AVIAN 34 information
for FAMF
1 TC BN
ARADMAC
For date 701015
FAMF was a US Army unit
1 TC BN was a US Army unit
ARADMAC was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
South Vietnam
Location, Vung Tau
Description: The following is the eighth installment (an extract) from AVIAN 34 (a 38 page magazine publication with color photos), October 1970, Vol. II, Number 3. This installment contains information from pages 10 through 11 which was presented as a section or chapter titled "FAMF."
During 1970, the U.S. Army Floating Aircraft Maintenance Facility completed its fourth year of operation off the coast of Vietnam. More commonly referred to as the "FAMF", the ship is the home of the 1st Transportation Corps Battalion (Aircraft Maintenance Depot) (Sea-borne), which is under operational control of the 34th Group.
The history of the FAMF dates back to August 1962, when the Army Materiel Command (AMC) directed the Transportation Materiel Command to explore the possibility of using a ship as a floating maintenance facility to provide helicopter support in the Far East. Results of the study indicated that such a ship would be feasible. Several types of hulls were then considered, ranging from cruisers to LST's, with final approval being given to the conversion of a Navy seaplane tender.
The Office of the Project Manager for the FAMF, then code-named Project FLAT-TOP, was established in June 1964. LTC John F. Sullivan was named Project Manager in May 1966 and assumed command of the 1st Materiel Group, which was activated to support the ship.
In May 1967, Colonel Morgan C. Light assumed the duties of Project FLATTOP Manager and the command of the 1st Materiel Group. The Group, later designated as the US Army Materiel Group No. 1 (Logistical Support), is the command element for the 1st TC Battalion and the Training Battalion at Corpus Christi, Texas.
The FAMF is the former Navy seaplane tender USNS Albermarle. It was loaned to the Army by the Maritime Commission in November 1963 and renamed the USNS Corpus Christi Bay in March 1965. During World War II, the ship saw service in both the European and Pacific theaters.
An extensive amount of structural work and refitting was done prior to the FAMF's activation. The most visible change was the construction of the hanger deck covering. Previously, the aft section of the ship consisted of a low, open deck on which seaplanes could be lifted and repaired. A number of internal improvements were also made in order to extend the capabilities of the ship.
Since its arrival in Vietnam, the FAMF has gained increasing recognition for the outstanding support it has provided. From its home base in Vung Tau harbor, the FAMF periodically travels up the coast of Vietnam for stops near Qui Nhon and Da Nang. On these trips, cargo is unloaded and unserviceable components taken aboard.
In its 26 production and 16 support shops, the FAMF can perform virtually every aspect of aircraft component maintenance from investigative analysis to heat treating components. A list of the various production facilities aboard the ship includes a Chemical Lab, Calibration Shop, Avionics Shop, Armament Shop, Engine Test Cell, Transmission Shop, Hydraulic Shop, Sheet Metal Shop, and Machine Shop.
The supply system aboard the FAMF matches the production capabilities in extensiveness. Although supported by ARADMAC in Corpus Christi, the FAMF stocks in excess of 20,000 line items for its internal operations.
The major emphasis of the ship's supply system is in support of theater operations. The 34th Group supplies the FAMF with a Not Operationally Ready, Supply (NORS) parts list from which items that can be manufactured on the ship or filled from internal stockage are extracted. Approximately 100 of these high priority NORS requirements are filled each week.
A great aid to both the supply and production capabilities of the FAMF has been the installation of the new IBM 360-20 computer. Coupled with an extensive technical library, the computer insures an excellent management capability and parts inventory.
The Fabrication and Engineering Shops of the FAMF often get the call for production of special projects. Some of these projects have included the fabrication work done for the "Firefly" Project, manufacture of flash suppressors for machine guns, skid shoes for the OH-6A Light Observation Helicopter, and jettisonable flare racks.
Working aboard the ship is a highly trained and skillful crew, consisting of 361 Army and 130 civilian personnel. The 1st TC Battalion is organized into two companies-a Headquarters Company, providing administrative and services support, and Alpha Company, which includes all of the maintenance platoons. The civilians aboard are from the Military Sea Transportation Service and handle the operation of the FAMF.
The ship is a self-sufficient facility, and provides its own health, recreation, and mess facilities.
The most innovative and unique feature of the FAMF concept is its mobility. Having saved the Army millions of dollars in shortened supply lines, the Corpus Christi Bay may well prove itself to be one of the most beneficial legacies of the Army support program in Vietnam.
Comments: LTC Sullivan, John F.; FAMF Project Manager; ;
LTC Light, Morgan C.; FAMF and 1 TC BN CO; ;
The source for this information was Vol. II, No. 3 dated Oct 1970 copy contributed by Jerry Mellick
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org
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