Maintenance section has all your parts

Photo By Sgt. Jason Mikeworth | Sgt. 1st Class Joe Lane, an NCO with 3rd Corps Support Command's G-4 maintenance section, scours multiple inventory locations for vital replacement parts.  

03.23.2006

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

When vehicles and equipment break, the Army loses more than just an item or set of wheels " it loses combat effectiveness. Completing repairs and continuing the mission are top priorities for everyone involved. The G-4 maintenance section of the 3rd Corps Support Command plays a vital role in getting and keeping equipment battle-ready.

Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Hughes, the section NCOIC, said his Soldiers work with the Defense Logistics Agency and Army Materiel Command to help speed up delivery of much needed replacement parts.

"Basically we assist all of the area support groups with the prime parts they can't get," said Hughes. "Any vehicles that have been in the shop for a long time, we try to assist them and help them get what they need to get the job done."

Hughes said one of his most challenging programs was tracking the status of add-on armor for vehicles in Iraq.

"That was a fun chore, getting that done. It was hard because of units moving through the battlefield," Hughes said. "It was just a matter of getting a handle on who has what and where it's at."

Sgt. 1st Class Joe Lane, a maintenance section NCO, said the mission is more than tracking down crucial parts. Working on the receiving end of maintenance issues puts the COSCOM G-4 maintenance section in a better position to detect possible larger issues.

"I also help identify if there's any trends with parts," Lane said. "For example, if a unit has nine tractor-trailers and eight of them are down with blown head gaskets, that tells me there's a problem with that vehicle's head gaskets."

Sgt. 1st Class Keith Godley, the logistics support NCO for the maintenance section, noted the importance of acting on trends before they develop into serious problems.

"If there's a trend, we try to work with the outside agencies to narrow down the cause of the trend," Godley said. "We back brief the commanding general on all of the data so they have a chance to react to it, and it keeps the battlefield operating efficiently."

Godley said that he is able to look through multiple inventory stocks to find critical parts, whether they are in Iraq, Kuwait or the United States.

"The parts that are ordered against critical fleets, if they have long lead times or are backordered, it's my job to look into that and find out what we can do to expedite getting them over here," he added.

Lane, a former drill sergeant and platoon sergeant, said adjusting to the new job wasn't easy.

"It took a little getting used to. I was a drill sergeant and platoon sergeant for six years, and that didn't take a whole lot of computer work. I was always in front of Soldiers," Lane said. "Now, I'm not the one with my hands on the equipment, and that's what I'm used to, that whatever I say affects change immediately. The things I say now, it takes time for my decisions to take effect and make changes."

Lane said that talking to his wife helped him adjust to his new position.

"Whenever I'm having problems, I call my wife, and she helps me see it from a different perspective," Lane said. "We just balance each other."

Lane added that the new position broadened his view of the Army.

"It helps me see a bigger picture," said Lane. "I've never worked on a general's staff before," said Lane. "Every situation you find yourself in there's always something you can take from it to grow."

Godley said his favorite part of the job is seeing the impact he has on Soldiers on the battlefield.

"As we're looking at the deadline reports, and tracking the parts, we can see operational percentages on the vehicles go up," said Godley. "We know that we had something to do with that. It's satisfaction."

Godley acknowledged that the section isn't exactly the Hollywood version of the Army, but said that doesn't make it any less vital to the mission.


"We don't really have one of those jobs that's action-packed. We don't come to work hearing gunshots and kicking down doors, but if anything ever goes down, whether it's a weapon system or vehicle, then the spotlight is on us," Godley said. "You know how they say in a war you need beans and bullets? That's what we do. We make sure the fighters can fight."

• Date Taken: 03.23.2006
• Date Posted: 03.23.2006 11:53
• Story ID: 5819