Base supply critical for mission

Eileen Gort and Jason Garneau, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron materiel management flight service center, perform inventory checks at the Central Storage Element June 30, 2015, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. The CSE is responsible for storing supply and equipment items that include classified, sensitive, cryptographic, communication security and nuclear weapons related material. (U.S. Air Force photo/Chris Willis)

Eileen Gort and Jason Garneau, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron materiel management flight service center, perform inventory checks at the Central Storage Element June 30, 2015, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. The CSE is responsible for storing supply and equipment items that include classified, sensitive, cryptographic, communication security and nuclear weapons related material. (U.S. Air Force photo/Chris Willis)

Jason Garneau, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron materiel management flight service center, performs an inventory check at the Central Storage Element June 30, 2015, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. The CSE is responsible for storing supply and equipment items that include classified, sensitive, cryptographic, communication security and nuclear weapons related material. (U.S. Air Force photo/Chris Willis)

Jason Garneau, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron materiel management flight service center, performs an inventory check at the Central Storage Element June 30, 2015, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. The CSE is responsible for storing supply and equipment items that include classified, sensitive, cryptographic, communication security and nuclear weapons related material. (U.S. Air Force photo/Chris Willis)

Annette Perez, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron materiel management repair cycle, checks supply stock after a recent upgrade to the storage aid systems at the Central Storage Element June 30, 2015, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. With more than 100,000 pieces of inventory the CSE is critical to the base having the supplies and equipment on hand.  (U.S. Air Force photo/Chris Willis)

Annette Perez, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron materiel management repair cycle, checks supply stock after a recent upgrade to the storage aid systems at the Central Storage Element June 30, 2015, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. With more than 100,000 pieces of inventory the CSE is critical to the base having the supplies and equipment on hand. (U.S. Air Force photo/Chris Willis)

Annette Perez, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron materiel management repair cycle, checks supply stock after a recent upgrade to the storage aid systems at the Central Storage Element June 30, 2015, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. With more than 100,000 pieces of inventory the CSE is critical to the base having the supplies and equipment on hand.  (U.S. Air Force photo/Chris Willis)

Annette Perez, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron materiel management repair cycle, checks supply stock after a recent upgrade to the storage aid systems at the Central Storage Element June 30, 2015, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. With more than 100,000 pieces of inventory the CSE is critical to the base having the supplies and equipment on hand. (U.S. Air Force photo/Chris Willis)

MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- With more than 100,000 pieces of inventory, the 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron Central Storage Element is critical to the base having the supplies and equipment on hand to keep the mission going.

The CSE is responsible for storing supply and equipment items that include classified, sensitive, cryptographic, communication security and nuclear weapons related material.

"We are responsible for all retail material management for the base such as storing, inspecting, issuing, returning and transferring government materials," said Bill Hartman, 341st LRS materiel management flight chief.

Currently the facility is going through an almost $1 million upgrade to its storage system.

"The new storage aid systems will increase storage capacity and the system is much safer than the 50-year-old racking system that was in use," said Hartman.

In the last month the CSE has stored more than 4,600 new units of property and has a current inventory valued at $130 million.

"We are here to assist our customers by determining and stocking material requirements, ordering, sourcing, storing and return or disposal of materials within the supply chain," said Hartman.

If the base was a body, the CSE would be the arms and legs, according to Hartman.

"Many people don't really think about us until they are missing a part," said Hartman. "We help them find the part to keep the mission going."