MSC team receives Admiral Stan Arthur Award for Logistics Excellence
Cmdr. Al Alabata, Petty Officer 1st Class John J. Blanchard, and Achille E. Broennimann, were selected for award based on their work on contracting commercial helicopter services for resupplying U.S. Navy ships at sea.
The Commercial Helicopter Program has resolved a number of issues in fleet replenishment operations and is estimated to save the Navy an impressive $254.5 million in manpower, acquisition and operating costs through fiscal year 2008.
Alabata, a Navy helicopter pilot himself, led the team as they developed a program for commercial contract operation of vertical replenishment helicopters aboard MSC combat stores ships. The first contract was for stores ships operating in the Mediterranean.
Combat stores ships replenish U.S. Navy ships at sea with necessary dry cargo, thereby allowing the combatants to remain on station and combat ready. CH-46 helicopters have been used to transport cargo from the combat stores ships to the Navy vessels.
Commercial helicopter support of the Navy's underway replenishment ships has been encouraging, based on the results of the Mediterranean deployment. Outsourcing to commercially operated helicopter companies has the potential to save the Navy millions of dollars and frees active duty Navy personnel for traditional warfighting assignments.
To make the transition from military to commercial aircraft, Alabada, Broennimann and Blanchard were responsible for developing operation concepts and contract requirements that would meet all Department of Defense, Navy, and Federal Aviation Administration regulations. The result was a cooperative effort and an innovative contract combining commercial and military interests.
The contract was competitively awarded in less than three months and was immediately accepted by the Navy for implementation. (FROM MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
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