Over 1.8B in parts going to hell in a hand basket

[KevinB]

See you aren’t the only ones who make odd decisions for storage.

Improper storage damaging $1.8 billion in Army ground combat equipment

Pentagon investigators found that $1.8 billion of the inspected equipment was crumbling or at “increased risk” of falling apart because of poor storage

www.armytimes.com

 

[MJP]

See you aren’t the only ones who make odd decisions for storage.

Improper storage damaging $1.8 billion in Army ground combat equipment

Pentagon investigators found that $1.8 billion of the inspected equipment was crumbling or at “increased risk” of falling apart because of poor storage

www.armytimes.com

Ours is more of a lack of parts issues than storage....kidding kinda.....mostly

For the most part our veh engines & major assemblies (EMAS) and other parts are stored inside at the depot level but mistakes do happen. The true issue is the depots don't have the staff or the infrastructure to do any preventative maint. This is somewhat mitigated by the fact most EMAS have specially designed storage containers and EMAS is supposed to be prepared for storage before it gets to the depots. Again mistakes happen and container seals fail but it is an ok system given our resources.


2nd line warehouses are often the larger issue as they just don't have the space so EMAS often gets relegated outside. Thankfully if issues arose from storage they have the resources to fix 'em

 

[Halifax Tar]

Ours is more of a lack of parts issues than storage....kidding kinda.....mostly

For the most part our veh engines & major assemblies (EMAS) and other parts are stored inside at the depot level but mistakes do happen. The true issue is the depots don't have the staff or the infrastructure to do any preventative maint. This is somewhat mitigated by the fact most EMAS have specially designed storage containers and EMAS is supposed to be prepared for storage before it gets to the depots. Again mistakes happen and container seals fail but it is an ok system given our resources.


2nd line warehouses are often the larger issue as they just don't have the space so EMAS often gets relegated outside. Thankfully if issues arose from storage they have the resources to fix 'em

The East Coast Navy has been building sprung shelters in the law down areas of the Dockyard to give some protection from the weather. But this has been an issue for us as well.

But for us the biggest issues are poor material management practices and poor procurement in filling the CFSS.

 

[FormerHorseGuard]

Old guy here and this will date me.

Base Defence Exercise. Tasked to guard the 1 Canadian Force Supply Depot at CFB Toronto around 1992/1993

We were not allowed inside, the building was massive and too much of value inside to risk.

So we would have to do rotating patrols around the compound. Building was 876 900 square feet of indoor storage and offices ( about the size of 10 to 12 Super Box stores ) It was about 1/4 mile across and 1/2 mile deep. On the night shift I had the job of walking the compound, looking for enemy soldiers ( the supply depot was left alone for the most part of the exercise, they were too busy with protests, simulated bomb threats at the Base HQ and Ops Center) . I would take my time and read labels, check out the stuff I could see on the ground outside the building.

We had exchanged our jeeps for iltis, but there was a stack of jeep frames in crates stacked against the wall, air craft engine crates under pressure outside, a large plywood box on a heavy pallet which was built for packing 5/4 t pick up trucks in. Crates, containers of wire, rows of vehicles just parked fully exposed to the weather, doors and windows on iltis left open blowing in the wind. Cardboard boxes of stuff just sitting on the ground. It looked more like a junk yard than a supply warehouse.

Canadian Forces are just as bad at storing stuff, for many reasons but the main reason is no place to put it or man power to prep it properly or check on it after a few months.

In one the many crates there could of been a CF Arrow for all I know, the crates were piled there for years.

 

[lenaitch]

^^ I remember that building growing up in the area. It was huge, multiple loading doors, it's own rail siding.


Clearly things were being managed by . . . Top . . . Men.

 

[KevinB]

^^ I remember that building growing up in the area. It was huge, multiple loading doors, it's own rail siding.


Clearly things were being managed by . . . Top . . . Men.

View attachment 80767

Several years ago I was at Crane Indiana.
They had old WW2 H huts with thousands of weapons stored in them in utterly dilapidated states - due to the building having pieces missing etc.
Most were stuff that ‘doesn’t mind the environment’ like RPG warheads etc. nothing like a rusty rocket to inspire confidence…
Lots of older Soviet block missile launchers etc just sitting in damp piles.

As well as enough old M16A1’s to arm a small country.

I was told that in the last 5 years they cleaned a lot of that up, and have new buildings.

But driving by the Navy Support Activity in Mechanicsburg, they still have a lot of outdoor storage too.

 

[dapaterson]

Supply chain isn't sexy, and is often a target for "savings", but done improperly often costs significantly more and introduces significant risk.

 

[KevinB]

Supply chain isn't sexy, and is often a target for "savings", but done improperly often costs significantly more and introduces significant risk.

Who knew there was something to that "Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics"...

 

[OldSolduer]

Supply chain isn't sexy, and is often a target for "savings", but done improperly often costs significantly more and introduces significant risk.

Tripping over 10 bucks to pick up a loony is the way I would describe it.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Supply chain isn't sexy, and is often a target for "savings", but done improperly often costs significantly more and introduces significant risk.

Bingo! Its usually the first thing forgotten about in peace time and the first thing that's missed when a donnybrook kicks off. Its because we focus our leadership on the Operations side of the house.

Who knew there was something to that "Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics"...

I've said it here before, a war is not about closing with and destroying the enemy, its about who has bigger sustainment muscles to flex.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Navy Support Activity in Mechanicsburg

I just googled that place... Wow! 150 Warehouses with 8,800,000 square feet of storage!

Naval Support Activity Mechanicsburg - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I might need to go have a cold shower...

 

[armrdsoul77]

In one the many crates there could of been a CF Arrow for all I know, the crates were piled there for years.

So an arrow DID survive!

Now I see how rumours start

I wonder if its RL206.....

 

[armrdsoul77]

air craft engine crates under pressure outside

I didn't know they had such a thing. I thought jet aircraft engine crates were shaped to the engine
Inside but it is also to hold pressure.

 

[Good2Golf]

Probably filled with 100% nitrogen as well…

 

[FormerHorseGuard]

I didn't know they had such a thing. I thought jet aircraft engine crates were shaped to the engine
Inside but it is also to hold pressure.
View attachment 80790

lots of crates like that were outside around 1CFSD . I always wondered if they were full or empty, some of them were for aircraft we no long had, CF18 were only aircraft and some were much older crates