Marines

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The Supply Management Unit aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii houses more than 5,550 different pieces of military equipment in two storage buildings on base. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Janelle Y. Villa)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Janelle Y. Villa

Supply management unit: Surplus store of Marine Corps Base Hawaii

20 Dec 2013 | Lance Cpl. Janelle Y. Villa Marine Corps Base Hawaii

The Supply Management Unit has been called the “Home Depot” or “Wal-Mart” of Marine Corps Base Hawaii because of its vast shelves stocked with more than 5,550 items from bolts to prepackaged military rations to weapons.

“We are different from the consolidated issue facility,” said Master Sgt. Wayne Terronez, senior noncommissioned officer in charge of the SMU. “CIF consolidates to the individual while SMU consolidates for units. We supply military equipment to a unit, not the individual.”

Only 26 Marines in six sections keep the SMU up and running. The sections include customer service, initial issue provisioning, fiscal section, storage section, repairable issue point and general account.

Customer service works as a link between the warehouse and the units on base. They are the subject matter experts who provide training on how to use the SMU, do transactions and act as a liaison, pointing units in the right direction.

Newly fielded equipment the base receives gets sent to the IIP, who in turn issues it out to the respectable units. The IIP can receive trucks, weapons, almost anything issued by the Marine Corps for use by units.

“We supply all the units with meals, ready to eat,” Terronez said. “We supply Marines in PTA and other training exercises with the rations. We have around 1,500 cases of MREs on our shelves.”

The fiscal section manages the SMU’s budget. They handle a unit’s transactions as well as pay for ordered items. Units are given an allowance and they decide how much they will spend, and are charged when they receive the gear. Units pay a monthly bill for their gear until their purchase is paid in full, essentially credit.

“We don’t operate on a budget,” Terronez said. “Units pay for what they get. It’s constant(ly) in and out.”

The storage section oversees shipping and receiving to commands on base. In the warehouse, there are approximately 5,000 different pieces of military gear worth nearly $7 million.

“We ensure that the storage (stays) stocked,” said Master Sgt. Tama Casilus, SMU operation noncommissioned officer in charge. “It’s like Wal-Mart. We order equipment and make sure our shelves are stocked and the equipment is ready to go out to units. If a unit calls and asks us for something and it’s on our shelves they will receive the equipment within 48 hours.”

The general account section manages the stock. They recommend what items should be purchased by the supply and demand of units on a weekly basis. They also make sure that units receive the gear they ordered and fix any issues with shipping.

“We don’t wait to run out,” Terronez said. “I make sure to keep the shelves stocked. I make sure to keep track and when it gets to a certain point I order more always keeping the shelves stocked for the units.”

The repairable issue point is where units can trade in a damaged but fixable item for a new or refurbished working item. Units aboard the base or Marine Expeditionary Units passing through can trade in radios, transmissions, aviation engines and more. The section is mostly for mechanical equipment.

The RIP will take the repairable item and send it to its respectable facility to be fixed. Once repaired the item is placed back on the shelves for use by another unit. The RIP warehouse is fairly small in size yet houses approximately 550 different pieces of military equipment worth $12 million.

“We are very effective,” Casilus said. “If we have what the unit needs on our shelf they will receive it within 24 to 48 hours where as if they ordered it from an outside supplier it could take anywhere from 60 to 90 days.”

The SMU is open from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and have a 24-hour duty on-hand for emergency orders. For more information, visit building 250 or call 257-2764.


Marine Corps Base Hawaii