So, there was one part of this video I wanted to clarify, but I did not want to expound too much during the video simply because it would have made it too long (and even more boring than it already is).
During the video, I stated that if the ARC (Accounting Requirements Code) in the TM or the TMHR does not match the FEDLOG ARC, that FEDLOG takes precedence. But is this really the case, and if so, why? This obviously makes hand receipt transfers harder because if you are missing an item that the TMHR states is non-expendable but FEDLOG states it is expendable, it can mean the difference between a simple order and FLIPL.
Now, before I dive into the regulation answer, I want to take you through the different answers I got. Of course, the first person I asked was my Supply NCO. She was utterly confused by the question (as are most people, so no fault to her). Next, I asked the Battalion S-4. I did not really expect him to know and, shockingly, he did not. Next was the PBO. In my unit, we have a PBO at the Battalion level. No luck there either.
But I am at a Component Command Headquarters. I have sever warrant officers and senior officers that work in the G4 within mere feet of my desk. So I went to the G4 Supply and Services cell, where I spoke with the CW4 in charge of all Class VII items in our command. Again, a blank stare and confusion. He tried to explain it, but it seemed like he did not want to be holed into a definite response.
This is aggravating. Why can no one give me a straight answer?
Well, because there really is not a book answer to the question as I asked it. Let me explain.
DA PAM 708-2 (specifically, page 61) outlines that the Army Master Data File (AMDF) is the repository of all codes and information records for Army material. If the AMDF says something is Expendable, then by gosh it is expendable. When the information is entered into the AMDF, they judge the item by the criteria laid out in Chapter 7 of AR 735-5. FEDLOG pulls it’s information from the AMDF, so we are done, right?
This is where we find our issue. In AR 735-5, each type of property (ARC N, D, X) states the criteria that makes an item that ARC code. It also states that you can find an Item’s ARC code in FEDLOG. However, it also states that even if the item is in FEDLOG as a certain ARC, that there are other criteria that could make it’s ARC change. For example, if an items has a Federal Supply Code of 5110 and has a unit of issue that contains more than one item (such as a package, box, dozen ect…), AND the cost of each single item is less than $50, then the entire set is expendable, not durable, no matter what FEDLOG states.
Fuck these rules can be complex.
Our second issue comes in when an item is non-expendable according to the TM or TMHR, but FEDLOG states it is not. Why does the TM do this to us? Certainly they don’t want us to start a FLIPL if we lose a chock block, right?
Well, the concept behind something like this is that the manufacturer is stating to you, the user, that you cannot and must not operate the vehicle without this item. Does that mean that you should start that FLIPL for your missing chocks? No. Hell no. You will be laughed out of the room.
Our third issue comes when the PBO decides on their own to make certain items non-expendable. Yea, they can totally do that. On a whim. For example, AR 735-5 clearly states that any Cellphone under $500 should be considered durable property. But, because cell phones are pilferable items and acquiring them is usually a pretty complicated project, the PBO can mandate they go on the books and be treated as non-expendable property.
So the short answer? Go with what is on FEDLOG, no matter the discrepancy. If you have a question, ask your Supply or PBO. But you may not like what you get.