DLA Aviation at Warner Robins provides crucial maintenance support, collaboration, capabilities Published Nov. 20, 2015 By Jenny Gordon Robins Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- In many respects, in the world of defense supply chain management, the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation Industrial Support Activity at Warner Robins is the center of the universe. The primary mission of DLA Aviation at Warner Robins is providing aircraft repair parts to programmed depot maintenance lines for the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex at Robins Air Force Base. That support in turn directly contributed to production numbers posted in fiscal 2015 - the return of 217 C-5, C-17, C-130 and F-15 aircraft to the warfighter. "We're the single face to the customer," said Col. Rod Bloker, DLA Aviation at Warner Robins commander. Bloker was formerly the commander of the 848th Supply Chain Management Group at Tinker Air Force Base., Okla. "From a retail supply perspective, we are the focal point for anything that's needed for our maintenance teammates. We'll work through all the different and complex supply chain networks to make sure the ALC gets the parts required, when they're required," he said. "Air power is very much a team sport. That team is very broad and diverse, and a very collaborative network makes it all happen." DLA Aviation operations here bridge aviation supply chain capabilities to satisfy retail requirements. For example, when a request is made from one of the aircraft maintenance squadrons for a specific aircraft part, that network of collaboration can extend to such places as DLA Land & Maritime in Columbus, Ohio, DLA Troop Support in Philadelphia, Pa., and DLA Aviation Headquarters in Richmond, Va. A robust relationship exists with Air Force supply chain partners from the 448th Supply Chain Management Wing headquartered at Tinker Air Force Base. That relationship extends to the 448th's presence here - the 638th Supply Chain Management Group led by Bonnie Jones. 2015 highlights The agency's accomplishments at Robins are many. There has been a 65 percent reduction in back orders - from a high of 6,974 DLA-managed items in fiscal 2011 to 2,500 back orders in fiscal 2015. That reduction can be attributed to a focused effort to improve material support through the development and implementation of standard work across the organization. In fiscal 2015, the organization also sold 510,643 parts, which equates to $272.9 million in sales. Organic contracts: Retail organic manufacture request efforts resulted in the award of more than 70 organic manufacture contracts to support PDM for the C-130, C-5 and F-15 lines, as well as the 402nd Electronics Maintenance Group and 402nd Commodities Maintenance Group. That resulted in $6.9 million of inventory procured to support the complex - initiatives which directly supported production from fiscal 2015. NSN reviews: Complete reviews were conducted on over 1,000 National Stock Numbers, or official unique labels applied to supply items, in support of the 560th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron's C-130 Prop Shop transition. That was critical in maintaining the overall order response time and delivery response time goals for a shop that has 38 percent of all local DLA Aviation orders, according to Bloker. By the end of October, DLA Aviation achieved a 98.33 percent order response time rate for the prop shop against a 92 percent enterprise-wide goal. CBT forms: A Constraints Buster Team was formed which involved gathering data and developing a support plan for hydraulic tubes attached to the F-15 nose and main landing gear. Within 30 days, a team of F-15 support stakeholders across Robins ensured a required 21 hydraulics tubes were 100 percent parts supportable. DLA contracts were awarded and tubes were on the shelf to continue to support PDM for one year. C-130 efforts: Multiple emergency offset actions to put material on the shelf for the C-130 fleet proved successful when it came to replacing crucial parts of the C-130 nose landing gear. Along with a contract cancellation, a stock-low and probable stock-out condition would have resulted in PDM stoppages at Robins and Hill Air Force bases. Planning and support sustainment specialists here reacted quickly to identify potential surplus sources, processing multiple procurement actions in order to support both bases; first article test waivers were taken for alternate sources to produce these parts. As it is, assets are still on the shelf after finding and procuring additional materials, which remain available to support requirements while efforts continue to pursue C-130 Program Office engineering-approved alternative sources. "DLA Aviation at Warner Robins continues to partner with the Air Force Supply Chain, 402nd Maintenance Group, and with Air Force Life Cycle Management Center engineers in various system program offices in our Depot Supply Chain Management teams in both aircraft and in exchangeables areas," said Greg Noble with DLA Aviation's Planning and Support. "This teaming provides a quantum advance from previous eras in communication, collaboration, coordination capabilities for looking at supportability issues long before the need date. From my vantage point, after 30 years of Air Force and DLA supply support, we're able to avoid shortfalls in parts availability with a precision that is at a new level of performance." He added, "It brings the state of 'Art of the Possible' for retail depot supply to a new standard. I believe the metrics and parts capability delivered to maintenance lines provides the evidence to back this up, but it also opens the door for realizing even greater potential." No matter the occasion, DLA Aviation's supply chain capabilities play a vital role at Robins in the depot's mission of aircraft maintenance and modification, ultimately ensuring each and every aircraft is returned to a waiting customer. "What we want the maintenance community to know is that if there's a supply challenge that's out there, we will get it resolved one way or the other. We don't just support the mission - we are an integral part of it," said Bloker.