CHAPTER 3 MATERIAL RECEIPT, CUSTODY, AND SURVEYS

As an AK2, you will be performing duties, both ashore and afloat, relative to the receipt, custody, and survey of material. To perform these duties, you should be familiar with organization, receiving operations, types of receipt, methods of delivery, files, receipt preparation, inspection and verification, surveys, and disposition of material. This chapter contains information about the receipt, delivery, custody, security, identification, and survey of material and the preparation of documentation applicable to these topics.

MATERIAL RECEIPT

Material receipt is gaining possession of an item of Navy property through acceptance of physical custody. Control of this material after receipt and before it is forwarded to storage, issued to a requesting department, or forwarded to the transportation section for further movement is a critical supply requirement.

Material may be received from several transportation sources such as the U.S. Postal Service, commercial or government air freight, commercial trucking firms, the United Parcel Service (UPS), vendor deliveries, commercial or government water freight, Department of Defense (DOD) owned vehicles, or direct pickup from a vendor.

This material may be designated for stock, direct turnover (DTO) to a department or local supported activity, to a holding area for pickup by a Navy contractor, or to a packing and shipping unit when further consignment is required.

Regardless of the source of the receipt or its final destination, it is absolutely necessary that controls be established in receiving units to identify the quantity received, the source and date of the receipts, the unit to which physical custody was transferred at the completion of the receiving process, and the date on which the received material was released.

METHODS OF DELIVERY

The various methods of material delivery are discussed in the following paragraphs.

Direct Delivery

The receipt of material or services from a government or commercial source and acceptance by a ship, squadron, or group representative at either the point of delivery or source of supply are known as direct delivery. After receipt has been acknowledged, material is owned by the Navy and services are considered satisfactory unless discrepancies are noted. The supply officer must establish procedures to make certain only authorized personnel pick up, receive, or sign for material or services.

Freight

All commercial and government deliveries shipped under a bill of lading are classified as delivery by freight. Material transshipped from a government source is also classified as freight when deliveries are combined and shipped via the DOD transportation system. Freight can be received in the United States, foreign ports, and during underway replenishment (UNREP).

Mail

Small items are often sent and received via the U.S. Postal Service, including letters and packages sent by way of the various postal programs. The supply officer is responsible for establishing and maintaining a list of personnel authorized to receive official mail.

PREPARATION FOR MATERIAL RECEIPT

The supply officer and personnel assigned to receiving operations must be flexible in routine daily procedures and be able to adjust to any conditions necessary in the receipt of material. The purpose of preparing for receipt of material is to guarantee the timely and accurate receipt processing and distribution of incoming material.

The most important part of any supply operation is to guarantee the safety of all personnel involved. The supply officer is responsible for making sure certain safety rules are observed, especially for inexperienced personnel. This delegation is passed to the supervisor of receipt processing who must make certain the following rules are observed:

. Personnel must be properly equipped with safety equipment such as safety shoes, gloves, and hard hats. 

. Personnel must be qualified to operate materials-handling equipment used in the operation.

. Personnel must be knowledgeable of procedures to be followed during emergency situations.

MATERIAL RECEIPT ASHORE

The receiving branch ashore plans and directs operations necessary to physically receive incoming material for storage, DTO, or transshipment. The functions normally assigned to a receiving organization at a local supply activity include receipt and inspection of incoming material, segregation and delivery of incoming material, preparation of reports, preservation and packaging of material for storage or shipment, initiation of tracer action for incoming material when required, and maintenance of files relating to all receiving functions.

MATERIAL RECEIPT AFLOAT

The material receipt process afloat involves the identification, storage, issue, and recording of all material previously requisitioned or purchased and received by the activity. As an integral part of the supply receipt process, all material received must be properly identified, stored (if the material is for stock), issued (if the material is for DTO), and recorded in the stock records in a timely fashion.