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DSU provides higher level maintenance
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1st COSCOM PAO BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (6/4/2003) — Troops deployed in Afghanistan use a variety of equipment from environmental control units and High-Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicles to night vision devices and self-propelled artillery cannons. During everyday wear and tear equipment gets dirty, damaged and eventually deadlined. This equipment has to be fixed properly and precisely. The maintenance units at Bagram turn to one company for support, the 372nd Direct Support Unit, Ohio National Guard. The unit operates as the ‘third-shop’ maintenance facility on the base and is attached to the 264th Logistical Task Force, 1st Corps Support Command, Fort Bragg, N.C. “Heat, dust, and heavy winds create a majority of the equipment failures on post. The biggest problem out here is, of course, the elements combined with poor preventative maintenance checks and service,” said Spc. Leron Corbin, 372nd DSU, Logistical Task Force 264, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. Corbin, a father of four, works in a lamination factory when not activated as part of the Ohio National Guard. Since the unit arrived in theatre in April more than 500 job orders have been placed and 471 have been completed, said military officials. “We get a lot of equipment that fails due to the changing temperature extremes. Everyday there are more and more pieces that come in broken,” said Spc. Scotty Sloyer, 372nd DSU, LTF 264th. “Even proper PMCS won’t keep the air conditioners and other equipment from breaking down. So, we make sure we have enough parts on hand to replace what breaks down,” he added. The unit’s storage room houses repair parts for thousands of pieces of military equipment. “Once we took over the direct support mission we began to inventory, catalog, label and organize every piece of equipment in the parts room for proper stockage. Over $1,400,000 has been processed since the project began in April,” said Spc. Ebony Miller, the parts clerk for the unit. Miller is a credit analysis associate when not serving the Ohio National Guard. “Once an inspector identifies any problems with the equipment, they check to see if we have the parts necessary to repair it properly,” said Miller. The Maintenance Control Supervisor, Master Sgt. David Merrin, 372nd DSU, verifies all items turned into the DSU then turns the over to Sgt. 1st Class Charles Galati, 372nd DSU, who disseminates the items to specific sections for inspection. “Every piece of equipment is given a thorough inspection to identify the problem it may be having,” said 1st Sgt. Terry Mullins, first sergeant, 372nd DSU. “Each section has personnel who specialize in specific equipment. For example, air conditioners and generators have someone, where night vision devices require someone else. We have a wide variety of soldiers in the unit,” said Galati, a shipping company mechanic in the civilian world. “There are quite a variety of military occupational specialties in our company,” said Mullins. “Everyone learns something every day from each day.” “In this company the old Army tradition of learning the job of the person above and below you holds true. When our first sergeant went on emergency leave, Master Sgt. Merrin took over and we all moved up one position,” said Galati. “The training of leaders in the unit and cross training has helped us perform above standard in this combat zone.” “The Ohio National Guard provided LTF 264th with the right kind of soldiers, motivated, dedicated, and professional,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Broaddus, commander, LTF 264. “Mixing the high speed active-duty personnel in this battalion with the high speed Guardsmen has raised the bar of excellence in the Operation Enduring Freedom theater,” he said. “The soldiers have taken their basic skills and advanced them to the next level,” said Mullins. “They go the extra mile to get it done right the first time, keeping U.S. forces at Bagram Air Base combat ready to fight the War on Terror.” (Editor’s note: Spc. Travis Edwards is the public affairs NCOIC of the Joint Logistics Command.) Last 10 Stories
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2004 National Guard Bureau |
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