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NEWS | Feb. 4, 2020

Harvesting effort will reduce cycle time, sustain workload

By Ms. Danielle Weinschenk

A cooperative effort to harvest serviceable parts will help Tobyhanna Army Depot sustain an important piece of the Army's communication network.

Project Manager Ian Williams says the innovative plan will help ensure the Secure Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable Tactical-Terminal (SMART-T) is supported through 2030. The SMART-T permits soldiers to send secure data, text and voice communications without fear of interception or detection.

"The SMART-T repair process requires some parts that are no longer made or very hard to get," he said. "This endeavor is designed to help us get those parts in the right place, at the right time, allowing us to better support operational readiness."

Rishi Karia, a SMART-T item manager from the Communications-Electronics Command's (CECOM's) Integrated Logistics Support Center ILSC, described the harvesting effort as a joint venture between CECOM, the depot's SMART-T team and depot employees working at forward operating locations around the world. The project started when forward employees came to the depot for training on the SMART-T in early January. This month, they'll begin assembling at locations with SMART-Ts that can be harvested for parts. Those parts will be returned to the depot for testing, inspection and use in repair efforts for SMART-T requirements.

"It's like a big puzzle coming together," Karia said, adding that the effort should conclude sometime next year.

Michael McCawley, who supervises repair and overhaul of SMART-Ts at the depot, says the harvesting program will be win/win.

"This effort will give our team the parts needed to do their jobs and can help get SMART-Ts to the Warfighter more quickly."