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9th Infantry Division
Old Reliables

Looking for more information from military/civilian personnel assigned to or associated with the U.S. Army in Germany from 1945 to 1989. If you have any stories or thoughts on the subject, please contact me.


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9th QM Co

9th Repl Co

9th Med Bn

709th Ord Bn

DSSO

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Division Signal Supply Office
(Source: STARS & STRIPES, April 8, 1956)
Seventh Army has designated the 9th Inf Div Signal Supply Office (DSSO) as the pilot model for all signal direct support units (DSU) to be established in 7th Army as part of Project MASS. The DSSO is supervised by the Division Signal Supply Officer (Capt Eugene Jones) and the Division Signal Officer (Lt Col John T. Quick).

DSSO's involvement with Project MASS began in December 1955. Under MASS, the DSSO performs a three-fold mission:
to provide all normal maintenance and supply
to conduct technical assistance inspections
to research demand data accumulated over the past 12 months to provide the foundation for MASS

Project MASS, in relationship to the DSSO, is based on three principles:
1. Stock only fast-moving items in a theater of operations.
2. Transmit all requisitions in electronic accounting machine (EAM) language. The request will be prepared on EAM card at the DSSO and transmitted to the signal depot by means of a transceiver.
3. Utilization of priority transportation -- air, land and water.

Experience has proven that 15 percent of items classified as repair parts can meet 85 percent of equipment maintenance requirements.

The DSSO has prepared a selective stockage list with which it can fill 85 percent of the repair parts requests it receives from support units. If a part is not available at signal depot level, a request will be transmitted electronically within a matter of minutes to the US. Shipping time from the US is now down to less than 10 days.

May 1 is the scheduled date to officially implement MASS for signal repairs and July 1 to implement for signal items.

The implementation of Project MASS will reduce the signal repair parts stockage requirements to a level where the division's spare parts can be transported in mobile vans. The vans are scheduled to be issued to the DSSO before May 1.

The new system will also reduce administrative paperwork, eliminate consolidation at battalion and regimental levels, and eliminate authorization screening. Items will be maintained at theater level where all requirements from the same TO&E units can be compiled, compared, filed and researched electronically. This will lead to a decrease in personnel requirements.

 
Related Links:
9th Infantry Division Association - lots of info - most of it WWII, Vietnam