Grissom tenant unit has big impact on Air Force

Published Jan. 30, 2014
By Tech. Sgt. Douglas Hays
434th ARW Public Affairs

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- Tucked away in a small corner of Grissom is a unit that has a significant impact on Air Force readiness.

The Contingency Equipment Management Facility is an Air Force Reserve Command-run organization that acts as a central storage location for civil engineering supplies and equipment for regular Air Force and AFRC units world-wide.

"We support CE squadrons both active-duty and reserve," said Karen Lank, CEMF supervisor. "We act as a resource that units can draw upon if they don't have those assets at their home locations."

Operating with a staff of eight civil-service personnel, and anchored by five contractors, CEMF manages a cost-effective re-utilization equipment support plan servicing all AFRC civil engineer unit related actions.

Additionally, CEMF manages equipment procurement and distribution for all Air Force emergency management flights, fire and emergency hazardous material services, Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force functions, Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operator Repair Squadron Engineers, and reserve explosive ordnance disposal flights.

Working out of two locations, Bldgs. 592 and 190, the team manages and maintains more than $100 million in CE assets. In 2012 alone, they picked and shipped more than 26,000 items contained in 900 orders totaling $6.7 million to Air Force agencies.

Taking note of the high level of service provided by the CEMF, AFRC recently reviewed its equipment for the Prime BEEF functions and began to consolidate them at the facility as well.

"This change allows us to better support units by increasing their time for skills and contingency training," she said. "With smaller numbers we improve the equipment maintenance schedule and allow units to focus on their training."

To establish an effective accountability and maintenance procedures for more than 4,000 tactical radio packages acquired by CE units over the last 10 years, the Air Force recently began moving them here. These not only include the radios, but supporting equipment such as base stations, repeaters, vehicle adaptors and accessories.

The Air Force directed the shipment of radio systems here from 70 units recently, Lank said.

"In addition to this workload, Glen Johnson, contractor supervisor, and his crew were tasked to build and ship 28 orders totaling over $3 million to various units within a three-week period. That's an enormous undertaking and the team did an exceptional job with the tough time constraints."

In the past year, CEMF personnel have reutilized older radio assets with a cost savings of $139,000; redistributed $148,000 in equipment assets to AFRC CE units, and assisted CE Red Horse units from by providing nearly 2,000 training tools to support missions and exercises.

In addition to the radios, 768 firefighters' self-contained breathing apparatuses are also now being stored and maintained here.

Housing the SCBA tanks for 28 fire units, the team can perform calibrations and maintenance for the gear - with a total savings of about $60,000 annually.

"By us performing the maintenance it is a substantial time saver for units," Lank said. "It will enable the firefighters to focus on accomplishing their require training."

Due to its continued expansion, the CEMF has to both expand and become more efficient with the space it has.

The unit recently reconfigured its main work space in Bldg. 592 and is taking steps to find additional space as its mission grows.

To make better use of their space, Brad Frank, warehouse leader, reconfigured their layout resulting in 3,500 square feet of additional storage capability.

"Brad presented me with an outstanding proposal that would increase workflow efficiency and the opportunity for more AFRC taskings," she said.

"The shelving units were spaced too far apart," said Lank. "We were able to move them closer and meet safety standards; it opened up a lot of room for us."

And, it's not just storage space that's a challenge for the CEMF team. They must track and maintain all of the equipment, allowing end-user units to have visibility of asset availability.

In order to do that, Lank and Johnson, adopted a barcode system to simplify filling orders and improve accountability.

A Barcode Inventory Tracking System has streamlined the ability to account for more than 6,000 line items and over $5.5 million in equipment assets, said Lank.

The CEMF also provides Air Force CE personnel with training on its BITS system with its BITS Training Center. The BTC offers students the opportunity to observe BITS operations first-hand.

"Airman 'Snuffy' knows what he has and what he needs; this system helps us to communicate clearly to meet those needs the first time," she said, using the fictional name Snuffy to represent any Airman to whom they may provide equipment. "And, we deliver."

Being able to deliver the equipment to where it is most needed not only ensures fast response, but also allows for cost savings.

"We ship commercially, and use our own drivers to deliver items via tractor trailer - whatever is most economical to the government," explained Lank.

While the challenges the CEMF faces are as diverse as the items they store and maintain, Lank said she can see the benefits her organization provides.

"We save the government money," she said. "In these times, that's a good thing."

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the AFRC. Airmen and aircraft from the 434th ARW routinely deploy around the globe in support of the Air Force mission and U.S. strategic objectives.

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Grissom tenant unit has big impact on Air Force

Public Affairs Staff