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Show Air Fd"g (Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of articles outlining some of the highlights of AFLC during the year .1965.) Providing support to the stepped-u- p operations in the Vietnam war gave the Air Force Logistics Command its major challenge in 1965. While meeting this challenge and performing all other phases of its "global mission, the command continued to press for improved management techniques, greater efficiency and cost reduction. cedures, and monitoring them through staff visits, nance teams, called RAM lor .: Wright-Patterso- Air Force Base, j ' n Ohio, logistics management or to its air materiel areas which are designated AMAs as system support managers for delegates ; j and which have support responsibil- top-notc- USAF combat units. ON AUTOMOTIVE STRIP Your AUTOMOTIVE HEADQUARTERS. AMMUNITIONS A highly successful logistics innovation is the "Special Express" system for airmunitions. Initially, this was a five-shi- p shuttle system to transport air-munitio- ns to Southeast Asia and provide floating warehouse service to Vietnam. It has now been expanded to 10 ships. RAM AND RASS it We Honor Any Credit Card or Charge Plate tSt Ve Have ir A Good Thing Going expediting phase-outare headquartered at bat units. Warner Robins, Ga.; San An. Formation of the RAM and tonio, Texas; Oklahoma City, RASS teams resulted from the UKia.; ugaen, Utah; and Calif. command's recognition that overseas combat operations generate This compression of facilities made possible by the peak workloads beyond the capabilities of the operating force; streamlined concept of logisand that special skills and extra tics management will reeffort must be provided in the sult in a considerable savings maintenance and supply areas. in overhead expenses. It is estimated that after the Operations in Southeast Asia s phase-outof illustration have been completed provide a striking of the during the next three and a half the increasing importance men who keep aircraft in flying years, the overhead savings will condition. Wherever performed, amount to $96 million annually. it is a difficult and exacting job. Savings in people will total about In Vietnam, those who perform it 8,500. are subject to the hazards faced are being acThe phase-ou- ts combat personnel. by complished under a carefully program Four civilian employees of the planned, time-phase- d a to view with Area Materiel avoiding the Sacramento Air in weapon deterioration lost their lives as the result of slightest of Transfers enemy action in Vietnam and a system support. are functions and personnel profifth man was seriously wounded on schedule and AFLC ceeding The five men were members of officials are confident that schedone of the RAM teams, having ules will continue to be met. volunteered for this important and hazardous duty. SPECIALIZED ACTIVITIES s, ities in specified geographic ago by AFLC to support overseas areas. In addition, the command rotations and other high priority several specialized ac- activities. Commanded by General Ken- operates tivities. neth B. Hobson, AFLC has the STAR PROCEDURES VIETNAM WAR mission of keeping Air Force weapon systems at go, at the Under the STAR system, a deleast possible cost. This worldFor quite some time the war ployed activity has a single point wide job entails support of de- in Vietnam has had priority of contact for its logistics refense organizations in approxi- in AFLC planning top and opera- quirements. This weapon system mately 100 countries. tions. The conflict in Southeast control point receives requisiTo perform its enormous and Asia found the command ready tions, performs necessary recomplex task, AFLC has ap- with the most advanced logistics search, maintains follow-u- p and proximately 140,000 people. They concepts and systems in history. expedites delivery of the materiel process 17,000,000 requisitions a This has made it possible to wage to the requesting activity. year and repair a million and a effective air warfare at the end STAR substitutes airlift for half items, components and acces- of a 10,000-mil- e supply line. surface transportation, except sories. Satisfaction with logistics for especially bulky or heavy been support has expressed by PROCUREMENT PROGRAM materiel for which there is commanders in the field. An critical requirement. no is a message sent in The command's procurement example The close monitoring action of May 1965 to the AFLC comprogram runs to approximately mander by Maj. Gen. J. H. the system gives the field units $3 billion a year. Most of this Moore, commander of the Seca "home" they can depend upon goes for modification and replenond Air Division in Vietnam. for support. These faraway units ishment spares for aircraft and "We have been receiving ab must be relieved of as many lo- missiles. and h support from gistics details as possible Also included are propellants, solutely STAR care take procedures your command," General Moore the munitions, electronics and com- stated. "This speaks especially of that. munications, contract mainte- well when you consider that we Originally, STAR was to be nance, special motor vehicles, are about as far away on utilized in support of aircraft just ground support equipment and the end of the pipeline as you only. Experience dictated, howlocal procurement by the air macan get." ever, that his support had to be teriel areas (AMAs). STAR procedures re- extended to other areas, such as AFLC's In fiscal year 1965, AFLC man- ceived special praise from Ge- vehicles, ground generators, and aged a financial program total- neral Moore. STAR which ground communications and elecing $5.9 billion, which included stands for Speed Aerial tronic equipment. ' civilian Through payroll, travel, transpor- Resupply has been found to All aircraft of the expanding tation, aircraft fuels and other be the most effective method of Air Force also have Vietnam related costs. supporting overseas operations. been placed under STAR procedBy setting policies and pro It was developed several years ures, so that this force receives the same quality of support as CLEARFIELD ed The remaining AMA installa. materiel received in the tions, which will have increased Southeast Asia theater and in workloads as a result of the deliveries to com- ' specific weapon systems, HALFWAY BETWEEN LAYTON AND An important factor in keeping pace with the accelerating operations in Vietnam is the use of AFLC's Rapid Area Mainte Sacra-ment- The best AUTOMATIC Adjustment Repaired Exchanged REPAIR AT Ken Holt Co. o, indication that AFLC's advanced concepts and systems are effective in Vietnam is the fact that Not Operationally Ready, Supply rates (NORS) for aircraft have been kept at an acceptable level. With a few ex ceptions, in fact, they compare favorably with rates in the con In addition to its Air Materiel Areas, the Logistics Command has a number of specialized activities. They include: Also, pipeline time to Vietnam has been reduced from a high of about 90 days to an average of between 8 and 10 days. Actually, in some critical instances materiel has AFLC. It provides single-poimanagement for the engineering, installation and maintenance of all Air Force ground communications-e- tinental United States. been received in Vietnam within three days after being requisitioned. There is, however, no tendency toward complacency over the logistics situation in Southeast Asia. "Obviously," General Hob-so- n says, "further tests of logistics capabilities can be expected in the area. There is never anything static about military conflict. We know we must always be prepared for the unpredictable and that calls for imaginative and resourceful thinking of the highest order." The Ground Electronics gineering Installation fan U r Agency nt equipment, such microwave and lectronics as radio, radar, early warning systems. The Military Aircraft Storloage and Disposition Center, AFB in cated at the Arizona desert. It acts as the single point for the Department of Defense and other government airagencies for the storage of craft not in use. Among its missions is the for preparation of stored aircraft return to the operational inveof ntory when necessary. Many are these planes have been and being used in Vietnam. (Continued Next issue; Davis-Month- (M:r:i!fttRJ!M?ritnn: i En- (GEEIA), headquartered at Griffiss AFB, N. Y., and reporting directly to Headquarters Largest Discount Center in Davis County BE SURE TO SEE US FOR PROGRAM short. They expedite removal, AFLC's ODerational covery and repair of crash and are complicated by the fact that battle-damagaircraft, enabling Pacific Air Force maintenance uic tummanu is m the process of phasing out four of its air personnel to concentrate on opmaienei areas, iney are: Rome erational units. . AM A. in New York, Middletown AFLC also has Rapid Area in Pennsylvania, Mobile in AlSupply Support teams, known abama and San Bernardino in as RASS, which help in prouamornia. cessing the large volume of j : KEN HOLT CO. PHASE-OU- T re- AFLC also has surveillance over $1.4 billion of buying transacted by the 240 bases of other commands on a local purchase basis. AFLC headquarters at for 1965 Oommmand) Hig Leigistoes an |