Logistics sleuths solve mysteries of disappearing parts Published June 28, 2006 By Michelle Gigante Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) -- By finding aircraft parts that are missing, misrouted or stranded in transit, a multi-organizational team led by Air Force Materiel Command's warfighter sustainment division is returning more of the capability to warfighters when they need it. AFMC members helped recover parts worth $4.5 million in May after discovering a gap in the supply and maintenance processes. Recovery efforts are part of the AFMC Retrograde Management Initiative, or RMI. This program identifies and recovers retrograde parts -- broken parts that need repairing but have not gotten to the repair facility. "Getting working parts to the warfighter when parts are needed is the primary objective," said Col. Gary Melchor, logistics warfighter sustainment division chief. "Our research revealed cases where that wasn't happening, so something had to be done."Mike Magnusson, a contractor for BearingPoint Management and Technology Consultants that supports the division, is a member of the team made up of representatives from Air Force major commands and the Defense Logistics Agency. "In one example, we discovered that an operator had misrouted broken aircraft equipment scheduled for repairs," Mr. Magnusson said. "Parts left Iraq but wound up in an accounting facility located in Kettering, Ohio, instead of the intended destination, which was the Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The operator had confused the financial address with the shipping address." Further research revealed more issues. Process problems resulted in packages of broken aircraft parts sitting on shelves for more than 90 days. Misidentification of packages slowed the process of moving cargo. "Tons of equipment had to be reshipped, which cost the Air Force time and money," Mr. Magnusson said. The errors were not only affecting maintainers, but more critically, were reducing flying hours and mission readiness. A solution was needed quickly. Analysis began when Lt. Gen. Terry L. Gabreski, AFMC vice commander, asked the warfighter sustainment division to analyze the movement of parts returning from deployed locations. The team turned to the Air Force Knowledge Service, a compilation of data from many Air Force systems. It enabled the team to observe the flow of aircraft components transported from a base to the repair source. In improving the process, the Air Force goal is to gradually cut the average shipping time from nine to six days. RMI representatives are identifying bases where training or other support is needed. According to Mr. Magnusson, the Retrograde Management Initiative is targeting systemic improvements that potentially could save millions of dollars for AFMC.(Courtesy of Air Force Materiel Command News Service)