Forward Stocking for Troops - Reduced Cost and Wait Time Improves Service
In support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, DLA has shipped hundreds of thousands of Meals Ready-to- Eat, battle dress uniforms, and tons of construction, barrier material and spare parts through air and seaports in Southwest Asia for distribution. Moving high-priority orders by air is quick but costs the military services hundreds of millions of dollars in transportation fees. Moving material by surface is less costly but takes approximately 45 days to reach the customer.
DLA recognized the need to meet required delivery dates for orders and minimize transportation costs. Through the DLA Forward Stocking Initiative, established in the mid to late 1990s, DLA uses surface transportation to pre-position wholesale stock close to deployed and overseas customers.
The concept is fairly simple - DLA will forward stock material showing regular customer demand. Regular demand is considered four or more orders in a year for two consecutive years. Cmdr. Jimmie Griffea of DLA Distribution Management Division in Logistics Operations said, "The objective is to get the right material to the right locations to meet recurring overseas requirements." He further stated, "DLA doesn't want to forward stock low demand items, we would prefer the services to stock less quantities of the items that DLA will stock in the forward depots and spend those dollars on low demand readiness drivers to improve operational readiness."
Currently, DLA has four forward stocking locations under the FSI program - Germersheim, Germany; Yokosuka, Japan; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and Sigonella, Italy. These four depots support all services in their respective geographical areas with a total of 67,500 NATO stock numbers. DLA plans to open three additional depots by the end of the year - Kuwait, Guam, and Korea - allowing DLA to further improve services to the war fighter. Guam will stock approximately 4,200 National Stock Numbered items and Korea will carry 13,800.
A large challenge for DLA is the Southwest Asia customer. DLA already has a small footprint established in Southwest Asia through two initiatives - Forward Site Bahrain and the Central Command Deployment Distribution Operations Center.
In January 2003, as part of an OIF initiative, DLA established a forward presence in Bahrain, pre-positioning 20-foot containers of Class IV materiel (i.e., construction and barrier). Each container was fully loaded with one item type, shipped via surface, and then issued by the container to the Southwest Asia customer. Approximately 3,300 containers of materiel have been issued from Bahrain.
The second initiative is worked jointly with the U.S. Transportation Command. The CDDOC aims to solve in-theater distribution problems and has already had a positive impact on troop support. CDDOC staffs pinpoint where shipments are headed, allocate transportation assets to move the material, and determine when it will move. USTRANSCOM was designated the Department of Defense Distribution Process Owner in 2003.
Establishing a larger presence in Southwest Asia will continue to minimize costs as the United States and its coalition partners execute the post-conflict sustainment operation known as OIF II. Using a three-phase approach, DLA is already providing support from the Germany site to Southwest Asia. By fall 2004, DLA will have 7,000 NSNs stocked in Kuwait. The final phase will be completed by fall 2005, with an additional 40,000 NSNs in theater.
DLA has been a primary provider for many years and is now recognized as a provider by choice, Griffea stated. "Over the past few years, DLA's role in DoD logistics has greatly increased when it comes to contingency logistics planning and execution."
DLA provides supply support, and technical and logistics services to the U.S. military services and several federal civilian agencies. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., the agency is the one source for nearly every consumable item, whether for combat readiness, emergency preparedness or day-to-day operations.
Media Contact: Jack Hooper (703) 767-5121
jack.hooper@dla.mil
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