Supply Chain Problems??

[JJ_BPK]

Disturbing,,

Is this a problem of:

1)An across the board supply chain failure
2)Is it a "you dumb shiites waited until the last minute" to mission plan??
3)You want toys that are not and may never be "in the system"



My feeble understanding is that teams get a chunk of money to cover the non-supply chain items, until they become available,, or are unique mission specific, one-shot deals??

Batteries,, does not compute????

Lacking Basic Gear, Special Operators Stuck Buying Their Own Equipment

WASHINGTON -- Sean Matson, who recently left active duty as a Navy SEAL, said the military measured his head four times -- each time before deployment -- with plans to provide him a more advanced ballistic helmet.

But the new helmet never materialized. During a deployment in Africa, Matson and six of his fellow SEALs each shelled out about $900 for updated helmets that held the lights, communications devices and batteries needed for their missions.

"There was never a clear solution to it, so guys were going out spending $800-$900 on their own ballistic helmet," said Matson, who is now CEO of the military supply company Matbock.

Elite troops such as the SEALs are more and more forced to dip into their own pockets to purchase basic military gear such as helmets, global positioning devices and medical supplies, according to Matson and others involved in the military's unofficial civilian-side supply network who came to Capitol Hill on Thursday.

House lawmakers have taken notice and said they will request an explanation from Defense Secretary Ash Carter.

"These are the guys we assume have the best gear all the time," said Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, a Marine Corps combat veteran.

Hunter said special operations troops have been approaching him in his California district complaining about the inability to get needed materials and he has been investigating the issue.

Numerous individual instances point to a systemic problem in the military's supply chain, but a blind spot exists between Defense Department vendors and the troops who need the gear and supplies, Hunter said.

"It's been impossible for me to find out how the money is getting stopped and why it is not going down to where it's supposed to be," he said.

Aaron Negherbon is the executive director of the nonprofit group Troops Direct, which ships needed and requested supplies -- from boot laces to tablet devices -- to service members who cannot get it through their commands.

Less than two days after the attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya, Negherbon said he was contacted by the commander of a Marine Corps Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team that was being deployed there.

The commander told him the team lacked a variety of crucial equipment, including sniper supplies, he said.

"They came to us for ... batteries because they didn't have any of those. ... It is kind of like, 'What the heck is going on?' " Negherbon said.[/COLOR]

He said troops often have to buy their own medical equipment such as tourniquets, and shell out about $1,000 each for their own helmets or $500 for a GPS device that they need for duty during a deployment.

"The question is, why can't you get this?" Negherbon said.

Often the answer seems to be a higher command does not have the money budgeted or the equipment was approved but not available from vendors.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2...tml?ESRC=eb.nl

[Golf1echo]

2011-2012 we experienced an end to unit purchases for our equipment which granted, is not within the NSN supply chain, since then all purchases have been made by individuals. Talking to any acquisition guys the last few years they just shake their heads perhaps a remark about Disabled Veteran Small Business certification....Ironically there is someone in one of the COM's that has been trying to purchase pieces but nothing ever materializes and yet that same ..COM is promoting innovative initiatives to connect with small business.

Matbock is one of the companies that has navigated the supply chain well and surely they had some help...the NSW Supply Chain is considerably different than Army, Marine, and greater Air Forces chains. It is much more streamlined and good on them, and nice to see it translate over to other branches.

From our perspective we see very different needs from end users, mission sets can change, theaters of operation change, deployment frequency and duration, etc... make a more nimble supply chain critical.

As a small company one challenge is to credential up, market, develop, source materials, manage labor/ equipment and maintain relevant connections in the ever changing landscape of the logistic world....from that we take a slightly different approach and focus on our end users, their needs, and satisfaction.....

[Divemaster]

In 2005 every man (microaggressive gender term) on my ODA spent a few hundred dollars out of pocket to buy ammo pouches to hang on our body armor, and other needed kit before heading to Iraq. This happened throughout the battalion. The mollie pouches from our LBV were not going to cut it in a CQB environment. The promised money to kit out the battalion never came prior to launching in early 2006.

[blue02hd]

"Basic gear"??

Navy Seal XXX is upset that he didn't get the latest shiny object so he was forced to spend 900.00 of his own TDY money to buy a helmet with rails in order to deploy "effectively"? So what did he train with?? Makes me wonder how anyone ever managed to deploy before? Give me a break.

I've only been off the teams 2 years, but I can tell you here and now we never deployed without mission critical items. Did we have all the gucci gear we wanted? Nope. Those days ended back in 2005 or so.

This feels to me like a cheap shot attempt to promote a vendor or secure a contract.

