The stuff the Army issues is Excellent!

[daftandbarmy]

I think Joint is ok, we all need to work together, but IMHO this is a direct ramification of the unification and integration that took place in the 60s and early 70s.  We tried to force 3 very different Supply services to all work in the same method, while giving small nuances, and then never giving our people the opportunity to actually learn that field to a higher degree because "Supply has to have experience in more than one environment". 

Full discretion, I am the Snr Storesman (RQ for you Army types) at FDU(A).  Ya about those rucks.  They are entitled to them off of the EOD Operator SOI, and that is a very recent development that that SOI was amended to include all CDs posted to a FDU.  It spawned out of a Snr NCM CD having a temper tantrum over not being entitled to the new ruck sack, so he got his whole trade added to the EOD Operator SOI which still only has the old ruck.  He did that in about 5 mins via an email to another Snr NCM CD who runs that SOI, and *poof* entitlement exists. 

Anyways, enough on that.  I have to stop before I get myself in trouble lol.

No disagreement from me.

I do blame my trade partially. I have been that LS/Cpl at the counter at clothing, getting berated by a Sgt because he doesn't want to return his kit.  Then he disappears into my Sgts office and *poof* he can keep his kit or perhaps no need for an MLR.  "LS Make it happen".  I can't tell you how many times I have seen stuff like that happen. 

I recently took some MLRs to the BOR that my CO had ordered to have funds recovered.  Not a clerk in that OR had any idea how to do this because it hadn't been done in forever.  We have not been holding people accountable for their kit for a very long time. 

In Mar of this year I had an LCMM and Supply Manager try to shanghai my Cpl and have him find out all of their outstand requisitions.  Yup the LCMM and SM couldn't even find out what they had outstanding to action.

We have some, not all, extremely weak leadership in Supply and Log as a whole.  I have my opinions as to why and they aren't nice.  But that's for the Sgts/WOs mess while having a smoke and a cold one.

Let's get back on track....

Gun tape. I (heart) Gun Tape.

Anyone with me?

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Let's get back on track....

Gun tape. I (heart) Gun Tape.

Anyone with me?

I just used some to tape up a training file folder that fell apart due to it containing the largest number of medical chits I've ever seen any candidate in the CAF have.  File Folder has been preserved!

Gun tape for then win!

 

[Halifax Tar]

Let's get back on track....

Gun tape. I (heart) Gun Tape.

Anyone with me?

If you can show a person who says they don't; I will show you a liar

 

[daftandbarmy]

If you can show a person who says they don't; I will show you a liar

Precisely.

The ONLY way it could be made better would be to give it a matte finish, IMHO.

 

[Blackadder1916]

If you can show a person who says they don't; I will show you a liar

Love gun tape?  Nope!.  Like it, yes.  Admire?  Respect? Yes, yes.  Maybe even have a fondness that is unexplainable to those who haven't served in Canadian uniform.  But if you "heart" gun tape, you are probably doing things with it that shouldn't be known by loved ones, friends and colleagues.  And yes, I have seen some people who used gun tape for, let's say, very creative things.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Heretic, burn him at the stake, for not having unconditional love of all things guntape. 

 

[OldSolduer]

I just used some to tape up a training file folder that fell apart due to it containing the largest number of medical chits I've ever seen any candidate in the CAF have.  File Folder has been preserved!

Gun tape for then win!

Gun tape Is awesome!

 

[SupersonicMax]

  ]

<caveat> I have no time with the RCAF <caveat>

If you have parts that are different depending on the side of the aircraft they are on then they should have different NSNs.  Your tech have publications and programs that should tell them what NSNs to order, I have sent many a stoker back to his CFTOs and schematics to investigate the part they need.  Ordering four of the same part, because you cant identify what you actually need, when you actually need one is only compounding the problem WRT lack of spare parts. 

Its a huge issue on ships.  Engineers are awful for keeping "bench stock" of even NS parts.  When these should be returned to the repair lines to continue the parts life cycle and be available for issue to someone in need.

I am not making this up.  Same NSNs slightly different part numbers (XXXX-01 vs XXXX-02).  This was discussed at fairly high levels (GOs) somewhat recently and I believe a change is coming.  People actually irder several of the same NSN in hopes to get the right part.  And sometimes, parts are time expired or plainly unserviceable (and even identified as such)...  our supply system may work for the Army and Navy but it ain't really working for the Air Force (our airworthiness program is a lot more rigourous than equivalents jn the Navy or Army). 

