Gearing up: Desert Eagle Team helps process, move servicemembers here, to forward locations

Published May 20, 2007
By Senior Airman Clark Staehle
379th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Almost everyone in the Air Force deploys to one place or another at some point in their career. Getting people to the right place at the right time can take a huge amount of coordination and teamwork on everyone's part.

Many units and missions come together to help ensure the smoothest transition possible into a deployed location.

Here, such units as the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron, 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, 379th Expeditionary Services Squadron, and Personnel Support for Contingency Operations all play integral roles in the arrival of each member of the Desert Eagle Team.

379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron

The 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron makes sure each Airman passing through here receive the equipment they need for their deployment up range, from bullet-proof vests to first aid kits and more.

"We issue all transient personnel their C bags, chem. gear, cold-weather gear ... anything and everything," said Staff Sgt. Travis Taylor, 379th ELRS Expeditionary Theater Distribution Center "We reposition all the assets here so the customer, for one, doesn't have to bring it with them and carry that extra load, and two, we save enormous amounts of money. In the past year alone, we've saved the Air Force over $17 million just by having it prepositioned here."

"Even though it may sound like a boring job, this is stuff that could save someone's life," the sergeant said.

379th Expeditionary Services Squadron

The 379th Expeditionary Services Squadron has several roles transitioning air and space expeditionary force rotations. Airmen with the 379th ESVS help make lodging arrangements for Airmen staying here and moving on up range.

During the roatation surge, every unit on base is busier. The 379th ESVS has 3,332 total beds in billeting. Of those, 1,428 were full from Sunday to Thursday. During a normal week, about 300 beds are full.

After providing servicemembers with a place to stay, the 379th ESVS has another way to help members of the Desert Eagle team. The 379th ESVS reception control team members wearing blue vests provide assistance to transient personnel moving forward and returning home.

"The blue vest helps us stick out so people will know where to turn for help," said Staff Sgt. Laura Fournier, 379th ESVS lodging supervisor. "We're usually out and about around the billeting tents so we're available for people who need help finding their way around the Coalition Compound."

8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron

During the AEF 7/8 rotation turnover, the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron routes packages, baggage, people and cargo in and out of the Area of Responsibility and works hand in hand with several other units to get their job done.

"We provide accountability," said Tech. Sgt. Aaron Fernau, 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron NCO in charge of passenger terminal day shift. "In conjunction with PERSCO, we make sure everybody gets in-processed into the country, that way everybody knows they're there. We work in conjunction with the local nationals, as far as customs and immigrations. We set it all up together, that way it's a one-stop shop for the guys coming in country."

To help handle the large number of servicemembers passing through, Airmen from other bases are tasked to augment the staff already here. This ensures there is enough manpower to get the job done through the rotation.

"There have been a couple of nights in the last week where we've moved over 2,000 people in a night," Sergeant Fernau said. "The logistics of that are hard to put into words as far as coordination and just having enough people to do it."

From Sunday through Thursday, the 8th EAMS processed 123 inbound and outbound flights and more than 5,000 passengers. During a normal seven-day period, they process about 150 inbound and outbound planes and about 2,200 passengers.

379th Personnel Support for Contingency Operations

The 379th Personnel Support for Contingency Operations team is the largest in the Area of Responsibility. It is comprised of personnelists who are responsible for briefing and processing each person who comes through, whether they're staying here or moving on to Iraq or Afghanistan. They provide accountability of all personnel on base.

"Basically we in-process people and we out-process them. We keep accounts on them," Capt. Adam Avnet, with 379th Expeditionary Mission Support Group's PERSCO team. "We do some limited personnel services, mostly we do liaison work with the home station."

The PERSCO team maintains 24-hour operations, comprised of two shifts. From Sunday to Thursday, Airmen in PERSCO have processed more than 750 servicemembers into the base during the roation surge. It has processed about as many for redeployment.