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Show HILLTOP TIMES TIMES May 13, 2010 Supplying the warf ighter i BY KATHY E. PAINE Tinker Air Force Base Public Affairs T INKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. — Like most things it only takes one great idea and something new and wonderful is created. On March 1, the 448th Supply Chain Management Wing stood up the Planning for Defense Logistics Agency Managed Consumables Flight with the goal of improving DLA support to the Air Force. "Our main goal is to improve DLA support to our depot maintenance and the warfighter," said Diane Nichols, PDMC flight chief. This flight serves as the Air Force's focal point to DLA for collaborative planning and Demand Data Exchange, which is a method of electronically passing future Air Force parts requirements to DLA. Its mission is to improve material availability of DLA managed consumables across the Air Force enterprise at the time of need by enhancing the DLA demand plan. "PDMC is proactive planning. This new flight will provide projected supply plans via Demand Data Exchange transactions that are based on information that would not otherwise be evident through DLA's historically based forecasting techniques," said Carol Oakley, 428th Supply Chain Management Squadron leader. The process begins when requirements for DLA managed parts are generated as a result of a demand trigger which is initiated by organizations to identify events in future workload that will increase or decrease demand for DLA parts. The PDMC Flight will assemble the demand plan, validate requirements for, multiple users and generate and submit the total Air Force supply plan to DLA. "We need to help DLA by letting them know what our need is," said Nichols. "Right now, DLA develops a forecast for us based on historical usage. They are assuming what we always used is \vhat we are going to need in the future. If we know there is going to be a change in that requirement, we need to let them know so they can lay in their supply plan and be ready to support us when we need the part. So that is what our flight is dogging, future planning for DLA consumables." §g Throughout this process there will be a continuj£.ous flow of information and feedback between w£the requesting organization, DLA and the PDMC ^Flight, which will make continuous process imSMprovement possible. The aircraft custainment Sowing, Air Force Global Systems Support Center, MARGO WRIGHT/U.S. Air Force (Left to right) At Tinker Air Force Base, PDMC forward demand planners Stacie Acton and Lanora Clark and operations research analyst Diana Moore, focus on multiple customers' DLA parts requirements. Planning, I validating and consolidating requirements in a single demand plan to DLA increases parts supportability and contributes to the flight's continuing goal of enhancing warfighter support. -\ maintenance wing and Air Force Space Command process initiators are essential to the success of this initiative. They are responsible for assembling necessary demand data, performing requirement calculations and generating the demand input to the PDMC Flight. Their contribution ensures successful supply plan processing to DLA and improved materiel availability of DLA managed parts across the Air Force enterprise at the time of need. The PDMC process is a key contributor to the achievement of optimal supply support to the warfighter. The PDMC flight is part of the 428th Supply Chain Mainagement Squadron located in the 948th Supply Chain Management Group and is one of several major improvements currently under way within the 448th Supply Chain Management Wing. The flight is located in the 428th SCMS at Tinker with operating locations in the 406th Supply Chain Management Squadron at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., and the 418th Supply Chain Management Squadron at Hill AFB. The flight is manned by an operations research analyst, four demand supply planners and three forward demand planners. Both Robins and Hill are manned with three forward demand planners. A major milestone was achieved by the flight in March by generating the inaugural Demand Data Exchange File containing enterprise wide DLA parts requirements. The PDMC process will positively impact achievement of the Air Force goal of Demand Data Exchange and Web based collaborative planning. In the 448th SCMW, work streams have been actively addressing tough supply issues that have a history of delaying support to the customers. One important improvement for all of us to understand is the applicability of the Planning for DLA Managed Consumables Flight and what it means members of the Air Force Global Logistics Support Center, aircraft sustainment and maintenance wings across the enterprise. Editor's note: The PDMC Flight contributed the, facts for this story. Air Force Base to host military blood drive BY STAFF SGT. JARKOVEY JORDAN Installation Blood Drive manager T 1 he Armed Services Blood Bank Center - Pacific Northwest, or ASBBC-PNW, will be conducting a blood drive May 24-25 in the Airman and Family Readiness Center. The doors will be open to accept walk-in donors 8 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. The blood that is collected at the blood drive will be in Iraq or Afghanistan approximately two weeks from the time it is donated. An example of a weekend that requires such donations was the