Page 119 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Winter 2014

Emergency Procurement of Emergency Procurement at JBLM
Pesticides for Contingency/PTDO Missions via Local Purchase
All HAZMAT ordered at JBLM is received and pro-
Preventive Medicine Detachments on Contingency/ cessed by the Hazardous Material Control Center
PTDO Missions such as DCRF or SWRF may be re- (HMCC). The HMCC is a program under JBLM Public
quired to procure pesticides or pesticide application Works, Environmental Division. In the event a unit is on
equipment on short notice to support mission require- a real-world mission requiring pesticide procurement,
ments. While the 227th was not required to conduct an exemption to HMCC purchase policy for obtaining
pest management activities while deployed, due to the HAZMAT can be issued in advance of a unit’s deploy-
weather conditions in New Jersey and New York (tem- ment and/or for when no DoD installation is available at
peratures were in the 20s and 30s [°F] with snow), it the unit’s final destination to receive the material. This
is possible for DoD preventive medicine assets to be exemption can enable a unit to purchase preapproved
called on for pest management support during DSCA material at a local vendor (either at home station or at
and HADR operations. A complication for units called the final destination) on a GPC.
5
on to provide this type of preventive medicine support is
the procurement of pesticides on short notice. Here, we
describe two courses of action (COAs) for emergency Deployment
procurement procedures that satisfy this requirement. On 3 November 2012, the 227th deployed with 13 per-
COA 1 is generic in the sense that it applies to any unit sonnel and 100% MTOE equipment via STRATAIR
regardless of location. COA 2 is specific for units de- from JBLM to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
ploying out of JBLM. However, COA 2 should serve as ( JBMDL). While deployed, the 227th was placed un-
a guide for units at other installations where the garrison der operation control (OPCON) to the Joint Forces
HAZMAT management procedures and organizations Land Component Commander Coordination Element
differ from JBLM, but are similar and should require (JCE) and tasked to provide preventive medicine sup-
only slight modification to COA 2. While we present port and consultation to DoD relief personnel within
these as options for pesticide procurement, they would the identified area of operations. The 227th was one
apply to the emergency procurement of other nonpes- of three medical detachments (two preventive medicine
ticide HAZMAT required to support contingency mis- detachments and one veterinary detachment) called on
sions on short notice.
for Superstorm Sandy support. Due to a lack of avail-
able preventive medicine personnel within the JCE, the
Emergency Procurement Through 227th Executive Officer was appointed to serve as a
Traditional Army Supply Channels Preventive Medicine Liaison Officer to the Surgeon Cell
Per the Armed Forces Pest Management Board’s Tech- for the deployment’s duration. His role was to provide
nical Guide 24 (2012 edition) , the Defense Logistics technical guidance and consultation in relation to Force
6
Agency (DLA) established the Emergency Supply Op- Health Protection requirements for the Servicemembers
erations Center (ESOC) to provide equipment and sup- operating in the joint operations area. This move was
plies to deploying units with urgent requirements in a instrumental in enabling the 227th to provide support
timely manner. The telephone number for DLA ESOC to Title 10 (Federal Active Duty) and Title 32 (State
is 877-352-2255 or DSN: 661-7766. For pesticides National Guard) Servicemembers across two states and
specifically, the DLA ESOC point-of-contact telephone four contingency locations.
number is 804-279-3995 of DSN 695-3395 or e-mail:
Cliff.Myers@dla.mil. Initially, the unit’s mission involved base-camp assess-
ments and field sanitation support to COL Victory, a
Orders can be placed through traditional Army supply large training camp on JBMDL, which housed more
channels as Class III material using appropriate national than 600 personnel (Figure 2). The 227th received this
stock numbers. Urgent requests can be processed using mission assignment, since the unit was the first of the
priority codes 2 or 3 and a required delivery date (RDD) two Preventive Medicine Detachments to be on ground
of N01 for shipments within the contiguous United and establish full operational capabilities. COL Victory
States and an RDD of 999 for those outside the contigu- is a training area located near JBMDL built to replicate
ous United States . If material needs to be shipped to the a Forward Operating Base. With the draw down, COL
aerial port of debarkation rather than the home installa- Victory had been underused and sanitation standards
tion for the unit, orders can be placed with a supplemen- had declined. As a result, the 227th was fully engaged
tal DoDAAC for the DoD installation at the destination. enforcing field hygiene standards. At the same time, the
Technical Guide 24 can inform which pesticides are best 227th leadership was proactive in engaging the JCE, as
suited for various pests in specific environments using well as the other Title 10 units pre-positioned on COL
different pesticide application equipment. Victory to identify any compelling preventive medicine

Force Health Protection Support After a Natural Disaster 109