MANNHEIM, Germany - The Army Oil Analysis Program is part of a Department of Defense-wide effort to determine impending component failures and lubricant conditions through periodic laboratory evaluations of used oil samples. This program helps prevent catastrophic failures to military equipment before it even happens by detecting the issue before it becomes a serious problem.
"We test oil samples for helicopters or ground equipment and we check to see if the oil is contaminated," said Heidi Bodeit, the director of AOAP Lab in Europe. Bodeit compares checking oil samples to having human blood checked for cholesterol.
"We can see if there is metal, fuel or other contaminates in the oil," she added.
The program helps military units save funds on maintenance costs of equipment by detecting a problem before it happens, therefore, decreasing the downtime of vehicles that would otherwise be out-of-commission. Finding the problem before it becomes catastrophic increases the overall safety of the equipment and minimizes the potential harm that could injure service members using the equipment.
"AOAP is a money saver for the service member and their command but also it is an environmental saver," said Bodeit. "We need to think about our future and our children. (When using this program) less oil will be going into the landfills and waste disposal and eventually into the earth, our world."
AOAP unit representatives can submit a sample to their local lab, and have the results back to the unit in as little as 24 hours for air equipment and 72 hours for ground equipment. The AOAP handles 400 to 500 oil samples a month.
Soldiers can become AOAP representatives by taking an online course or a course provided by AOAP.
The training for AOAP can be at the Logistics Information Warehouse or by picking up a copy of the training DVD at the AOAP-Mannheim Laboratory Center at Coleman Barracks, building 50 in room 112.
The AOAP is scheduled to move to Kaiserslautern this summer. The move comes as a necessity to be closer to the maintenance hub, the 405th Army Field Support Brigade-Europe and Africa and Ramstein Air Base to better assist service members and their equipment.
For additional information regarding the Environmental Aspects of AOAP please contact Mr Welch 373-5383 or email: Daniel.welch4@us.army.mil or any AOAP issues please contact Mrs Bodeit 382-5288 or email heidrun.bodeit@us.army.mil
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