Life-Cycle Management - Army Logistics University - U.S. Army

without breaking a lock or seal. When we need to find
a certain RFID tag in our large yard, the DAVS scans
and captures information on all the tags in a specific
area. This is particularly helpful because RFID tags
sometimes are placed where they are hard to find and
may be overlooked.
Since we arrived in Iraq, we have been able to
obtain an Automated Manifest System-Tactical
(AMS–TAC) for the CDC. With it, we can receive and
ship cargo, burn RFID tags, and maintain in-transit
visibility and total asset visibility (ITV and TAV) of
the shipped items. Before AMS–TAC, RFID tags or
pallet IDs on a mixed pallet often became disassociated
with the transportation control numbers (TCNs)
on the pallet when we broke it down. This did not
mean that the cargo was lost, but tracking it was a
problem. Disassociated RFID tags had to be crossreferenced
manually with the correct TCNs, which
was extremely complicated and time consuming.
Those factors, plus the likelihood of human error, rendered
the manual effort unproductive.
With AMS–TAC, the TCNs of items used to build
pure pallets are scanned, and, when the tag is burned,
the data go to the ITV server in Germany. When a
shipper searches global transportation network (GTN)
or ITV Web sites for the TCN, the new associated TCN
and tag number, or “bumper number,” is displayed.
Automated systems work well under ideal conditions,
but we soon learned they do not work well in
dusty Iraq in the middle of July. We are not discouraging
the use of automation; rather, we are pointing
out that automation has its limits, and smart business
practices must be used to keep things going when
automation fails.
Automation runs on electricity, and it is a day-to-day
battle to keep the generators running at the CDC.
Dust and heat take a heavy toll on air filters, oil, and
hydraulics. Scanners tend to operate for only 20 to
25 minutes when the temperature is above 98
degrees Fahrenheit.
The condition of the pallet or CONEX labels is
very important. All packs shipped must have a Department
of Defense [DD] Form 1387 (military shipping
label [MSL]) and a DD Form 3148–1A (issue
release/receipt document [IRRD]), or similar document,
on them. (See Army Regulation 710–2–1, Using
Unit Supply System Manual Procedures, for more
information on labeling.) The MSL contains the TCN,
ARMY LOGISTICIAN PROFESSIONAL BULLETIN OF UNITED STATES ARMY LOGISTICS 31