Ready, set, deploy

by Airman 1st Class Zachary Kee
35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

10/4/2013 - MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- During every Operational Readiness Exercise, the transition from peacetime to a simulated combat environment is like going from off to on.

It all starts when a squadron or unit gets the order to deploy. After receiving the order, they take part in a process that will quickly transition them from home station to contingency operations.

The individual protective equipment element is where the ball gets rolling for pre-deployment actions, and Staff Sgt. Toni Hill, 35th Logistics Readiness Squadron IPEE supervisor, says they have one of the most important stops.

"We give them their chemical gear, sleeping bag and cold-weather gear," said Hill. "You can't send someone into a hostile environment without any protection. The gear we issue out to each service member is extremely important."

Once personnel receive their gear they quickly transition to the personnel deployment function line. This step is the one Tech. Sgt. Stacy Jordan, 35th Force Support Squadron PDF line NCO in-charge, says has the biggest impact on everyone who deploys.

"We are the ones who make sure people are ready to deploy," said Jordan. "We make sure they are good to go before they get on the plane."

The purpose of the PDF line is to provide a last-stop shop for any personnel, legal, medical or financial actions that need to be completed before anyone deploys. Jordan says for the most part it goes smoothly, but it's not always a flawless process.

Jordan said typical mistakes they see are issues with virtual records of emergency data, Common Access Cards, dog tags and missing immunizations.

"The PDF line is designed to catch these problems before Airmen deploy," said Jordan. "Most of the problems we see we can fix right on the line instead of sending them elsewhere."

Once all actions are taken care of, Airmen receive their final pre-departure briefs and begin transit to their final destination - the AMC terminal.

At the AMC terminal, the squadron is "deployed" and reality sets in when they board a simulated flight and go from peacetime to wartime.

More than 600 Airmen have gone through this transition throughout the course of the deployment processing line as a part of the ORE.

"The deployment line eliminates mass chaos and allows us to support combat operations," said Jordan. "It is the hub that makes sure everyone gets to where they need to go."