MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. -- The artisans in the Motor Transportation (Motor-T) Branch of Production Plant Barstow, Marine Depot Maintenance Command, move more than 130 vehicles through their shops in a given year, proving to be a consistently motivated team, on the Yermo Annex aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif.
Some of their team members have been on the job for 23 and even 30 years.
“Robin ‘Chief’ Trujillo has been with PPB since 1989, and Charles ‘Rick’ Noonan has been here since 1996,” said Kenny Phillips, Supervisory Industrial Specialist and Motor-T Branch head who has been working for the plant for nearly 34 years, himself. He also just took over as the Engineering Branch head, as well.
Noonan’s time in service to the base is even longer when you include his time serving aboard MCLB Barstow as an enlisted Marine twice.
The motivation, enthusiasm and appreciation the employees have for their career choices is apparent as they discuss their jobs, and why they do what they do for PPB.
“It’s about the Marines,” said Anthony Sanchez, Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic supervisor within the Motor-T Branch. “My dad served in the Navy, my grandfather served as a Marine, and my brother was in the Air Force. I’ve been around the military in some way nearly my whole life, and I know how important what we do here is for them.”
Having been on the receiving end, accepting equipment from MCLB Barstow, while out in the war theater, Noonan has first-hand knowledge of the quality of work produced by this plant.
“We knew, when we received equipment from this location, that it would be in excellent condition,” Noonan said. “There was a level of attention to detail that we grew to expect from PPB. Lives depend on what we do here.”
The wealth of experience and knowledge starts at the top of this branch. Phillips worked in the support shops for many years, starting at the Steam Rack, then as a mechanic, and he did a total of 22 years in Quality as an inspector, a supervisor and a branch head.
“I supervised the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, Assault Amphibious Vehicle and Light Armored Vehicle production lines,” Phillips said. “I also was the Site Manager for the Corrosion Repair Facility in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. I have been a production branch head for Metals & Coatings, Engineering, LAV’s and Motor Transport.”
He credits the branch’s success, however, to the team of employees with which he works daily.
“The employees in this branch are highly motivated with a great work ethic,” he said. “We have a big schedule to accomplish monthly along with special projects and customer acceptances that arise quite often. We work a lot of long hour days to meet our customer requirements and I am very proud to have the workforce and team that I support.”
The plant serves the military in an important role and the Motor-T Branch boasts a combination of unique backgrounds bringing a broad range of experiences to the workbenches. Many of the employees that work in the branch are former military service members who are familiar with much of the equipment. Others are mechanics from various other bases and depots that have moved here for various reasons, bringing with them that vast knowledge as a foundation. From there, they encourage a lot of cross-training and hands-on experience.
“Some employees have college degrees, but most have either military or other mechanical and technical schooling or background experience,” Phillips said. “Artisans who are not familiar with the assets they’re working on are coupled with artisans who are familiar with the equipment so that they can learn the build processes.”
Every so often, they change things up a bit, moving people to different positions, to deepen their knowledge and cross-train employees.
“That was new for me,” Sanchez said. “I came from other areas where the shifting wasn’t as common, but now I understand it and appreciate it. It gives them a broader range of experience and decreases complacency. I’m grateful that Daniel Contreras, the supervisor who oversaw my crew before I came on board, really did a lot of the groundwork to make this branch a success already. He made it easy for me to come in and just keep up the momentum they already had in place.”
Sanchez and Noonan oversee approximately 80 employees, between the three shops. They credit their success to their teams and work leaders. The crews use the Lean Six Sigma process to continuously improve the shop, keeping it clean and setting up all of the work stations for a smooth workflow. They also use a “kitting process” which ensures that employees have the components they need, as they need them.
With a management team that impresses the importance of ownership, self-discipline and leading by example, the branch maintains a focus on who their end customers are at all times.
“We work for those Marines who serve to protect our freedom,” Sanchez said. “People set aside differences to ensure that a quality product gets put out every day.”
The rapid workflow ensures that the vehicles meet the Repair Cycle Times between 80 and 120 days. From supervisors and work leaders, to the assembly line and component mechanics, road and load testers and electricians, the team establishes a workflow and method of operation that is swift, efficient and adaptable to change.
“One of the many awesome things about our crew is their ability to adapt to constant challenges very quickly and efficiently,” Noonan said. “Another, is the way this crew is able to endure the long hours that this job often demands and yet stay motivated and hard working.”
“My supervisors and leaders are instrumental in helping everyone in their spans of control to understand the importance of what and why we do the things we do on a daily basis here,” Phillips said. “With their leadership, this branch has helped to execute hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue over the years and they turn out top quality work.”
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