instance in which two sets of soldiers when their vehicles were hit with improvised explosive devices. This event required the transfusion of 135 units of blood; each unit is about a pint. Additionally, there were two soldiers with severe injuries requiring 14 units for one soldier and 51 units for the other. They were able to make it home alive thanks to the gracious donations given by the smalipercentage of people willing to give up a little time and little of themselves. The ASBBC-PNW is one of two military blood donor centers in the Western Region. It is based at Fort Lewis/ McChord Air Force Base, Wash., and travels all over the Western Region collecting blood from various military organizations and installations. The ASBBC-PNW is seeking all eligible people associated with the Department of Defense to help, this includes contractors, military dependents, retirees, and reservists. Civilians can donate also if they have access. The ASBBC-PNW has a requirement to fulfill three basic needs: • The needs of the troops overseas, which is their No. 1 priority • The needs of the military hospitals in the region • Any other military hospitals that need additional support during emergencies and extreme patient needs. In order to meet these requirements, the ASBBC-PNW must collect about 800-1,000 units of blood per month. There has been difficulty in reaching this goal primarily because the donor pool has shrunk so much due to deployments. When shortages like this occur, the difference must be purchased from civilian blood centers. Depending on the type and availability of blood, prices can range from $200 to $400 per unit. To make matters worse, even when those deployed return, they will not be eligible to donate for up to a year, depending on where they were. Afghanistan, Iraq and eastern Turkey each carry restrictions from donating. However, many of the other countries in the Middle East that the military travels to are acceptable. Kuwait and Qatar have no restrictions. Saudi Arabia, Oman, U.A.E. and Egypt all have limited risk in very small areas that the military has no bases near. The process of donating blood, from beginning to end, takes approximately 45 minutes. This includes registration, interview and physical screening, and the actual collection of a pint of blood which takes 5-10 minutes. Except for the small prick from the needle, the process is pretty painless. In addition to the travel restrictions for the Middle East, here are some common reasons why potential donors are deferred: * • Spent three months in the United Kingdom or six months anywhere else in Western Europe between 1980 and 1996; or have a cumulative of five years or more in Europe from 1997 to present • Had a tattoo put on or altered within the past year; although 20 approved states only have a one-week waiting period. A list will be available at the blood drive. • Stationed in Korea between Seoul and the DMZ in the past two years Even if a person is found to be ineligible, there are other ways they can help. Emphasizing the importance of donating to others who are eligible can be a big help. Formally established as the Military Blood Program in 1952 by presidential order as part of the National Blood Program, today's Armed Services Blood Program consists of approximately 81 blood banks and blood donor centers worldwide, including 21 Food and Drug Administration licensed blood donor centers. Some, like the Armed Service Blood Bank Center are Joint Operations consisting of Army, Air Force and Navy personnel. A staff member will answer questions at the door during the drive to help you determine whether or not you are eligible. If you have any questions specifically about the blood drive, contact the installation coordinator Staff Sgt. Jarkovey Jordan at (801) 7772154. Additionally, you can find other . answers to become a donor, or to find out if you are eligible by going to the Armed Services Blood Program Web site: httpy/www.militaryblood.dod.mi]/ default.aspx, do a search by Sponsor Code: HILL. This Web site also allows you to make an appointment if you have time constraints. Ogden Marathon organizers seek volunteer help T he tenth annual Ogden £] Marathon is set for May 1§ with volunteer opportuni-^ ties starting as early as May 127; and continuing through the day ^ of the race. ;'; A successful event does not f; take place without generous support from the community. Be a>| participant of one of the nation's; best marathons without running^ a step! If you are not planning | to run on race day but would -v still like to experience the thrilli and satisfaction of making this i nationally recognized race pos-^ sible then contribute by being a;^ volunteer. $ Race crew volunteers are !.i needed to work the NordicTracl^ Fun and Fitness Expo and to of-3 fer support to runners from theji start to the finish line and ev- :5 erywhere in between. i Help the GOAL Foundation ;| showcase the community by |j joining a team of dedicated volunteers to host thousands of runners from all over the country | May 14 and 15t. H This year there will be a vol- : unteer appreciation party in the* amphitheater immediately fol- > lowing race events. Make sure j| you come hungry. Your volun- § teer shirt will be your ticket intb the celebration! Visit http://www.getoutandlive.orgj^ndex.php/volunteer/ ogden-marathon or follow the volunteer link«to become a volunteer today. |