[Dive08]

Originally Posted by blue02hd

Navy Seal XXX is upset that he didn't get the latest shiny object so he was forced to spend 900.00 of his own TDY money to buy a helmet with rails in order to deploy "effectively"?

I have to concur. Id be willing to bet the $900 was spent on a new Crye Airframe helmet because his ACH equivalent wasnt cool enough. I worked with SEALs just this year who had standard Navy camo pattern kit but crye uniforms. They were not happy wearing the standard Navy kit.

The batteries mentioned in the original post on the other hand I dont know. USMC failure to re-up on CR-32s? ineptitude? I will say I have heard for years (at the tactical level) that the USMC is always underfunded getting left overs from the Navy.

Edited for clarity.

[blue02hd]

deleted, double post.

[Golf1echo]

I thought in fairness a post regarding a more innovative approach to the Supply Chain would be in order.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/busines...medium=twitter

Certainly efforts at the front end to keep innovation relevant.

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by Dive08

Navy Seal XXX is upset that he didn't get the latest shiny object so he was forced to spend 900.00 of his own TDY money to buy a helmet with rails in order to deploy "effectively"?

Maybe he needed the rail space for his selfie stick and his GoPro.

It helps with the movie deal.

TR

[Surf n Turf]

Originally Posted by Golf1echo

I thought in fairness a post regarding a more innovative approach to the Supply Chain would be in order.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/busines...medium=twitter

Certainly efforts at the front end to keep innovation relevant.

Golf 1 Echo,

I know you are not advocating ---- I'm just blowing off steam

Forgive my ignorance, but don't we taxpayers already fund DARPA. This exercise sounds as if it should be in their domain.

In spite of the noble sounding press release, It also sounds like duplication of the worst sort, and a bureaucrats wet dream.

If DARPA isn't working, fix-it or shit can it ---- I have no preference, but don't duplicate it with a mini-version

SnT

SOFWERX and Thunderdome Project

Take the offensive, armed with a mandate backed by a budget running well into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

[Golf1echo]

Surf n Turf my perspective is from the outside looking in, it would be interesting to have some acquisition or force mod folks identify where they think issues are but thats not likely to happen here....or perhaps in a way it has.

I'm following you and would agree about waste and redundancy, rice bowls colliding is a well worn theme in the vast machine of logistics.

It is my understanding that every Command has interests in supply assets, it is written into doctrine in significant detail ( Bureaucracy ). PEO Soldier develops for the greater force and that command exists in many bases across the spectrum if I get that right. NATICK works in partnership with PEO, calling them their boss. DARPA, it is my understanding involves it'self in bigger scientific endeavors. SOFWERX I understand is an effort to connect with existing off the shelf technology in support of SOF's as well as TILO, and OSBP offices within SOCOM, I think that is a very important approach.

Perhaps another way to look at it is that I have spoken with folks at NATICK...they are interested and can accommodate testings and ratings, etc...within a contractual format at your expense..similarly to places like Ft Greely . I have spoken with SOCOM acquisition folks and they have many formats of review and inserting approved technologies into RFI programs across the country. It is more difficult to speak with PEO Soldier folks as a civilian vs a service member. So access is good considering, but these agencies are not throwing monies out until a technology and need has been vetted, surely there have been some worm holes but there have been improvements for the field. This is a part of the whole apparatus and to use an analogy, in Britain MI5 and MI6 and other such organizations have always needed special tools different from the tools of the greater military.

They need those tools and these programs as SOF's continue to be tasked as the bigger forces go through a draw down phase.

Getting back to your point and the bigger logistic issues...I picked up a publication at a show one time that referenced a company that has provided air handling units ( air cooling, heating and power generation ) since before World War II...now that made my head roll!

[blue02hd]

Golf1Echo,

I recognize your more strategic angle, and could not properly advise on how to streamline the process. From the ODA level I would offer this perspective:

Procurement procedures have constantly changed over the past decade and a half, just as they always had prior and I'm sure continue to now. On each SF ODA there are at least one or two NCO's who are designated to focus on the current logistical/procurement system and directed to leverage/negotiate/advantage it. This could require redundant paperwork over months, or a last minute Memorandum For Request cranked out and signed five minutes prior to Supply NCO heads downtown with his Credit Card. It is damn near a daily "time sink". The mechanics change, but the responsibility of the ODA to identify, request, and have approved their requirements will not.

Not perfect, and I like others have spent personal funds on kit that I wanted but could not get through the system, but to describe those items as BASIC is untrue. Batteries? Seriously? They have ALWAYS been an issue if not planned for. Your best 18C's 18E's never let them become an issue. This, more than any other reason, is why I wave the bullshit flag on the bereft SEALS. More "Plan, Prep, and Execute" instead of "Wish, Bitch, and Whine".