C-Bag check

Staff Sgt. Jesus Borunda, a voice networks technician with the 88th Communications Squadron, inventories his "C-Bag" containing chemical and biological protective gear inside the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base mobility bag warehouse. Borunda was among more than 200 base Airmen who participated in an exercise Dec. 8 which simulated a mass deployment to an air base in Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Al Bright)

Mobility bag warehouse

A group of 88th Communications Squadron Airmen inventory the contents of their deployment gear inside the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base mobility bag warehouse Dec. 8. More than 200 base Airmen participated in the exercise which simulated a mass deployment to an air base in Asia. The exercise is part of base preparations for the 2009 Operational Readiness Inspection (U.S. Air Force photo/Al Bright)

Ammo loader

Staff Sgt. Michael Bigelow, a munitions inspector with the 88th Operations Support Squadron, drives a 10K all-terrain forklift Dec. 5 inside the Weapons Storage Area at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Base Airmen participated in a crisis response deployment exercise which simulated the deployment of more than 200 personnel and nearly 60 tons of cargo to an air base in Asia. The exercise is part of base preparations for the 2009 Operational Readiness Inspection. (U.S. Air Force photo/William Pugh)

Ammo loader

Tech. Sgt. Jason Grant, unit deployment manager for the 88th Security Forces Squadron, guides Staff Sgt. Michael Bigelow, a munitions inspector with the 88th Operations Support Squadron, into a weapons inspection facility at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The Airmen removed various ammunition from protective storage and prepared it for containerized shipment during a crisis response deployment exercise Dec. 5. The exercise is part of base preparations for the 2009 Operational Readiness Inspection. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ben Strasser)

Ammo load

Munitions specialist Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson and Bill Crenshaw, chief of the 88th Operations Support Squadron Munitions Flight, prepare pallets of small arms ammo for shipment Dec. 5 inside the Weapons Storage Area at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Base Airmen participated in a crisis response deployment exercise which simulated the deployment of more than 200 personnel and nearly 60 tons of cargo to an air base in Asia. The exercise is part of base preparations for the 2009 Operational Readiness Inspection. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ben Strasser)

Squad ammo load

Tech. Sgt. Jason Grant, unit deployment manager for the 88th Security Forces Squadron, loads a shipping container with small arms ammunition at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base weapons storage area Dec. 5. Base Airmen participated in a crisis response deployment exercise to send personnel, ammo and equipment to an air base in the U.S. Central Command theater. The exercise is part of base preparations for the 2009 Operational Readiness Inspection. (U.S. Air Force photo/William Pugh)

Pre-deployment nourishment

Capt. Katie Tanner, program manager for the Modular Aircrew Common Helmet with Aeronautical Systems Center's 77th Aeronautical Systems Wing, enjoys a treat while undergoing personnel deployment processing Dec. 8 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. More than 200 Airmen simulated a crisis response deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility during the base exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Al Bright)

Mobility bag warehouse

Lt. Col. Cheryl Lewis, 88th Communications Squadron commander, checks out her chemical and biological protective gear inside the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base mobility bag warehouse Dec. 8. More than 200 base Airmen participated in the exercise which simulated a mass deployment to an air base in Asia. The exercise is part of base preparations for the 2009 Operational Readiness Inspection (U.S. Air Force photo/Al Bright)

Ammo members support base deployment

Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson, a munitions specialist with the 88th Operations Support Squadron, ties down boxes of small arms ammo to a pallet in preparation for shipment Dec. 5. at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base weapons storage area. Johnson, who hails from Columbus, Ohio, participated in a base crisis response exercise which simulated the deployment of more than 200 personnel and nearly 60 tons of cargo to an air base in Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ben Strasser)

Exercise sends base Airmen to Asia deployment

Published Dec. 9, 2008
By Derek Kaufman
88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- More than 200 base Airmen simulated mass deployment to an air base in Asia Dec. 8 during the latest in a series of exercises to ready for the Operational Readiness Inspection.

The scenario - designed by base readiness officials and not tied to current real-world events - required personnel and equipment to be processed and dispatched to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to support a surge or major theater war, said Lt. Col. Scott Katz, the senior project officer leading base efforts in preparation for the 2009 ORI.

"We're evaluating the ability of the base to send Airmen via both commercial and DOD transportation, and do it well, because this is something we may well be tasked to do," Katz said.

Airmen representing specialties from across the base participated in the exercise, with 88th Medical Group, 88th Communications Group and Aeronautical Systems Center people comprising the bulk of those who packed their bags and equipment to demonstrate they were ready to go to war.

Mobility technician Ed Honore, who leads a team of contractors in the base mobility bag warehouse, oversaw the preparation of some 600 "A, B and C-Bags" for the deploying Airmen. Arriving by "chalk" at their designated time, each group of Airmen was quickly briefed and directed to their by-name bags. There at Building 257 each Airman inventoried the contents of every item - ranging from first aid and mess kits, to sleeping bags and extreme cold weather parkas, to chemical warfare protective gear - verifying size, quantity and serviceability.

Then, it was off to Building 142, where Katz, along with a number of civilian and military inspectors identified by their red badges, evaluated the performance of units and their deploying personnel at the Personnel Deployment Function.

"We are the last set of eyes for the wing or base commander to ensure their people are ready to deploy," said Master Sgt. Beth Kunkleman, an Air Force Reserve Individual Mobilization Augmentee who served as NCO in charge of the personnel deployment line.

The line includes a cross-functional team of experts to quickly verify people are procedurally, legally, physically and even spiritually ready to leave their families for deployments typically lasting from four months up to a year.

Kunkleman said Unit Deployment Managers are key, calling the UDM "the unit commander's bellybutton" for readiness and ensuring unit Airmen are trained, equipped and fit to fight.

Among those watching personnel processing was Jim Wuennemann, the installation deployment officer, or IDO, who articulates taskings received from higher headquarters to unit commanders and UDMs so they muster the right people and resources for the designated mission.

For this mission it was a diverse mix of Airmen. As one group of 88th Medical Group physicians, nurses and medical technicians prepared to leave the facility and board awaiting buses, the next chalk of deploying Airmen arrived. This time, it was communications professionals, including computer network, telephone, radio and cable technicians. A third group of contracting, finance, legal and support personnel from Aeronautical Systems Center - already processed and sequestered - finished eating their boxed lunches while listening to briefings on deployed medical threats and the Law of Armed Conflict.

Meanwhile a group of logisticians marshaled almost 60 short tons of cargo in preparation to be air or ground shipped to port of debarkation. While Airmen often are issued individual weapons when deploying, this exercise tested a new bulk shipment plan for individual weapons like the M-9 and M-16, Katz said.

A cadre of security forces and munitions experts removed boxes of ammo from their protective igloos at Wright-Patt's Weapons Storage Area. Everything from .556 caliber bullets to smoke grenades was meticulously inventoried, loaded aboard pallets and containers then brought by a 10K all-terrain forklift to the base air freight terminal for shipment.

Bill Crenshaw, Munitions Flight chief with the 88th Operations Support Squadron, oversees a mix of active-duty and civilian (ex-military) ammo troops at Wright-Patterson. He said they safeguard munitions not just for this base, but also for a number of Reserve and Guard units in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. Like base Security Forces Airmen, ammo team members frequently deploy to destinations around the world.

"Today these Airmen are going to return to their units," Katz said as he watched a group exit the processing area to load up busses. "However if this was not an exercise they would be bussing to a commercial airport or they would be readying to board an Air Force airlifter to join the fight."

Katz added he was pleased with the progress deploying Airmen and their UDMs were making to ensure when people arrive for final processing, they already have all of the required training, immunizations and personal equipment.

"Of course we would like it if every Airman has everything they are supposed to have and that is the expectation. But if they don't, the units should catch that during their cross check. We do a final check again at the deployment line, but they really should be at 100 percent at this point."

Col. Bradley Spacy, 88th Air Base Wing commander, said exercises like this one go well beyond preparation for the ORI.

"We are, after all, a nation and Air Force at war, and these training events help ensure our people are ready and able to win today's real-world fight."

With the Phase I deployment portion of the exercise complete Dec. 9, the Airmen headed to Wright-Patt's Expeditionary Combat Skills Training area to conduct Phase II, where they continued to hone their skills in a simulated forward deployed environment.