Arriving in one piece: TMO ensures proper care for owner’s property

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Keenan Berry
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  From the mail carriers to the final destination, packages and parts are being processed and handled with caution, ensuring delivery to the customer in one piece.

Whiteman Air Force Base receives a steady flow of mail and supplies for both military and civilian personnel. Regulating and properly distributing these items is one of the responsibilities of the 509th Logistics Readiness Squadron's transportation management office.

When mail and supplies arrive, TMO performs procedures to ensure the material is safe, and delivered to its rightful owner.

"We inspect the property and ensure there is no shortage, overage, hazardous material or damage," said Airman 1st Class Garrett Rosio, 509th LRS traffic management journeyman. "We also make sure the documents match up with the information on the box, process and distribute it to indoor supply."

Whenever TMO receives customer's supplies, they record the information on the property, contact the owner and notify them to pick it up.

TMO handles both classified and general routine property to include parts supporting aircraft, such as the B-2 Spirit, and vehicles around the base. When parts arrive, they are processed and ship to their destination.

"If a customer orders something for their shop, the property arrives through various carriers such as UPS or FedEx, to us," said Staff Sgt. Tarae Day, 509th LRS NCO in charge of inbound cargo. "We get the property, sign for it and process it to ensure the customer got exactly what they ordered. If someone ordered a quantity of three and a quantity of four arrived instead, this would be an example of an overage; meaning we received more than what was requested. We would still document and process the information into the system stating we received the property on the customer's behalf. After it has been processed, the customer can receive it."

TMO records every property's information onto a DD Form 1348-A1. This form helps TMO keep accountability of the property, and contains pertinent information such as national stack number, description, and whether its classified or not. The information is then documented into two systems: enterprise solutions supply and cargo movement operations system.

"If the person has a tracking number and wants to see if the property has arrived, they would go to the CMOS," Day said. "Once the person has plugged their information into the system, it will show them the date, time and whoever signed for it."

If the property is damaged, TMO will initiate the process of sending it to the supply inspection section. Once supply receives the property, they will determine why it's broken and what needs to be done with it.

"We do what is called a supply discrepancy report which states that there is something wrong with the property," Day said. "Once the documentation has been made, we gather with supply to decide what to do with the property."

Along with damaged property, TMO may also receive property intended for another base; this is called a misdirected shipment. TMO will continue the routine process of documenting the property as if it was intended for Whiteman AFB. The system then informs TMO on where the property was intended to be shipped to.

TMO personnel are frequently faced with potential hazardous elements, and receive supplemental training on hazardous material preparation to learn how to handle hazardous material.

"Supplemental training is important because someone who doesn't have this training could possibly sign for property delivery and not be aware that the material could be hazardous," Day said. "Supplemental training is a two-week temporary duty assignment for apprentices at Fort Lee, Va.; bases can vary depending on the availability of instructors."

One of TMO's goals is to remain a top notch program, ready and willing to help all Team Whiteman. Having tight-knit bond with fellow co-workers and leadership helps TMO achieve this.

"I love the people I work with... we are just one big family," Rosio said. "If one person needs something, they don't even have to ask. Everyone, including our leadership, will help that person out whether it's personal needs or transportation. It's one the tightest families I've known besides my own. It ain't success without LRS!"