3-401st AFSBn is clearing yards, tagging property and removing non-mission essential equipment

By Summer BarkleySeptember 10, 2014

3-401st AFSBn is clearing yards, tagging property and removing non-mission essential equipment
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Mark A. Douglass, a member of the U.S. Army Reserve and a Benton Harbor, Michigan native, 3-401st Army Field Support Battalion S4 and container management officer, and Lamont J. Watkins, battalion supply specialist, look at some debris and weed... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
3-401st AFSBn is clearing yards, tagging property and removing non-mission essential equipment
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
3-401st AFSBn is clearing yards, tagging property and removing non-mission essential equipment
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Mark A. Douglass, a member of the U.S. Army Reserve and a Benton Harbor, Michigan native, 3-401st Army Field Support Battalion S4 and container management officer, prepares to place a sign on the fence of a parcel of land that is the responsibi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
3-401st AFSBn is clearing yards, tagging property and removing non-mission essential equipment
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Mark A. Douglass, a member of the U.S. Army Reserve and a Benton Harbor, Michigan native, 3-401st Army Field Support Battalion S4 and container management officer, watches as a 40 foot container is loaded onto a truck to be moved to the empty c... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
3-401st AFSBn is clearing yards, tagging property and removing non-mission essential equipment
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – 3-401st Army Field Support Battalion S4 personnel assist the Logistics Support Element Bagram in consolidating their container footprint Sept. 3. The battalion is engaging all hands to assist in reducing the number of containers, clearing the area of... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan--3-401st Army Field Support Battalion is cleaning up its act and getting ready for Resolute Support by clearing yards of debris and non-mission essential equipment and disposing of it in accordance with U.S. Army directives.

The battalion S4 has the lead in this effort, but other areas that fall under the battalion are doing their part as well. The first step was to confirm parcels of land scattered around Bagram Airfield that are the battalion's responsibility and then to tag them with large placards. Other steps included removal of debris from battalion spaces, requesting landscaping for the areas, consolidating equipment and supplies in containers, identifying excess containers and turning them into the empty container collection point, Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services or the abandoned container yard.

"We started with about 300 (containers) and the goal is to get down to about 150," said Capt. Mark A. Douglass, a member of the U.S. Army Reserve and a Benton Harbor, Michigan native, battalion S4 and container management officer. "We take empty serviceable containers to the ECCP (empty container collection point) and unserviceable ones to DLA-DS."

Douglass described the process for identifying non-mission essential containers. He and his staff identify containers that do not have placards on them and put notices giving the person responsible for the container a suspense date to contact the S4 office. If the suspense is not met, Douglass and his staff start the process to remove the container from the battalion footprint. In instances where the containers have a lock on them, they are taken to the abandoned container yard where military personnel will open them to try to determine ownership, but failing that, the containers will be cleared of contents and then forwarded to the ECCP or DLA-DS.

Other actions being undertaken include placing placards on yards assigned to the battalion, clearing them of equipment and debris, arranging for contractor personnel to remove weeds and finally begin the process for non-mission essential parcels to be returned to Bagram Garrison.

Battalion Executive Officer Maj. Dorothy M. Singleton, a member of the U.S. Army Reserve and Georgetown, South Carolina native, said the effort is to prepare the battalion for the next phase of operations. She said 'getting on it is the key' and there are weekly status updates to the battalion commander as well as frequent eyes-on the locations to make sure there are no 'squatters' of that equipment and debris has not been dumped in areas already cleaned.

"We want to leave it better than we found it," she said. "We're getting rid of debris and waste and making weekly checks to make sure it stays that way."

Singleton said her guidance from Lt. Col. Marvin L. Walker, 3-401st AFSBn commander, is to 'reduce the number of containers, get property up to standard and turn parcels back to the garrison as soon as possible'.

Related Links:

3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

U.S. Army Materiel Command

1st Theater Sustainment Command