Reutilization of Military Equipment Saves Tax Payer Dollars

Courtesy Photo | Petty Officer 1st Class Paul W. Slaubaugh Jr., Storekeeper, Mansfield, Ohio, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael J. Hampton, Storekeeper, from Concord, Calif.,(driver) unload an M1114 Humvee that will be used as parts at the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO) on Contingency Operating Base Speicher near Tikrit, Iraq.  

TIKRIT, IRAQ

07.10.2006

Story by Sgt. Waine Haley 

133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Sgt. Waine D. Haley
133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

TIKRIT, Iraq (July 8, 2006)--Supply sergeants at Contingency Operating Base Speicher can now supply their Soldiers with needed equipment and save taxpayers money at the same time.

The Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office opened for business on June 1, 2006 near Tikrit, Iraq.

The DRMO redistributes or disposes of excess or damaged property, supplies, clothing and equipment received from military units that no longer have a need for it. They handle items like air conditioners, vehicles, clothing, and computers.

War and contingency operations generate considerable amounts of refuse, damaged property, and hazardous waste. These items must be handled and disposed of properly. DRMO's purpose is to make sure all efforts and procedures are taken to reutilize or demilitarize any militarily significant equipment.

"My job in supply is essential to ensuring that our war fighters have the parts necessary to keep them going," said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Virgil Chapman,. "It's also necessary to demilitarize parts and equipment that we do not want in the hands of our enemies."

The current DRMO team consists of U.S. Air Force Reserve Capt. Raul Trevino and a six-person team made up of U.S. Navy and civilian personnel that arrived in May. The team started earlier this year with just a general order to set up a DRMO site here.

"We established the working plans for running a DRMO yard and a fully functional facility at Speicher by working with [101st Airborne] Division," Trevino said. "The work had long tedious hours, over a 100 degree weather and hostile terrain ... but we got it done."

The impact on units in and around COB Speicher is already starting to show. Army Capt. Andy Baker, company commander for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division has had an opportunity to use the resources offered by DRMO operations not only here but at other installations around Iraq.

"DRMO has been a great help throughout our deployment," said Baker. "Since arriving in Iraq, my company has been constantly receiving the newest and best equipment the Army has to offer; rendering many of the items that we received from the unit we [took over for] obsolete. DRMO has helped quite a bit to ease the burden of accounting for property that we don't need and allowing us to turn it in a timely fashion."

The DRMO's ability to reutilize equipment in theater gives service members not only a way to give up surplus equipment but also provides them a supply channel to redistribute needed items to other units to use in the fight against anti-Iraqi forces.

• Date Taken: 07.10.2006
• Date Posted: 07.10.2006 13:25
• Story ID: 7103
• Location: TIKRIT, IQ