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380AEW Article

Transitioning for success

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Mike Andriacco
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  One of the most complicated parts of any deployment cycle is when the old Air and Space Expeditionary Force starts to move out and a new team moves in.

The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing consistently and effectively manages the transition, thanks in large part to its Expeditionary Force Support Squadron, the first unit new Airmen get acquainted with upon their arrival in the processing line.

"Ensuring our Airmen are efficiently in-processed, bedded down, and provided a hot meal sets the tone for deployers," said Maj. Mark Horner, 380th EFSS commander. "By setting and enforcing the community standards from the start, we can help alleviate confusion about local policies and regulations and get everyone moving forward into their duty positions quickly."

Two of the busiest offices in the EFSS are the Personnel Support for Contingency Operations flight and the Lodging/Linen Exchange offices. They each assisted in the transition of more than 3,000 Airmen and Soldiers in and out of the 380th AEW during the last AEF rotation.

The PERSCO office maintains 100 percent accountability of Airmen and Soldiers assigned to the 380th AEW, ensures the members of the next rotation are identified in a timely manner and qualified for the positions they will fill, in- and out-process personnel daily, along with a myriad of other tasks.

"The PERSCO team here is a well-oiled machine with a diverse background," said Master Sgt. Stephanie Kerekes, 380th EFSS PERSCO superintendent. "Working as a team ensures everything goes smoothly for each individual that deploys or has a permanent change of station to this location."

The Lodging office is charged with the challenging task of finding long-term and short-term housing for all the personnel rotating into the base, distinguished visitors and transient members passing through.

"One of the most difficult parts is replacing Airmen with members of different ranks and genders because it means we have to shift the sleeping arrangements," said Staff Sgt. Maria Smith, 380th EFSS Linen office non-commissioned officer in charge and Lodging office assistant NCOIC. "We have to make sure everyone is set up to get a good night's rest. It's essential the aircrews are able to have their full crew rest. If you don't get that, you can't accomplish the mission."

The Lodging office constantly has to come up with creative ways to overcome obstacles when they get no-notice visitors or find themselves short of rooms, and has in the past even had to set up tents as temporary lodging for personnel, said Sergeant Smith.

Both Major Horner and Sergeant Kerekes say that the key to a successful transition is advance planning.

"Managing the transition is a tremendous workload for the unit," said Major Horner. "A successful processing line begins with advance mission planning. Scheduling room assignments within our maxed capacity dorms is carefully orchestrated, and PERSCO's advance coordination of personnel and resources, as well as post processing line accountability reporting, are completed accurately. We easily forget that the transition would fail and morale plummet should Food Services' fail to accurately project subsistence requirements, and ensure we don't run out of hot meals during the surge."

Together, all the agencies in the 380th EFSS work together behind the scenes to ensure a successful AEF transition, every time.