soldier availability numbers made difficult by ongoing personnel fluctuation due to end of tours of service, fit-for-duty medical review boards, and the normal Summer season permanent changes of station personnel transition time period. It was nearly impossible to narrow down all the variables and to determine the specific number of soldiers and noncommissioned officers available.
The 13th SC(E) allocated every available NCO and soldier from their own staff section to fill the gap of personnel not available from across installation. The 13th SC(E) allocated two soldiers and five NCOs ranging from sergeant to sergeant first class to join the BMM ASP Transition team with five NCOs and four soldiers from other units across Fort Hood.
The arrival of these personnel has enabled the Fort Hood ASP to remain fully manned and operational as personnel from the servicing 664th Ord. Company leave the ASP to train and deploy in support of the Army’s mission requirements.
| Date Taken: | 10.16.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 10.21.2013 12:30 |
| Story ID: | 115477 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 253 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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