Log in

TECHNOLOGY

Luke munitions no longer inventoried by hand

Posted 10/7/20

The 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron Munitions Flight at Luke Air Force Base is utilizing the new Theater Integrated Combat Munitions System to perform 100% munitions inventory count for more than 3,470 munition components worth an estimated $72 million.

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue.

Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here

Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

To Our Valued Readers –

Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.

For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.

Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.

Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.

Sincerely,
Charlene Bisson, Publisher, Independent Newsmedia

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor
TECHNOLOGY

Luke munitions no longer inventoried by hand

Posted

The 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron Munitions Flight at Luke Air Force Base is utilizing the new Theater Integrated Combat Munitions System to perform 100% munitions inventory count for more than 3,470 munition components worth an estimated $72 million.

The new system, TICMS, was released by the Air Force in January 2020 to save manpower and time by allowing individuals to use a device called a Getac to input number values, and insert the number of assets digitally, avoiding the hand-counting process. If the Getac finds a discrepancy in the number of assets then a digital recount is automatically generated.

READ: Glendale annexes 260 acres north of Luke Air Force Base

During the semi-annual inventory count, everything in the stockpile is accounted for except outside agency custody account assets, including security forces and explosive ordnance disposal items. The stockpile includes ammunition, missiles, bomb components, explosive cartridges, small arm grenades and more.  

The Combat Ammunition System, the former method used to perform inventory, involves teams using count sheets and hand-counting the number of assets in boxes stored in each facility. The semi-annual inventory takes approximately one week to complete, starting on a Monday and ending Saturday.

“You’ll have a counter and a verifier, so there’s always two people,” said Tech. Sgt. Jesus Garcia, 56th EMS noncommissioned officer in charge of munitions operations. “Each person signs their name on it saying they’ve counted and verified it. Then they give the count sheet to the reconciler and they enter number into the software to see if it’s correct or not. If it’s incorrect, another team will have to do a recount through the same process. Accuracy is paramount.”

READ: Saguaro Skies FamCamp opens at Luke AFB

According to Tech. Sgt. Tatiana Greer, 56th EMS custody accounts supervisor, using the new method, teams were reduced from 160 personnel to 45, saving manpower and allowing less airmen to work on a non-duty day. The process is projected to reduce the need for recounts due to human error by 66%.  

“They’ll input the numbers on the screen then hit enter and when it’s complete they will digitally sign,” Tech. Sgt. Greer said. “That gets processed through TICMS and eliminates the need for reconcilers. All our reconcilers and munitions operations Airmen have to do is clear the structure on their screen until everything is processed and verified. Everything will be digital.”

In the future, the 56th EMS expects the process to be more effective with the Getac’s scanning method.

“Eventually, the endpoint will be to scan,” Tech. Sgt. Greer said. “Every time we do an asset movement, there will be a barcode on each placard that sits on top of each box that will be scanned and it will give the amount of assets in each box. That will save even more time and resources.”

Ammo inventories 34 facilities and it takes coordination from all the Aircraft Maintenance Units to bring their munitions to the Munitions Storage Area for inventory.

With every new software comes new challenges that have to be overcome. Tech. Sgt. Garcia attests to the hard work of his team for keeping every item accounted for and the coordination needed to complete this task. TICMS is the way of the future for the 100% munition inventory count.

“The new system is far more in-depth and innovative than our old system was,” Tech. Sgt. Greer said. “We can do a lot more with this system. TICMS is much more industrialized.”

Editor’s note: Airman 1st Class Brooke Moeder is with the 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office at Luke Air Force Base.