AL UDEID AIR BASE, QATAR, May 29, 2015 - Quick access to spare engines, batteries, C-130 wheels or just an O-ring on a gas gauge could save time, money and maybe even lives downrange. The consolidated aircraft parts store, or CAPS, here is where more than 18,000 sorties receive support every year.
Having more than 390,000 items in stock daily makes the airmen of the 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's CAPS a valuable part of flight line here. They store and issue parts to maintain aircraft that include the KC-135, C-130 and B-1.
"We validate everything daily that is in the warehouse to ensure nothing is missing," said Staff Sgt. Alan Nadal, 379th ELRS. "All the documents that go to our customers are pulled and verified. We also do location checks on specific parts customers call for."
Ensuring that the correct parts are available is vital to the CAPS team, which works out of a facility that is staffed 24 hours a day seven days a week and manages $138 million in aircraft parts and supplies.
"The CAPS shop separates tasks throughout the warehouse to work effectively from pulling parts (and) consolidating benched stocks," Nadal said. "Coming in everyday and working with these airmen is the best part and makes this deployment a great experience."