HazPro: Hazardous Material Preparer and Inspector Mobile Software

Imagine a young Airman is preparing for their first deployment and has been assigned as the unit cargo increment monitor. They are responsible for creating Shipper Declaration of Dangerous Goods (SDDGs) and preparing their unit’s Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) shipments. An SDDG is a document that certifies that the HAZMAT being transported is classified, packaged, marked, and labeled correctly according to the applicable regulations. Federal and international law requires properly prepared packages and SDDG for all HAZMAT movements. Military members perform this task using the AFMAN 24-604, Preparing Hazardous Materials for Military Air Shipments.  This regulation has 539 pages of shipment configuration options, along with thousands of deviations, waivers, and special permits. It can be overwhelming, especially for someone not performing this task regularly. Different packaging and labels may be required depending on the type and quantity of HAZMAT being shipped. Each decision requires flipping back and forth throughout the regulation and constantly cross-checking references, which can sometimes be confusing and even contradictory. The AFMAN was designed for maximum flexibility but acts more like a confusing choose-your-own-adventure, which bewilders and frustrates the novice user or exhausted warfighter. The current process is cumbersome, and the risk of improper shipment preparation could be life-threatening.  The DAF needs a mobile software platform to streamline HAZMAT preparation and inspection processes. On any given day, the DOD  manages a staggering number of shipments: 1,730 ground shipments, 33 carrier ships in transit, and 455 airlift sorties. Each of these mission types regularly has multiple to thousands of Hazardous Materials included, and all of them need to be prepared appropriately and documented on SDDGs. Beyond the billions of dollars in cargo assets, these units also oversee the safe transport of over 500K annually passengers, often in the same aircraft, ship, or truck as the HAZMAT cargo. The responsibility of ensuring their safety is immense; however, a known mission void exists because the DoD logistics processes are outdated and don't meet the requirements of the logistics enterprise today. The DAF needs to invest in innovative software platforms that enable mobility. Recent global conflicts demonstrate the need for reliable and responsive logistics; lack of investment in logistic infrastructure has, at times, crippled the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A modern DoD solution could generate genuine Survivable Logistics that depend not on the availability of highly demanded but unavailable subject matter experts. By implementing state-of-the-art human/machine teaming capabilities, we can create a mobile digital safety net for the numerous edge users of DoD who have limited knowledge or experience in preparing HAZMAT and SDDGs. Furthermore, this can speed up overall DoD unit preparation and installation mobilization operations.