Photo By Hendrick Dickson | NORFOLK, Virginia (July 21, 2021) Military Sealift Command (MSC) N48, Supply Chain...... read more read more
Military Sealift Command (MSC) has a fleet of approximately 130 civilian-crewed ships providing agile logistics, strategic sealift and special mission support across the full spectrum of military operations. This fleet keeps U.S. Navy ships replenished at sea, supports the Joint warfighter and moves military equipment and supplies to forces around the world. Their motto says, “MSC Delivers,” but who delivers to MSC?
That answer might start with MSC’s N48, Supply Chain Management Team, who ensures MSC’s fleet of ships have the parts needed to maintain operability and the consumables aboard to maintain the crews’ quality of life.
“We provide the material, we receive the material, we store the material and then we ship it out to the ships when required - whether it be for maintenance availabilities, CASREPS (casualty repairs) or anything else having to do with the ships ability to accomplish its mission,” said MSC Supply Chain Management Director, Bob Boldin.
MSC has 19 warehouses in numerous locations around the world. The warehouses store hundreds and thousands of parts and materials that can be expedited to MSC ships within days.
“We have 12 large operations, located in Guam, Singapore, Yokohama, Japan, Sasebo, Japan, Bahrain, San Diego, and Port Hueneme,” said Boldin. “We have warehouses at W-143 and LP-26 both at Norfolk Naval Station and additional warehouses at Little Creek (Joint Expeditionary Base, Little Creek, Virginia), Cheatham Annex (Naval Weapons Station, Yorktown, Virginia) and in Charleston, South Carolina. Then we have seven smaller operations to include Diego Garcia, Hawaii and Earle, New Jersey, This allows us the flexibility to cover every area of operation.”
N48 also has its own transportation department which allows them to get parts and materials to the ships without relying heavily on outside assistance.
“We have four personnel who assist with transportation which is something unique for MSC,” said Boldin. “We are one of the few commands that have our own transportation group. Normally a command would use NAVSUP (Navy Supply Systems Command) or DLA (Defense Logistics Agency) to ship, which allows us to better control how the parts gets out to the ships.”
The men and women who work in the warehouses are the foundation, however. They are the ones who house the supplies and parts, track them and ensure they get to the ships in a timely manner. They consist of seven distribution managers, with the assistance of about 90 contractors, who manage warehouse operations.
“The distribution managers are the gatekeepers who make sure the material comes and goes from the warehouse,” said Boldin. “They ensure audits are done correctly and they facilitate movement.”
Managing the warehouses can be an enormous undertaking – figuratively and literally. Building W-143 alone houses two floors of MSC materials totaling a whopping 250,000 square feet.
Tracy Carrington is MSC’s East Coast Distribution Manager. She not only manages the W-143 warehouse, but she is responsible for the other warehouses on the East Coast. She knows everyone in supply chain management – from N48 leaders to the contractors – plays an important role in the mission.
“It really takes everybody working as a team,” she said. “Nowhere was that ever more evident than during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were short staffed, people were at home, but the job got done every day, and that’s because we care. Ultimately, if none of us do our jobs it’s the ships and crews that suffer. We have a great team in N48.”
Their efforts have resulted in consistent successes. It not only shows in the fleet, but in record keeping as well. MSC’s Supply Chain Management has achieved unprecedented results on their audits in recent years.
“One of our main measurements of success distribution-wise is auditability - Financial Improvement Audit Readiness (FIAR). About five years ago we were around 18 percent validity,” said Carrington. “Today, I can say we are the first DOD (Department of Defense) command to successfully pass an Ernst & Young FIAR audit with a 98% validity. We’ve maintained a 98 % validity for the last three years.”
“We have a very dynamic operation here and there are different challenges almost every day,” added Supervisory Logistics Management Specialist Al DeGuzman. “Things change and situations change and we rapidly adapt. We make adjustments to make things happen. It’s the dedication of the folks who work here to make sure we keep the same standard.”
The FIAR results is something N48 can be proud of for sure, but they are more proud to know what they do has a direct impact on MSC ships and the people who crew them.
“You need to always know and understand your purpose,” added Lead Government Furnished Manager Keenan Gresham. “I understand it because I’ve been out there in the fleet before. From this position, if our team doesn’t do our job, those men and women out there delivering for our service members can’t do theirs. I don’t like supply management, I love it! Because I know how important our job is to MSC’s success.”
Whether they’re distributing repair parts to keep ship’s main engines running or everyday essentials such as laundry detergent and paper towels to the crew, the men and women in Supply Chain Management know they have are vital to MSC’s sustainability at sea. N48 indeed delivers!
| Date Taken: | 08.02.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.03.2022 14:17 |
| Story ID: | 426438 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 178 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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