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# Disposition team helps DLA Aviation open up shop in Okinawa 

By Jake JoyDLA Disposition Services Public Affairs

                BATTLE CREEK, Mich.  –              
When Defense Logistics Agency Aviation opened its very first overseas industrial support activity at Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa this year, DLA Disposition Services was there to help the crew get started. 

“We knew that other DLA entities, such as Energy, Distribution, and Disposition Services had been established and were very well-versed in operations on the island,” said Justin Tierney, a program manager who was one of 10 members of the major sub-command’s DLA Aviation Detachment Kadena establishment team. He previously served with Disposition Services as a disposal support representative and had a good idea about the kind of used and excess items the team might find useful at Camp Kinser’s property disposal site. 

“I knew that we would be working with [Disposition Services] a lot,” Tierney said, on both turn-ins, and in reusing items that might help with the site’s day-to-day needs while operating 7,000 miles away from “home station” at Hill Air Force Base in Utah.

DLA Disposition Services Area Manager Arthur Yri said Property Disposal Specialists Takeshi Sakiyama and Naoko Hirayama provided guidance to Aviation personnel right from the start and earmarked excess inventory items for their eventual requisition. 

“Takeshi took them on a tour of our warehouse and outside to pick out several items that they were interested in,” Yri said. “Once the paperwork was complete, Naoko printed out [material readiness orders] and made sure all equipment was staged and ready to be loaded. Takeshi took the time to load the items into their vehicles and ensured that the vehicles they reutilized were marked for them until they had their correct license plates.”

Tierney said that in the weeks leading up to site activation, his team reutilized office chairs, desks, printer stands, hand tools, pressure sensitive packing tape rolls, flat panel smart monitors and an electric shrink wrap machine. Once they became operational and needed to acquire some vehicles to transport orders to customers in, they reached back out and the Disposition Services team secured them two cargo vans.

“Mr. Yri’s team at Disposition Services Okinawa are phenomenal to work with,” Tierney said. “The ability to utilize these items throughout the warehouse and across our space made our transition all that much smoother.”

Sakiyama and Hirayama said they are always glad to see property reused, and it’s especially rewarding to be able to help another part of DLA organization that needed help gaining a foothold in a new place. 

“They both mentioned that they wished more customers on Okinawa realized just how large a variety of items we get every day,” Yri said. “Most of the items are in good condition and if more customers would just come check us out, they might be just as surprised how much their organizations could save as well.”

Tierney said the DLA Aviation site establishment was a response to an Air Force leadership request that the agency provide onsite retail support for Air Force Materiel Command Support Center maintenance customers.  

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