Marines

Base motor pool transforms to civilian operation

8 Oct 2004 | Sgt. Jereme L. Edwards Marine Corps Base Hawaii

The base motor pool here began a transformation to become a completely civilian run operation Oct. 1.

"There was what they call an A76 Study done in 2000, the results of that study came out in 2002, and based on those results the recommendation was to remove all the military personnel down here and to contract it to civilians," explained MGySgt. Tulua Aivao, staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge of base motor pool.  "I've been here almost three-years now.  I started out with 22 Marines, and now I have 13 and they are doing a lot of work, everything from administrative paperwork for the numerous vehicles under our control, to cleaning and maintaining all the vehicles, issuing and testing for government licenses and compiling the information for the vehicle mileage report and now the plan is to hire six civilians to do all the things that it takes 13 Marines to do."

Aivao said, with this change from Marine to civilian run motor pool, a lot of the services the Marines provide to the base and tenant unit here are going to be effected.

"There is going to be a large impact on the base and tenant units here when this change fully takes effect," said Aivao.   "At base motors now, we have a 24 hour vehicle dispatcher, that is there to sign out vehicles to personnel, because we all know that things don't always happen during regular working hours."

Aivao said they have V.I.P. runs that aren't always planned and they are able to tackle any situation that arises. 

As with any transition, bumps along the way are expected to take place.

"When the civilians take over what will happen to the liberty bus program?  What will happen when V.I.P. run pops up and they don't have the personnel to support it?  What will happen after business hours when someone needs to check out a vehicle and there is no one available to help because they have all gone home for the day," asked Aivao? 

Sgt. Jereme L. Edwards
MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay

Marine Corps Base Hawaii