43rd AG exercises deployment readiness

by Marvin Krause
43rd Airlift Group

8/10/2015 - POPE ARMY AIRFIELD, N.C. -- Airmen from the 43rd Airlift Group participated in an operational readiness exercise here Aug. 3-4 testing their ability to deploy personnel and equipment worldwide on short-notice.

The deployment exercise was initiated by Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd AG commander, with a recall of personnel and a deployment execution order informing the installation deployment officer, unit commanders and deployment managers of the personnel and cargo requirements for the exercise.

"Today, we are conducting a deployment exercise, testing our readiness to deploy from home station to the AOR," said Ray Baloyot, Pope Field's installation deployment officer from the 43rd Air Base Squadron. "On the first chalk, we have 17 individuals and on the second chalk, we have 20 individuals from across the group including a little less than a ton of cargo supported by the 43rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and the 43rd ABS."

Deployment planning and execution is conducted by implementing the group's installation deployment plan that provides detailed procedures, instructions and comprehensive data required to expeditiously deploy personnel and equipment.

To deploy personnel, a personnel deployment function is established consisting of representatives from the military personnel section, Airman and Family Readiness Center, medical, legal and finance that serves as the focal point for monitoring all personnel processing activities. The PDF includes eligibility screening, pre-deployment briefings, orders preparation and production, passenger manifesting, baggage handling and passenger loading.

"The PDF does a last spot check on everyone's mobility records prior to their deployment and to just make sure everyone is good to go to deploy," said Tech. Sgt. Donell Walker, Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of the personnel deployment function from the 43rd Air Base Squadron.

The group commander's inspection team comprised of twenty subject matter experts from multiple specialties conducted the inspection and evaluation of the deployment exercise. They provide inputs for exercise scenario development, inspect assigned areas and functions, evaluation scenarios and inputs to the inspection report.

"We're processing two lines right now and the people handling it are doing a great job of handling multiple folks at once," said James McVay, 43rd Airlift Group director of inspections. "Overall, we're pleased with the performance of the participants."

McVay and the inspection team will provide the group commander and senior leaders with an inspection outbrief after the exercise highlighting their findings during their evaluations. In 30-days, they will prepare a validated official exercise report for the commander and Headquarters, Air Mobility Command.

The group inspection team conducts quarterly exercises that include deployment exercises depending on the commander's intent.

The 43rd AG's 900 active-duty Airmen and civilians provide contingency outload, en route support and mobility operations for Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg's XVIII Airborne Corps and the 82nd Airborne Division. This partnership with the Army provides the nation a unique Joint forcible entry capability through rapid global airborne and air assault operations within hours of notification. Missions can range from humanitarian assistance to providing combat capability to the combatant commanders.