{"id":16769,"date":"2023-06-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=16769"},"modified":"2023-06-28T06:42:04","modified_gmt":"2023-06-28T06:42:04","slug":"quality-assurance-team-helps-keep-army-prepositioned-stocks-at-high-state-of-readiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=16769","title":{"rendered":"Quality assurance team helps keep Army Prepositioned Stocks at high state of readiness"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Dwann Jackson, an Army Field Support Battalion-Mannheim quality assurance specialist, observes onsite suspension and track upgrades to an Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 M2 Bradley fighting vehicle at the Coleman APS-2 worksite.
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\n Kevin Grimm is a quality assurance specialist with Army Field Support Battalion-Mannheim, 405th Army Field Support Brigade. He is also an Army Expeditionary Civilian Workforce deployed Army civilian employee. The AECW program provides opportunities for civilian employees to enhance their skillsets and knowledge during real-world deployments while providing additional capabilities to organizations like the 405th AFSB.
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MANNHEIM, Germany \u2013 The 405th Army Field Support Brigade\u2019s Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 mission is resourced in part through the Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise program, or EAGLE program, which provides the contractors needed to meet the Army\u2019s APS-2 logistical support service requirements in Europe. Contracting officer representatives, in turn, oversee and ensure these contracted requirements are met.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the Coleman APS-2 worksite in Mannheim, quality assurance representatives from Army Field Support Battalion-Mannheim play a key role in this EAGLE contract oversight, serving as the contracting officer\u2019s eyes and ears,\u201d said Herbert Gately, chief of QA, AFSBn-Mannheim, 405th AFSB.<\/p>\n

Working onsite with government contracted maintainers and logistics personnel, the QA specialists help to ensure the APS-2 equipment is received, stored, maintained, modernized and operationally configured within the contract scope to meet the requirements set forth by U.S. Army Sustainment Command and the Army, Gately said.<\/p>\n

At the Coleman worksite, this currently includes two armored brigade combat team\u2019s worth of APS-2 equipment such M1 Abrams main battle tanks, M2 Bradley fighting vehicles and M109 Paladins, plus tactical wheeled vehicles, material handling equipment, generators, command control and communications equipment, basic issue items, and more. Later this year or early next, one ABCT\u2019s worth of APS-2 gear is scheduled to move to the newly opened APS-2 worksite in Powidz, Poland, the Long Term Equipment Storage and Maintenance-Complex, there.<\/p>\n

The AFSBn-Mannheim QA team is staffed by permanent party Army civilian employees and rotational, contingency Army Expeditionary Civilian Workforce deployed civilians with collective experience in quality assurance, quality control, contracting, maintenance, supply and transportation disciplines, said Gately.<\/p>\n

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\n Dozens of M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles are loaded onto German rail cars at the Coleman Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 worksite in Mannheim, Germany. The Army Field Support Battalion-Mannheim team of quality assurance specialists help to provide the critical oversight needed to effectively maintain the APS-2 fleet at Coleman and ultimately Army readiness in Europe.
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QA Team Objectives<\/strong><\/p>\n

The AFSBn-Mannheim QA team is tasked to ensure onsite contractors are accomplishing all Care of Supplies in Storage work tasks, also called COSIS, said Gately. This includes equipment maintenance, logistical support property accountability and equipment issue in accordance with the contract\u2019s performance work statement, the QA surveillance plan, onsite standard operating procedures, APS and maintenance policies, and best practices in the management of the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are two ways of doing things \u2013 the wrong way and Army way,\u201d said Gately. \u201cAt Coleman worksite, we do things the Army way every time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Specific Tasks and Key Methods<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSimply put, quality assurance specialists perform three tasks \u2013 observe, document and report,\u201d Gately said.<\/p>\n

Key methods used by the Coleman QA team involve sampling contractor work orders based on workload, quality trends, quality history, mission requirements and non-compliance reports, said Gately. These key methods also include observing the contractor\u2019s performance in the management of contract data to include execution of Global Combat Support System-Army, or GCSS-A, maintenance and supply tasks, ensuring modification work orders completed by the contractor are inspected and applied onsite as well as documenting this in the Maintenance Management Information System, or MMIS. They also review equipment presented to the QA office in MMIS to ensure safety message completion and documentation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThe QA specialists also observe contractor completion and performance of all test, inspection and sustainment maintenance tasks \u2013 ensuring the APS-2 equipment is repaired to Army maintenance standards, and is fully mission capable and ready for issue,\u201d Gately said.<\/p>\n

One of the key missions for the QA team is \u201censuring the APS-2 fleet of M1 Abrams tanks, M2 Bradley fighting vehicles, M109 Paladins, and tracked recovery vehicles are configured for combat, and ready for issue,\u201d said Dwann Jackson, an AECW employee deployed to Mannheim from Red River Army Depot, Texas, who is one of the QA specialists tasked with ensuring this key mission is met.<\/p>\n

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\n An M1 Abrams main battle tank sits on the back of a military Heavy Equipment Transport line-haul truck at the Coleman Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 work site in Mannheim, Germany. Quality Assurance specialists help to ensure the APS-2 equipment is received, stored, maintained, modernized and operationally configured within the contract scope to meet the requirements set forth by U.S. Army Sustainment Command and the Army.
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Equipment accountability is another key mission when it comes to APS-2 readiness, Gately added. The QA team helps provide oversight on contractor managed inventories of equipment and materials, ensuring accountability and availability for issue through periodic sensitive item and cyclic inventories, physical security inspections, and supply audits using GCSS-A.<\/p>\n

For all U.S. Army and contracted personnel at the Coleman APS-2 worksite, safety and security are paramount, according to Gately. One of the missions of the AFSBn-Mannheim QA team is to conduct daily walk throughs while observing contractor ground guide procedures, use of personal protective equipment, or PPE, periodic evaluation of equipment load tests, reviews of occupational health standards, and audits of APS-2 tactical wheeled and heavy tracked vehicle operator\u2019s training programs.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To further compliment Coleman\u2019s worksite safety program, Gately said senior U.S. Army and contractor project management staff conduct weekly quality and safety walkabouts \u2013 the purpose being to visit the different work areas and offices and talk to employees about safety and quality. This provides employees at the ground level with the opportunity to voice their concerns and improvement ideas directly to management, fostering personal responsibility and ownership for the safety program.<\/p>\n

The QA specialists at the Coleman APS-2 worksite also ensure hazardous materials are documented, stored, issued and disposed of in accordance with Army and host nation policies, said Gately. This includes the placement of HAZMAT labels, use of HAZMAT safety data sheets, employee use of PPE, appropriate segregation of onsite corrosive and flammable items and availability of fire suppression systems and devices, plus all the appropriate onsite certifications and training requirements for environmental safety and health personnel and leadership.<\/p>\n

Recently, the QA Team at the Coleman APS-2 worksite coordinated with other organizations within U.S. Army Europe and Africa for the redistribution of excess packaged petroleum products, which is considered HAZMAT.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project will save operational dollars through redistribution and the reduction of disposal costs for these HAZMAT items,\u201d said Gately.<\/p>\n

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\n Dwann Jackson, an Army Field Support Battalion-Mannheim quality assurance specialist, said one of the key missions for the QA team is ensuring the Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 fleet of M1 Abrams tanks, M2 Bradley fighting vehicles, M109 Paladins, and tracked recovery vehicles are configured for combat, and ready for issue.
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\n Army Field Support Battalion-Mannheim Quality Assurance Branch Chief Herbert Gately said senior U.S. Army and contractor project management staff conduct weekly quality and safety walkabouts \u2013 the purpose being to visit the different work areas and offices at the Coleman Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 worksite and talk to employees about safety and quality.
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Coleman APS-2 worksite QA specialists ensure APS-2 stocks are stored and issued within the COSIS service schedules, Gately said, extending equipment shelf life through an intensive \u201cfirst in, first out management of Type 1 and 2 COSIS items.\u201d In addition, aggressive monitoring of high value COSIS priority group items, implementation of Integrated Logistics Support Center corrosion prevention programs, and observance of U.S. Army Sustainment Command Packaging, Storage and Containerization Center guidance is strictly followed.<\/p>\n

Going forward, the AFSBn-Mannheim team of QA specialists and cadre of contracting officer representatives will continue to work together to provide the critical oversight needed to maintain the readiness of APS-2 while expanding the team\u2019s role in the oversight of emerging onsite equipment modifications and fieldings.<\/p>\n

The Coleman APS-2 worksite is located on a former Army airfield. In August 2021, U.S. Army Europe and Africa announced that it will retain the Coleman worksite, which was previously scheduled to be returned to the German government.<\/p>\n

The 405th AFSB\u2019s APS-2 program provides turn-key power projection packages ready to deploy at a moment\u2019s notice while helping to reduce the amount of equipment needed from the deploying forces\u2019 home stations. APS-2 sites like Coleman help reduce deployment timelines, improve deterrence capabilities and provide additional combat power for contingency operations. APS-2 equipment may also be drawn for use in training and exercises.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The 405th AFSB is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and under the operational control of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The brigade is headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and provides materiel enterprise support to U.S. Forces throughout Europe and Africa \u2013 providing theater sustainment logistics; synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology; and leveraging AMC\u2019s materiel enterprise to support joint forces. For more information on the 405th AFSB, visit the official website<\/a> and the official Facebook site<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Kevin Grimm is an AFSBn-Mannheim QA specialist at Coleman APS-2 worksite in Mannheim, Germany. He is also an Army Expeditionary Civilian Workforce employee deployed to Germany from Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, where he is assigned to U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 Dwann Jackson, an Army Field Support Battalion-Mannheim quality assurance specialist, observes onsite suspension and track upgrades to an Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 M2 Bradley fighting vehicle at the Coleman APS-2 worksite. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army courtesy photo) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 \/ 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16771,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16769"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16769\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16778,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16769\/revisions\/16778"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}