The issue with aircraft is they break.  And we don't have too many.  And our force generation programs depend on aircraft availability (and 1 aircraft avalaible doesn't cut it in a fighter squadron - you need at least
4 to do anything meaningful).  So when one breaks, we need parts yesterday.  Since we're not allowed to keep parts stocks at the unit, we have to go through the supply system.  The part takes a week to get here (and sometimes, it is the wrong part or it is not usable).  In the mean time, another aircraft breaks and we also need parts to fix it....  you see where this is going...

The Air Force, from my limited experience with other elements, has a lot faster pace while Force Generating.  It is always a high tempo to support FG (year round).  There is no real break in a year where we drop tools, stop flying and do other types of Force Generation.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Canopy ties, from parachutes. Do they still have those? That was part of my landing drills ‘remove canopy tie and stuff in pocket’. 

 

[Eye In The Sky]

That's not 100% true PC.  I would bet that there are a ton of people in the CAF who have Rucks and sleeping bag sys complete that aren't entitled to them.  We have an unfounded belief that the Canadian Forces Supply System is a constant failure, when in reality its not.  Its actually a very good system that we, the whole of the CAF, abuse and circumvent and then blame said system for failure.  We have a problem in the CAF and its Kit hoarding.  And its not just limited to clothing, its also spare parts.

Army boots.  NCDs.  aircrew knives.  flight suits.  strobe lights.

If we are short on all these things, how exactly do we have a good supply system?  I had a CT/OT show up.  He couldn't get a simple Air Ops capbadge.  Or the right slip ons.  Or boots.

That doesn't exactly reflect a 'very good system' to me.  I had to explain to Wg Supply and indirectly to the IM how there was a need for Supply to actually have on hand at least a few or the aircrew rescue tools.  They thought it was suitable if the mbr brought one in, and then a new ones was shipped from Depot.  I had to explain that the mbr might be flying the next day and that our orders state "shall fly with issued knife", etc.  It was really only when I said "ok, well I am the Sqn ALSEO and I have to go back and brief the CO on this whole shamoozle" that I really got them to listen.

If we can't get mandatory flying kit, cap badges and operational uniforms...our system is not working, IMO.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I love the new waterproof sleeping bag valise. Makes a great dry bag

 

[Eagle_Eye_View]

Sorry I’m going on a tangent here, but we desperately need flightsuit. I heard someone mention they started issuing the tan one in Portage due to a critical shortage in the system. Anyone can confirm? 

 

[SupersonicMax]

Now imagine if all aircrew trades were 100% manned.

I canmt get flight suits that have no holes or tears from supply...

 

[ballz]

We have an unfounded belief that the Canadian Forces Supply System is a constant failure, when in reality its not.  Its actually a very good system that we, the whole of the CAF, abuse and circumvent and then blame said system for failure.

If that's the problem, that's an internal control failure... which is entirely a part of the system you are calling great.

If I have a "great" financial system, but people keep stealing money... is it a great financial system?

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Now imagine if all aircrew trades were 100% manned.

I canmt get flight suits that have no holes or tears from supply...

And that is one layer of the 'dual layer' system;  this is, and should have been, totally preventable.  Not only can some of the Sqn folks not get flight suits, they can't get rescues tools/knives, or the outter piece of the glove system.  How are you supposed to fly with mandatory kit that you can't get ???  Where does it stop, especially with ASLE?

 

[daftandbarmy]

And that is one layer of the 'dual layer' system;  this is, and should have been, totally preventable.  Not only can some of the Sqn folks not get flight suits, they can't get rescues tools/knives, or the outter piece of the glove system.  How are you supposed to fly with mandatory kit that you can't get ???  Where does it stop, especially with ASLE?

Rescue knives? I bet they're good kit, right?

You know, like the title of this thread

 

[TCM621]

As a tech, I can vouch for Max's view. A part maybe the same from a supply stand point but perhaps only certain part numbers are approved for use on the plane. Occasionally, supply will stop carrying the part and move to a different part number and we are stuck seeking deviations which can take weeks or submitting a UCR which can take months or years. This is a systematic problem not a people problem because 90 percent of the suptechs who work at the units do what they can to help.

