Aviano becomes first USAFE base to begin using AMT

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Katherine Windish
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy (AFNS) --  Airmen at Aviano Air Base are the first in U.S. Air Forces in Europe to begin using the new, revolutionary asset marking and tracking system being implemented at Air Force installations around the world.

Once fully integrated, the new AMT system will provide 100-percent accountability for all Air Force equipment.

The program is part of the Expeditionary Combat Support System, which is intended to standardize logistics procedures throughout the Air Force. Once the end product of ECSS has gone live, it will provide Air Force officials with a complete global logistics picture in one system.

"This will completely streamline all inventory processes," said Paul Lewis, the AMT certified part marking leader. "It will make things easier for everyone involved in the inventory process -- from equipment custodians to supply Airmen to 'Big Air Force.' Computers, weapons (and) vehicles will all be more easily accounted for."

To allow supply Airmen to continue focusing on their normal duties, Air Force officials have contracted A2B Company officials to dedicate their time solely to the marking of equipment, significantly speeding up the process. The four-person team has been working since the beginning of November 2010, to mark 13,515 pieces of equipment at Aviano AB.

Each piece of equipment is being marked with a unique bar code that, when scanned, will provide the serial number and equipment information, including what the piece of equipment is, what base it belongs to and who it has been signed out to.

"This new system will provide equipment accountability we have never had before," said Chief Master Sgt. Sandra Bronczek, the Aviano Air Base ECSS change agent coordinator. "If a piece of our equipment is being used in a deployed location, the bar code can be scanned, letting the units over there know it belongs to us, and it can then be returned to us."

The new tracking system can also predict when maintenance will be required on the equipment.

"The system tracks the shelf life of our equipment," Chief Bronczek said. "It will let us know how much longer the equipment has before maintenance or replacement is required. This allows us to order replacement equipment in advance and schedule maintenance ahead of time, decreasing the lag time."

The marking team expects to finish the inventory Jan. 28. All new equipment will subsequently be marked by supply Airmen as it enters Aviano AB's inventory.