Who Are You Going To Call?

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. David Magidson
  • 17th Logistics Readiness Squadron commander
The 58 men and women of the 17th Logistics Readiness Squadron stay engaged to ensure and everyone at Goodfellow Air Force Base receives the logistics support you need to achieve your part of the mission. I continually challenge each of our logistics professionals to find ways to make our processes smarter, faster, cheaper and safer for us and our customers. I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some of our recent initiatives along those lines with you. I'll also share some tips on things you can do to get the most out of your interaction with the 17 LRS.

Our vehicle operations section recently procured Global Positioning System units to offer you unparalleled navigation convenience and to safeguard mission accomplishment in your official travels. Whether you're signing out a "U-Drive-It" to go across town, or going on a temporary duty assignment across the country, check with vehicle dispatch for GPS availability (564-5744). This beats the heck out of buying maps every time you go TDY.

If you are flying to that TDY, one way to avoid delays is to drop by our travel section in Building 423 to pick up your electronic ticket itinerary before you depart the base, or just download it from www.mytripandmore.com, about three days before you travel. Log in using your reservation number (DTS PNR) and last name. If you don't have time, anyone can represent you in person or on line. This helps you in two ways: It ensures common Defense Travel System glitches don't prevent our Boersma Travel contractors from completing your e-ticketing process--if the e-tickets aren't there, then you can close the loop with us before you try to leave town. This can save you from big hassles at the airport when you leave. It also gives you the receipt to file with your voucher. It also saves you from big hassles at finance when you return. If you have any questions, call our passenger section, 654-3701/5541. After duty hours, the Command Post, 654-3558/(888) 654 4512 can connect you to traffic management passenger standby personnel. Alternatively, you can call the Boersma Travel "after hours number" on your itinerary: (866) 648 7861.

Our supply experts streamlined a once painful step of the base's in-processing checklist for military newcomers. Now you don't have to go out of your way to make a special trip to our mobility section at the Vance Deployment Center to get sized for mobility gear. Since you have to in-process with your Unit Deployment Managers, they will take your measurements to size you for chemical warfare suits, helmets, etc. and email it to our mobility section, saving you the extra trip. With this crucial data in our system, it also saves you time if you need to process on short notice for a deployment or even for a local exercise. While you're thinking about deployments, be sure to check vMPF to verify you're loaded to the right Air Expeditionary Force tempo band and vulnerability block. Your UDM must "posture you" in the AEF reporting tool and in personnel systems within your first 45 days on station. Without that, we can't deliver the deployment predictability the Air Force promised. You deserve it.

We all tend to think of supply in terms of getting material from them, not the other way around. Yet, one of our biggest supply functions is serving as your liaison to the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service when you need to dispose of government property. This goes smoothest when you call ahead at 654-3867 to schedule turn-ins and when you make sure items are ready for turn-in. For example, removing classified CDs from computers, and following any other instructions we give you when you call. If in doubt, ask!

Although UDMs are part of Ms. Dinah Stanley's extended staff, they also make up our Readiness Flight's most frequent customers. The sheer volume of guidance out there used to lead to a lot of guesswork in the business, because it seemed too much to grasp when you have to work it as an additional duty. That's why we solicited wing plans and programs and some UDMs to help us craft the "UDM Readiness Checklist", with listings of required training and tasks, including daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual and "as needed" tasks. This initiative provides structure for our UDMs and sets them up to better serve unit members and commanders.

If you get a chance to deploy, you can set yourself up for success by taking a proactive role in your preparation and out-processing. The whole process can be daunting because there's so much to do, and because while you need to knock some of it out ASAP, like getting your brief from Installation Personnel Readiness , you'll probably have to wait for other items, like qualifying to carry weapons. That's only good for 120 days before you leave Goodfellow and weapons inspections are only good for 120 days before you arrive in theater. Make sure you know what paperwork to bring to each appointment and then bring it so you don't waste the trip.

Depending on the requirements that go with your tasking, you and your UDM may have to sort through four sets of reporting instructions plus line remarks and correctly resolve conflicting guidance. There is a method to the apparent madness; Ms. Stanley and her experts encourage your UDMs to contact them at 654-5080 if needed to help make sense of it all so we can get it right together. The bottom line is if you take an active role, you won't degrade the mission by arriving with discrepancies--the key is to know your reporting requirements and to be in lock-step with the UDM and the 17 LRS on meeting them.

We get most of our ideas on how to improve customer support from...our customers. We always solicit your feedback and input. Every member of the LRS wants to ensure you succeed in your mission contribution to Goodfellow, to the United States Air Force, and to supporting freedom (& training). Who you gonna call? LRS!!!