Posted on Dec 11, 2014
SSgt Security Forces
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I have now been enlisted for just over 7 years as an Aircrew Flight Equipment technician and am curious about cutting back on non-essential equipment. In my career field we have equipment that will not get used for a full year, come in for its inspection cycle and then be pushed back out to not be used for another year.

For this I wonder, why have this equipment and if any other careers see the same excess in their own career fields in regards to NEVER used equipment/assets.
Posted in these groups: 53aa8673 Aircrew Flight Equipment
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SMSgt Security Forces Manager
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I think that there are all kinds of things that most AFSC's can cut back on. Let's look at deployment packages for instance. If you purchase something to be used during a deployment and don't deploy for the next year or two, by the time you use it, the warranty is expired and most likely the equipment is out of date and has been replaced by your resources manager! In my honest opinion, we should have a contract with a company that would procure our equipment and build packages based on a just in time basis. This would introduce new jobs in the community and offer space by reducing equipment in our already crowded equipment cages or rooms. This would also relieve us from having to maintain and account for all the equipment, allowing us to focus on training and the mission.
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SSgt Forensic Meteorological Consultant
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I won't engage in talk of losing jobs because everyone is afraid of this administration but what galls me the most is people vote for these guys.
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SMSgt Security Forces Manager
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I didn't mean for it to sound like cutting back jobs. What I meant was to take some of the load off of our resource advisors because they are task saturated and could be focusing on bigger and better things to support the mission instead of wasting valuable time searching for, maintaining and buying new equipment that won't get used for months to years. I understand that we have to be ready at a moments notice, but let a contractor maintain, purchase and build these packages. Let our military members concentrate on getting our folks out the door so to speak.
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SSgt Security Forces
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MSgt McDow, these are exactly the things I find myself thinking about during "dead time" at work. Things at my paygrade are mind boggling so I assume those up in leadership positions see what I see and a whole lot more.
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SMSgt Security Forces Manager
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We do, although the problem is not so easy to fix. We have to go through the contracting office and that can often take a lot of time to try and get a contract in place. When I say a long time, I mean years.
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SSgt Carpenter
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This isn't exactly the same, but it's one of the things that burns me the most about being in the service. Untold millions of dollars tied up in useless, outdated, or brand new unneeded equipment, and no money to fund schools and training. I'm sure there are reasons that make sense at some level above me, but to be told that there are NO school slots, while driving a brand new 10ton, rubs my fur the wrong way for sure. Brand new weapons, M-320s, M-240L, etc. In my opinion the Army would do well, to take the money they spend on buying new equipment, and spend it on training instead. I think it's harder for the bean counters to quantify training. It's easier to just buy crap.
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SSgt Forensic Meteorological Consultant
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That afterall is the end game... Military draw down and let's say they do away with the military then what next? Another voting block that they can't get?
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SSgt Security Forces
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This is the sort of thing I was thinking when cutting back. We are having newer and shinier things for our soldiers/airmen/marines/sailors but less qualified, in my opinion. Schools and application and better training don't seem to be the priority but getting what is new.

For us, some of our parachutes will never get used. These things costs tens of thousands of dollars each and won't get used. It just makes me wonder what we could do with that money.
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