CHAPTER 3 MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION One of the main duties of an AK3 is to identify and requisition aeronautical material. This chapter provides basic information to help you develop the knowledge you need to perform these duties. You may not have all the facts memorized, but you should know where to find the information required. As you gain experience in your rate, you will be able to retain most of this information. Memorizing commonly used information will help, since speed is an essential element in processing high priority requisitions. Processing time starts when requisitions are ordered. It ends when the material is delivered and received by the customer. In this time limit, technical research, requisition preparation, breakout of material, and delivery must be accomplished. Therefore, you cannot spend most of the time allowed in material identification. Proper material identification is essential to the requisitioning and receipt of the correct item. You must understand the terminologies used in material identification. The appendix section of this manual lists some of these terminologies and acronyms. For more information, refer to the list of publications used as references in writing this manual. MATERIAL COGNIZANCE The term material cognizance refers to the inventory manager and technical advisor of each category of material in the supply system. A category of Navy material is a major grouping of items for supply management purposes. The list of cognizant symbols can be found in Military Standard Requisitioning and Issue Procedures (MILSTRIP) and Military Standard Transaction Reporting and Accounting Procedures (MLLSTRAP), NAVSUP P-437, appendix 17. GENERAL INFORMATION Material is managed according to category (Federal Supply Classification) and its intended use. An inventory manager is assigned for each category of material, and has overall responsibility for all items within the category. The inventory manager is also called “material cognizant” within the supply system. all items in the supply system have an assigned two-position cognizance symbol code. This code identifies the inventory manager and the stores account in which the material is carried. The items assigned to bureau, office, or systems command for inventory management include the following material: . Material in the research and development stage l Material that requires continuing logistics, engineering, or fiscal administration and control at the department level . Material recognized as a onetime installation that was bought and issued for a specific use The inventory control point ICP items are those for which bureau, office, or systems command management is not essential. The ICP provides stocks of these items to its segment of the supply system. This group of items includes equipment, repair parts, and consumables. It also includes those items for which stocking determination, quality control, funding, and issue control can be accomplished by the ICP If required, the ICP ensures that these items are available from commercial sources and other government agencies. NAVSUP selects the items assigned to ICP for inventory management with the advice of the appropriate bureau, office, or systems command. The Navy retail items are material vested to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) for joint military supply management. Since reorganization of the Fleet Material Support Office (FMSO) in 1993, the Ships Parts Control Center SPCC has assumed the Navy retail inventory and financial management responsibility for these items. These items include components, repair parts, consumables, and other material. The requirement determination and procurement of these items can be accomplished by the Defense Supply Center on a combined basis for all military services. NAVY MATERIAL Cognizance symbols are two-character, alphanumeric codes prefixed to national stock numbers. The first character of the cognizance symbol identifies the stores account. The following information refers to the first character of the cognizance symbol: 3-1