BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - As Bagram Air Field continues the drawdown of U.S. troops and equipment here, the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's Central Command Material Recovery Element is sending out its last few vehicles in preparation of deactivation.
With the responsibility of collecting vehicles from forward operating bases that have shutdown throughout Afghanistan and sending them to currently operating FOBs, the 455th ELRS CMRE vehicle maintenance unit is close to completing their mission.
"We have the last few vehicles here that we're ready to send out to the FOBs that need them or back stateside," said Tech Sgt. Brian Mudd, 455th ELRS, NCOIC CMRE vehicle maintenance. "We've already started processing most of them, so it's a matter of time before we're able to get them all out on a mission."
Before CMRE personnel receive and ship a vehicle, they first get Air Force Central Command directives telling them where the vehicles are coming from, where they need to go and what maintenance needs to be done. From there the CMRE team starts the process on getting the vehicles shipped out, which include ordering a ramp to be built for the vehicle to be put on the aircraft and having it inspected and cleaned.
"Most of our vehicles we send out will go on C-17 or C-5 cargo aircraft. For the larger vehicles like buses and vans, we have to order a special ramp to be built specific to the aircraft and vehicle that way we can get the vehicle on the plane without damaging either of them," said Tech Sgt. Errol Wallace, 455th ELRS vehicle maintenance and analyst. "Once we get the process done, then TMO takes over from there."
Once AFCENT preselects the FOBs that need vehicles, the more than 20 remaining vehicles here will be shipped to various bases and FOBs, such as Al Udied, Qatar, Kabul and Jalalabad. For vehicles that are deemed unserviceable, they're taken to the Defense Logistics Agency to be scrapped or fixed and sold to the local populace. It's important to note that only non-military service vehicles are resold.
"We've already sent out five vehicles. Sometimes the process slows down when it comes to getting them on the aircraft. At that point it all depends on the mission and if the aircraft is able to transport," Wallace said. "Even though TMO takes over, I still track the vehicle up until it physically reaches its destination that way we don't lose accountability of it. Once the gaining unit receives it, then it's their responsibility."
The Airmen hope to have all the remaining vehicles processed and shipped by the end of their rotation.
"If all goes well and we get all the vehicles where they need to be, then we'll turn over everything to the civilian contractors here and close shop," Mudd said.
The official date for U.S. troops to be out of Bagram is slated for December 2016. CMRE will be transferred to a contracted company who will continue the program in Afghanistan.
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