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FORT BELVOIR, Va. - Military customers performing missions in remote locations throughout Europe and Africa get around-the-clock assistance from Defense Logistics Agency Europe and Africa’s warfighter support representatives.
Chuck Goranson, WSR for Air Force units in Europe and Africa, recently helped the 31st Logistics Readiness Squadron obtain oil and hydraulic fluid for F-16 fighter jets deployed to Konya Air Base, Turkey, for weapons training.
“The lack of required oil and hydraulic fluid created a possible mission failure scenario,” Goranson said.
When the LRS airmen learned that the Turkish air force had extra lubricants on hand at Konya AB, they requested Goranson’s assistance. He worked with the U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s International Logistics Branch to use an Acquisitioning and Cross-Servicing Agreement Program, which allows NATO and U.S. forces to exchange common support items such as food and fuel.
“Knowing the customer and the options available to support warfighters, whether it’s through DLA, the ACSA program or any other means necessary, is key to mission success,” he said.
Philip Greene, warfighter support rep for U.S. Army Africa and customers in northern Italy, assisted missions in several African nations. Containerized housing units were needed at various sites throughout Uganda for use during humanitarian support and cooperative training exercises with local defense forces, he said.
“Being good stewards of taxpayers’ dollars, we saw an opportunity to reutilize excess CHUs from the drawdown in Kosovo to meet the missions in Uganda,” Greene said, adding that officials from DLA Disposition Services helped make the movement possible.
Forces conducting humanitarian missions in Sudan also requested Greene’s help in obtaining maps. He coordinated with the DLA Distribution Mapping office in Naples, Italy, to provide more than 3,400 maps. Sudan, located in northern Africa, is difficult to navigate because roads are undeveloped, and a recent influx of refugees has dramatically changed its infrastructure, he said.
“Updated and accurate map products allow the Department of State and Department of Defense to determine the best routes to provide aid,” Greene added. “Without maps, there are significant chances for interdiction of supplies, lost material and armed conflict with hostile forces that operate in that area.”
Greene is also working with DLA Troop Support Europe and Africa personnel to coordinate the procurement and shipment of food and water for forces expected to take part in Natural Fire 2011, an exercise in Tanzania in September. Getting supplies to troops throughout Africa is a challenge because of differences in sanitation and environmental laws, as well as customs regulations on imports and exports, Greene continued.
Officials from Special Operations Command Africa requested assistance from warfighter support rep Ann Oglesby on obtaining fencing material needed to construct a perimeter for forces in Mali. The material had been delivered to DLA Distribution Europe, in Germersheim, but inspections revealed that some items didn’t meet military specifications and others were missing. Oglesby worked with contract specialists and the vendor to expedite the replacement of wrong items and locate the missing material.
As the warfighter support rep for special operations and Marine Corps forces in Europe and Africa, Oglesby also assisted Marines participating in Agile Spirit 2011, an exercise at the Vaziani Training Area near Tbilisi, Georgia. When Marines requested help getting 58 DLA-managed items, Oglesby had 26 in-stock items delivered then submitted requests for the remaining items.
Avelino Gramata, a warfighter support rep in Naples, continues supporting Navy forces throughout Europe and Africa. He recently helped customers achieve 100-percent material readiness for more than 19 ships and boats by expediting the procurement and delivery of about 200 parts.
Other Navy support included the rapid procurement of 500 pillows to support personnel participating in NATO operations in Libya, as well as the procurement of 38 boxes of meals for forces providing medical assistance in Douala, Cameroon, which is in west-central Africa.
Greene called the work of warfighter support reps in Europe and Africa a constant challenge because of continued violence in places like Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. Supporting forces in such locations is a complex process, he added.
“Each country presents its own set of challenges politically, geographically and financially. But every day presents an opportunity for DLA to expand its capabilities in supporting U.S. interests there,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 08.31.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 09.08.2011 11:08 |
| Story ID: | 76657 |
| Location: | FORT BELVOIR, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 114 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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