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News | Nov. 24, 2015

Susquehanna’s Emergency Supply Operations Center practice the Continuity of Operations Plan

By DLA Distribution Public Affairs DLA Distribution Public Affairs

Members of the Continuity of Operations planners of Defense Logistics Agency Distribution gathered in the Emergency Supply Operations Center of Defense Distribution Susquehanna on Nov. 6 to test the center’s ability to receive high priority ESOC orders, and to successfully pick, pack and ship items to the customer, in an environment where Defense Standard System is not available.

The scenario for the test situation consisted of DSS and the intranet being down at Defense Distribution Susquehanna and was not expected to be available for three days. The materials selected to fill the emergency requests were only available at Susquehanna, and were to be shipped same day to a location within the United States.

The members of the COOP team, along with DLA Distribution commander, Army Big. Gen. Richard B. Dix met with the ESOC team from Susquehanna and walked through the process from beginning to end.

The process began with Joseph McCarthy, a supply technician on the Defense Distribution Susquehanna ESOC team receiving a request for three high priority items to be shipped from Susquehanna to DLA Distribution Norfolk, Va.

McCarthy, who has been employed at the Distribution center for six years, manually filled out the coding sheets and shipping labels for the three items ordered and emailed one to the warehouse to be picked, packed and shipped. He then followed up with a phone call to confirm they received the request.

Additionally, two orders were hand carried to the warehouse for the same process, in order to verify the orders would still be filled should the electronic system be out of commission.

“We can do this process manually if all the electronic systems go down,” said Dix.

Once the orders were received by the warehouse, either via email or hand, the items were picked, packaged and hand carried to the shipping area to be shipped out the same day.

“We are trying to keep the process as simple as possible,” explained Ron Hunziker, Defense Distribution Susquehanna strategic planning specialist.

In a real life situation, once DSS is reactivated, all data would be entered into DSS to ensure the inventory is properly accounted for.

Everyone on the ESOC team has their own assignments, and work together to ensure their jobs are done correctly. The Defense Distribution Susquehanna ESOC team currently consists of 12 employees, working multiple shifts to ensure the coverage needed.