Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      An overhead picture of M113A2 Armored Personnel Carriers (APC).Reutilization program saves millions of dollars
                        
                        
                        M113A2 Armored Personnel Carriers), acquired from the Defense Logistics Agency through the Reutilization Transfer Donation program, are staged to become targets at the 177th Fighter Wing Detachment 1, Warren Grove Bombing Range in Burlington County, N.J. March 2, 2017. The 18 APCs were pulled by civilian law enforcement by presidential mandate to demilitarize police departments resulting in a cost savings of almost $3 million. (U.S. Air National Guard photo/Master Sgt. Andrew J. Moseley)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Reutilization program saves millions of dollarsPublished March 20, 2017
                    
                    By Master Sgt. Andrew J. Moseley
                    
                    
                    177th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
            **ATLANTIC CITY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.J. (AFNS) --**Master Sgt. Bryan ONeill, a range section chief at the 177th Fighter Wing’s Detachment 1, Warren Grove Bombing Range in Burlington County, New Jersey, determined that he could utilize the Defense Logistic Agency’s Reutilization Transfer Donation database of equipment to acquire pieces of demilitarized military equipment to create more realistic training environments for the unit’s F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots and joint terminal attack controllers, as well as Army, Navy and Marine Corps service members who train at the range.
“Annually at the range, we have an explosive ordnance disposal cleanup week and we will assess what the current targets look like because after these things are hit and strafed by A-10s (Thunderbolt II) with 30 mm rounds and 20 mm rounds from F-16s, over a period of time, they don’t look like tanks anymore,” ONeill said.  “Once we determine the need to replace these things, I go to the RTD database to find equipment that has been turned in; everything from tanks to vehicles to CONEX boxes...just anything that can help us build a village or show that we’ve got heavy armored vehicles in a certain area. This just creates a more realistic target, rather than trying to build one out of wood, which wouldn’t stand up very long to the BDU 33 or BDU 50 practice bombs hitting it at least once or twice.”
According to the DLA’s public website DLA Disposition Services disposes of excess property received from the military to the tune of more than $2.2 billion worth of property reused each year for the past four years. Every dollar's worth of property reutilized equals a tax dollar saved.
“We’re not looking for something that’s in really good shape so a lot of times we’ll look for the unserviceable assets that are left there that are really more for parts than anything else,” ONeill said.
“We have gotten some sheet metal modular targets representing a tank, an armored personnel carrier and some surface to air missile batteries which looked realistic to an aircraft flying above. They were modular so you could replace the sheet metal after a hit but it was time consuming and costs money. The current sheet metal targets we’ve received are now “no-drop” targets. They’re very high tech and they generate realistic heat signatures and radar signatures, but they cost close to $250,000, so it’s not cost effective to continue to put these things out there to have multiple target sets. It’s nice to have two or three of them that are operational if the aircraft that are coming in are looking to do that type of training, but for the most part, if they’re going (to) come in and drop a bomb, they’re going to need to drop a bomb on something that we’re not worried about repairing so much.“
In an email correspondence to ONeill, a representative from DLA wrote, “DLA has to pay taxpayer dollars to transport and pay taxpayer dollars to destroy and demilitarize required equipment such as APC, trucks, tanks and other vehicles and equipment per DoD (Defense Department) regulations. The use of these items for targets/training aids is a cost avoidance for both the taxpayer, DLA and a unit like the Warren Grove Range, and a win for the warfighter to have a valid, solid target to engage that is modern optics and sensor friendly.”
During the last fiscal year, five Air National Guard units saved a combined total of over $28 million by requisitioning property for use through the DLA Disposition Services Reutilization Program.  
ONeill reflected on his roots as an Army reservist with the 24th Military Intelligence Battalion in Staten Island, New York, and his training at Fort Dix, Kelly Reserve Center and the Base Realignment and Closures which led him to join the ANG in 2000. 
“I joined the 108th Air Refueling Wing in Security Forces and shortly after attending technical school, and a few drills, 9/11 happened. I deployed overseas, had a tour at Andrews  (Air Force Base) guarding Air Force One and then was offered an opportunity to do a 90-day tour at the National Guard Bureau. That 90-day tour turned into 10 years....five with SFS, five at A3, Operations, at the NGB Range program manager for all 14 ANG ranges. After 10 years, I couldn’t wait to come back to NJ. When the supply position opened at WGR, I applied and got it.”
“This is a great process,” ONeill said. “All of the ranges do it, sort of create a shopping list. That’s what is so neat about working at the range; you get to be creative with building what you need to build to make it the most realistic training for these Airmen.”ANG 



EOD 



Defense Logistics Agency 



177th Fighter Wing 



Atlantic City ANG Base Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander emphasizes five focus areas during AFA Warfare Symposium
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil