Airmen equipped for operations near and far

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Janine Thibault
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  The mission of the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, to "prepare, deploy, and enable" is a daily focus for Icemen. The 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron Materiel Management Flight directly supports that mission by supplying Airmen with required equipment for deployments or contingencies.

Materiel management Airmen regularly issue items including gas masks, helmets, chemical suits, boots, weapons and sleeping bags. The quality of these items is imperative to ensure recipients will not be at risk. Equipment status is verified using a monthly listing that informs the technicians of expired or outdated items. An inventory is also completed every two months to ensure equipment accountability.

"Almost all of the gear we store has an expiration date. It's good to know when you're out there working in the field that the items will not malfunction," said Staff Sgt. Christopher Harrelson, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the flight service center,.

Items that have reached the end of their shelf life are stored separately. Once identified as expired, the items are no longer given out and await disposal.

The highest demand is put on the supply technicians before exercises and deployments, when items are issued to support operations.

The pre-deployment process is lengthy and can be further complicated if Airmen are not aware of the proper procedure. The materiel management section works hard to streamline operations at their warehouse by communicating with the unit deployment managers.

Another way they help is by working with their customers to teach them how to use their gear. Deployers often need additional assistance for items they do not normally use.

Earlier this year, supply technicians helped the 354th Civil Engineer successfully deploy a 63-man team for Silver Flag, an expeditionary combat support training exercise that tests the skills and abilities of Airmen.

"They made the TDY process easier by getting me in-and-out of their office with everything I needed quickly," said Airman First Class Chris Koenig, 354th CES, construction inspector. "They were very professional and made sure that all of the gear given to me was serviceable."

"TDY" is a military acronym that stands for "Temporary Duty Yonder," i.e. a temporary duty assignment away from one's home base. 

"Prepare, deploy, and enable" may be the wing mission, but the 354 LRS applies it to every process in their section. So, whether Airmen are deploying or participating in an exercise, they will be ready for whatever they face.