JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
After logging over 2,000 training hours to better serve their customers, more than 100 Airmen were awarded diplomas during the 440th Supply Chain Operations Squadron’s Equipment Transformation graduation,Oct. 6, 2016, here.
As a tenant unit of the 735th Supply Chain Operations Group, 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing, Air Force Materiel Command, the 440th SCOS uses Enterprise Solution-Supply processes to provide equipment management support to maintainers worldwide.
“The extensive training has been a transformation for the squadron,” said Danielle Woods-Lewis, 440th SCOS allowances and authorizations chief. “Our team has changed the ways in which we think about our jobs in order to support the maintainers and the mission.”
While the squadron oversees all non-airborne equipment accounts including communications, radar, weather and munitions, they are the only unit performing retail equipment management support for more than 200 Air Force bases, according to Woods-Lewis.
“Maintainers need support equipment to keep the jets flying, and they have lists to show which equipment assets are needed and the authorized quantities,” said Vernon Ross, 440th SCOS sustainment element supervisor. “We assess and analyze products, look for shortages or overages, notify the maintainers and provide them with options on how to resolve the discrepancies.”
According to Ross, the squadron commander’s vision is for team members to grow out of the mindset that they just monitor equipment assets for the maintainers.
“He wants them to take ownership of their duties and responsibilities, take the lead in fixing problems and build rapport with our customers,” said Ross.
To emphasize the squadron commander’s “face-to-the-customer” philosophy, Ross said, “From the youngest Airman just out of technical school to the person who has been in the squadron the longest, the question is, ‘Do you know who your customers are? And more importantly, do they know who you are?’”
During the graduation ceremony, Maj. John Foley, 440th SCOS commander, thanked the teams for creating new process maps, training guides and plans.
“We have learned what we are capable of and we have learned about roles and responsibilities, objectives, milestones and achieving those goals,” said Foley.
Although the trainees experienced long days while working extended hours, Staff Sgt. Terell Taylor, centralized equipment technician, said through it all, he and his fellow Airmen had to always keep thewhy in mind and remain steadfast.
“We’ve already started to see the fruits of our labor through customer responses and significant accomplishments,” said Taylor. “We trained together as a team and today we celebrate as a team.”
According to Senior Airman Maxwell Houser, 440th SCOS equipment authorization journeyman, when the transformation training was announced, some Airmen were hesitant to embrace it and some did not know exactly why it needed to take place.
“This was the most transformative change that we have been through by far,” said Houser. “When you’re responsible for billions of dollars’ worth of assets, everybody needs to be on the same page. This training has brought us closer together and I think we will all benefit from it.”