The role of UMOs and TC-AIMS operators in deployments: the authors offer some advice, based on their unit's experience in deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan, on how to use unit movement officers and TC-AIMS operators to improve the unit deployment process

Army Logistician, July-August, 2006 by Michael E. Scarlett, Jr., Chester W. Montgomery, Bobby L. Roberson

The 16th Corps Support Group (CSG) and its subordinate battalions have deployed several companies to Iraq and Afghanistan. As these deployments have progressed, we at the CSG have learned a few lessons that may be helpful to others. While many of our thoughts are blinding flashes of the obvious, some specifically pertain to the use of unit movement officers (UMOs) and the operation of the Transportation Coordinators' Automated Information for Management System (TC-AIMS) and were learned through painful experience.

UMOs and TC-AIMS Operators

The selection and training of UMOs is one of the most critical factors affecting a unit's deployment process. However, the additional duty of UMO most often is assigned to the lieutenant with the most time left to serve in the company; that usually means the one with the least amount of experience. This is a recipe for disaster because of the lieutenant's lack of knowledge and background. Another problem with giving the UMO job to the "new lieutenant" is that he probably will leave the company after a year. A better alternative would be to select a smart staff sergeant or sergeant first class to be the UMO. That noncommissioned officer (NCO) will have the knowledge and experience to understand the deployment process and will be in the company for 2 or 3 years, which means that the commander will not be fighting constantly to keep a trained person in the UMO position.

Whoever is chosen to be the UMO must be detail-oriented and willing to dedicate the time needed to do the job right. The person selected to be the TC-AIMS operator needs to be computer literate and, like the UMO, detail oriented. It is possible for the UMO to also serve as the TC-AIMS operator, but we do not recommend this because the UMO will be busy enough coordinating transportation, performing crisis management, and executing many other tasks. Adding the chore of updating TC AIMS data could be too much for a UMO.

Possibly the biggest challenge we encountered in the 16th CSG was a lack of operators with experience in using TC AIMS. Most of our operators had been to TC AIMS training, but their skills were perishable because they lacked post-training experience. The "help" function in TC AIMS also was less than helpful. It is imperative that Soldiers get some sort of refresher training after their initial TC-AIMS training.

One way the 16th CSG is attempting to do this is by incorporating some UMO and TC-AIMS tasks into major training events or conducting UMO and TC-AIMS tasks at least once a quarter. Part of the unit's preparation to deploy to a training area will be to create a unit deployment list (UDL), burn a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag with level 6 data for a container, and print a transportation control movement document for a squad's equipment. [Level 6 data include descriptions and serial numbers for all items in a container or vehicle.] The group's unit movement coordinator will evaluate the tasks on a go/no-go basis. Tasks that are a "no go" will be redone with heavy coaching by the unit movement coordinator. This training also provides a good opportunity to inventory the TC-AIMS hardware suite.

Building Organizational Equipment Lists

The deployment planning process begins long before a unit receives a warning order. One of the first steps is building an organizational equipment list (OEL). Unfortunately, OELs often are poorly built. But if an OEL is developed properly, it can help the UMO and TC-AIMS operator avoid a great deal of pain when their unit is alerted to deploy and the pace of unit operations quickens.

Here are some key things to look at when a unit is building an OEL. All equipment on the unit's modification table of organization and equipment should be loaded with correct line item numbers, national stock numbers, serial numbers, equipment dimensions, and so forth. For equipment dimensions, each item should be measured physically (with mirrors folded in on vehicles). If measuring equipment is impossible, the unit can use information from Technical Bulletin 55-46-1, Standard Characteristics (Dimensions, Weight, and Cube) for Transportability of Military Vehicles and Other Outsize/Overweight Equipment, or go to https://www.tea.army.mil/pubs/default.asp and click on TB 55-46-2, Standard Characteristics (Dimensions, Weight, and Cube) for Military Vehicles and Equipment. All assigned personnel should be loaded into the OEL with correct information.

In building an OEL, the 16th CSG had trouble in assigning items to the correct categories (equipment, supplies, or sustainment), getting the passenger count correct, inputting level 6 data correctly, building shipment unit numbers (SUNs), and burning RFID tags. Here are some roles of thumb to help TC-AIMS operators.

* Equipment defined as vehicles and other items too big to go inside a container should get their own RFID tags.

* Supplies are everything that can go inside a 20-foot container, such as generators, tents, and computers.

* Sustainment includes items that will be left behind at the unit and items that will accompany troops, such as weapons and night vision devices.