WARNER ROBINS, Georgia –
Reservists spent mid-July putting their training requirements to work meeting Defense Logistics Agency needs.
Members of Disposition Service Units 2 and 5 reported to the DLA Disposition Services at Warner Robins, Georgia, to process property turned in at the site and prepare for future operations when they might support DLA in a disaster or contingency operation. Area Manager Mike Kelly said the 11 soldiers, sailors and airmen of the two DSUs concentrated on performing kind, count and condition reviews of 2,293 turn-in documents identifying property worth an estimated $18.3 million. Additionally, materials for 1,480 orders were picked, packaged and staged for shipment.
“The augmentation that this team provided helped to clear the way for additional mission essential workload,” Kelly said. “We are expecting a second round of support from our warfighters in the months to come and are excited to have them back on the ground with us.”
Reservists were also trained on the reutilization, transfer and donation process, the role of the disposal service representative, and handling special equipment during the two-week timeframe.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Raphael Berrios, DSU-2’s senior enlisted leader, said he knows the value of the experience for reservists and DLA since he works for DLA Disposition Services as the site manager at Fort Benning, Georgia, when not serving in Army Reserve. Berrios said the training was effective because of the hands-on experience with a large operation and supporting different tasks.
“Some had the opportunity to go out with a DSR, visit local customers and assist them in the turn in of items,” Berrios said.
Additional training was also provided in the Digital DSR website, which Berrios said his comrades use to demonstrate to future customers who sometimes need help to make an appointment, complete necessary paperwork and understand the certifications required to turn in items. He said the site also shows where to find the regulations and the points of contact for the different services that DLA provides.
Reservists assisted real customers with real needs who were picking up items that had been requisitioned for reuse. Others that were licensed on operated material handling equipment, like forklifts, prepared items for shipment from Warner Robins.
“Overall, the mission was a success, and it gave the service members the opportunity to engage and experience the DLA mission outside of their usual support on the weekends,” Berrios said.
Berrios said he feels the training using real operations prepares reservists so well for the DLA mission when deploying overseas that it should be an additional requirement of the service member’s training once that member has been identified for deployment.
“Using reservists to help with the backlog at our sites just makes sense,” Berrios said. “The sites get free help and the reservists receive additional job training so they are more effective when they deploy.”