We have another issue which is a lack of parts being purchased or contracts for repair being unsigned. To give you a semi recent example, we had to swap Flight data recorders between planes because we had no serviceable ones in the system and no hope of getting one for months. That isn't even a case of not being able to fight a war, that is a case of being legal to fly. No one was hording FDRs, they had broken and we had no contract to fix them.

As I said, the system is broken and I have seen similar issues with 3 services. From Ranger blankets which were ops restricted to Afghanistan forcing guys in the Sudan to take a down filled sleeping bag, to a shortage of combat clothing in popular sizes, to mission critical parts being unavailable for long periods of time.

I know suptechs can only issue what is available so I don't blame the guys and gals on the front desk but claiming our supply problem is the result of members hording is just not true.

I am not making this up.  Same NSNs slightly different part numbers (XXXX-01 vs XXXX-02).  This was discussed at fairly high levels (GOs) somewhat recently and I believe a change is coming.  People actually irder several of the same NSN in hopes to get the right part.  And sometimes, parts are time expired or plainly unserviceable (and even identified as such)...  our supply system may work for the Army and Navy but it ain't really working for the Air Force (our airworthiness program is a lot more rigourous than equivalents jn the Navy or Army). 

The issue with aircraft is they break.  And we don't have too many.  And our force generation programs depend on aircraft availability (and 1 aircraft avalaible doesn't cut it in a fighter squadron - you need at least
4 to do anything meaningful).  So when one breaks, we need parts yesterday.  Since we're not allowed to keep parts stocks at the unit, we have to go through the supply system.  The part takes a week to get here (and sometimes, it is the wrong part or it is not usable).  In the mean time, another aircraft breaks and we also need parts to fix it....  you see where this is going...

The Air Force, from my limited experience with other elements, has a lot faster pace while Force Generating.  It is always a high tempo to support FG (year round).  There is no real break in a year where we drop tools, stop flying and do other types of Force Generation.

 

[dapaterson]

We incentivize people to work on the Transform line of business (shiny new things) and forget about the imperative of the Sustain line of business (keeping in operation what we already have).

So the Army will prioritize buying integrated GPS / radio / fighting harness / whatchamathingits over sleeping bags, rucksacks or other sustainment items.  Basic and boring doesn't get much attention or love, until it's not there.

 

[Halifax Tar]

I am running a 100% SCA/SLoc verification IAW Change of Command requirements.  This was previously completed in March of this year.  In less than 3 complete months since the last 100% verification I still have counts coming back with massive dollar value differences.  I still have SCA Holders asking why they cant see their holding balances.  I have NSNs that have been counted correct for the last years as suddenly coming up as deficient.

When I first came to this unit our Log O requested a Logistics Compliance Inspection (LRI).  The final report was 22 pages long and 11 of them belonged to Supply/LPO.  The other 11 were split between HR, Finance, and NPF.  It was not a good report, I have 17 months into fixing what is years of neglect and abuse and while we aren't perfect yet we are trending in the right direction.

Even after every member of this unit has had to read and sign the report, I continue to get static and opposition.  Material management isn't sexy.  Its time consuming and monotonous, there is no glory and usually the only feed back is negative.  If you look at the stats of requisitions submitted  V requisitions filled you will see the success rates are there.

Hoarding is a problem with clothing items.  We have the ability too manipulate data in DRMIS to find out who is holding what.  Anything outside of a members SOI(s) can be identified and return action requested.

Do we have a problematic procurement system, 100% yes.  Its restrictive, cumbersome, not designed for a military, and has so much red tape its a bureaucrat's wet dream.  But that is not the Canadian Forces Supply System (CFSS).  That the procurement system.  And while it feeds the CFSS they are not one in the same.  The CFSS is used to managed to the material that is fed into it. 

We are realizing that providing material support to 40 year old airframes is difficult, to put it nicely.  My 2nd ship was HMCS Preserver, we struggled with similar problems.  Hell we had crates in 12 Stores that were still labeled HMCS Hochelaga, bonus points if you know what that is/was.

We have the systems and the policies in place to successfully conduct material management for the CAF.  Actual stores volumes and enforcement of said system and policies it outside the control of the CFSS itself.

Neat factoid for you, our trade name is changing in the fall.  We are going from Supply Technician to Material Management Technician. 

-------------

Time for a thread split ?

 

[Halifax Tar]

I just read an article that I cannot post here that quotes a LCol as saying there are 4000 members in the CAF with 2 more ruck sacks.  The 4000+ surplus to members entitlements rucks sure sound like hoarding to me.