Soldiers are taught the Soldier's Creed during basic training and recite it at ceremonies throughout their careers. The creed reflects a set of Army values by which all Soldiers live: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. Part of that creed states, "I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself."
The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command takes this line seriously to do its part in the fielding, training and maintaining of what a Soldier needs.
"We feel that the fielding and training of our equipment impacts our Soldiers in a big way," said Col. Jeffrey Vieira, acting executive director, TACOM Integrated Logistics Support Center. "In order to be ready to engage an enemy, Soldiers need to have all the support systems in place and must be properly trained on how to operate and maintain their new equipment."
After an organization receives new equipment, TACOM fielding personnel prepare the systems for
operation and ensure the unit receives all the parts and other items they need to keep the systems going for a period of time, usually from six months to a year. TACOM training personnel give the Soldiers their initial transfer of knowledge from the materiel developer to the unit. After this process, Soldiers are ready to use their new equipment.
FIELDING AND TRAINING
TACOM ILSC's Materiel Fielding and Training Directorate is a key element of the integrated logistics support during the acquisition and deployment of program-managed weapons and support systems. The MF&T mission is to manage and coordinate the Total Package Fielding and New Equipment Training for the program managers.
The TACOM MF&T currently provides fielding and training support on everything from the Abrams tank to the Zodiac boat -- about 100 different systems managed by more than 20 PMs. "This is no easy task. We have a workforce of more than 400 Soldiers and Department of the Army Civilians stationed in 15 locations," said Anna Morris, MF&T director.
"These road warriors travel to every state and a multitude of countries around the globe to field and train equipment. During Fiscal Year 2015, we conducted about 1,500 events, where we fielded more than 1.4 million items."
TACOM fielders integrate the new equipment into the Army's inventory and in the standard maintenance and supply systems. Trainers give the unit commander initial operational capability with their new equipment. Once the fielding and training is completed, the unit can begin using their new equipment for training or to deploy into battle.
The TPF identifies, procures and provides the items warfighters need to operate, support and maintain their new systems after fielding has been completed.
"The fielding and training process is similar to your experience buying a new car," explained Joe Horvath, MF&T operations group leader. "The salesman will show you the features of the vehicle, and when you buy the car, you get an owner's manual, spare tire and a jack.
Similarly, the gaining unit receives the end item, along with all the other items necessary to support their new equipment and anything else determined by the fielding manager and logistician needed to fully use the equipment."
When vehicles and equipment are produced at the manufacturer, they are kept in a preserved state so they can be stored for a period of time until the gaining units can arrange a coordinated date to receive their new equipment.
"We ensure that everything is shrink wrapped and exposed metals are covered with a corrosion preventative, and the engine, transmission, axles and road wheels are filled with special lubricants so the equipment can be stored for a long time with no deterioration," said Horvath.
The fielding manager builds the package by procuring all the items necessary for the unit to
support the new equipment after they receive it, hence the name "Total Package Fielding." Items for the package come from many different sources.
These items are shipped to a common location to build the package where the fielding team crates and packages everything together so it can be shipped to the unit all at once. Once a gaining unit coordinates an available date with the fielding manager, the equipment is shipped along with the entire package.
The fielding teams go to the point of delivery at the unit and assemble the new system so it can be used, an effort called deprocessing. After the deprocessing is done, the equipment can be used to train Soldiers. The NET is the initial transfer of knowledge from the materiel developer, or PM, to the unit.
"This is the first time the Soldiers in the unit would have seen this new equipment, so it's important that they be properly trained to operate and repair it," Horvath said. "The mission of the NET is to provide familiarization of the vehicle systems that are new and unique to the Army. Training
classes may be from a few hours to many weeks in length depending on the complexity of the system being fielded."
Once training is complete and the vehicles and equipment are operational, the fielding manager, logistician or PM conducts the hand-off or transfer of ownership of the new equipment to the gaining unit through the Property Book Unit Enhanced. At this point, the warfighter in the unit is ready to
use their new equipment in battle.
CHANGES DURING FIELDING AND TRAINING
The MF&T Directorate embraces advancements in technology to present training to Soldiers. Many vehicles and systems leverage Computer Based Interactive Training or DVDs to support or enhance the NET.
TACOM maintains a website that serves as a library for training information. The site is a repository of training materials that can be accessed by Soldiers and their support elements worldwide. The
site allows downloads of training material for specific TACOM-managed vehicles and equipment. Soldiers can also download electronic versions of material, videos and CBIT information.
TACOM has been in the forefront of supporting efforts and maintaining Soldier readiness in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan, primarily for the common remotely operated weapon station. Personnel rotate on 179-day assignments at strategic base locations in theater and provide direct support to the
warfighting units stationed there.
Even in the face of political and unstable environments, budget reductions and unforeseen contingencies emerging around the world that drive distribution or redistribution of equipment at a moment's notice, TACOM provides readiness. Though it may not be planned, the MF&T remains
flexible and always ready to provide support regardless of where it is needed.
"Our mission to provide fielding, technical support and training support for the Soldiers continues by doing what it takes to meet their needs," said Vieira.
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