Rock Solid Warrior: Staff Sgt. Jeremy Underwood

Published Oct. 27, 2012
386th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Staff Sgt. Jeremy Underwood

Deployed Unit: 386th Expeditionary Communications Squadron

Duty Title: Base Equipment Custodian Officer

Home unit/station: 6th Communications Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.

Family's military heritage: My cousin is a retired Air Force major.

What is your mission here?
My mission here is to maintain a $20M fixed asset property account with 100 percent oversight of 160 sub-accounts of inventorial assets. In addition, I provide customer support and communicational support to the base personnel, by issuing out computers, monitors, cell phones, and land mobile radios that directly support the flying mission here. Lastly, I made it a mission to volunteer my off time to the 5/6 council to try and make this a better place for people coming after me and improve morale for the ones serving with me!

What are some of the best parts of your mission?
The best part of my mission here is knowing that what I do on a daily basis has a direct impact on the mission commander and his subordinate units, by ensuring we have the communicational assets on hand to support any mission requirement and providing top-notch wireless support so anyone at anytime can be contacted. Lastly, "The People", are another important part of my mission. I have to be reachable at all times to over 200 equipment custodians to answer any of their concerns/questions for their proprietary squadron needs.

What are some of the challenges you face while conducting your mission, and how do you overcome them?
I would say the main challenge I face within my primary duty is directly related to account turnovers. When equipment custodians are trying to outprocess they have to conduct a full joint inventory of all assets reaching 100 percent accountability before I can outprocess them. Most turnovers happen within a three-day period, so this adds additional stress to the current equipment custodians. To overcome the additional stress for the equipment custodians I always call them about a week out to ensure they know the proper procedures to successfully outprocess my office. Additionally, I email them the exact procedures that where discussed over the phone. This not only gives them the peace of mind that is needed in an already stressful environment, it gives them the roadmap and guidance that we all look for to complete mission objectives. Lastly, it shows them that my office is willing to work with them on making the outprocessing seamless as possible.

How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base?
The only difference within my job from home station is mentioned in my challenges. Being that we rotate on a six month cycle, we are constantly doing turnovers and with continuous hands touching assets and accounts I have to ensure and verify the integrity of a $20M fixed account of the Air Force maintaining 100 percent accountability. At home base the equipment custodian changeovers are less frequent.

How many times have you deployed?
This is my second deployment and both deployments have been here.

What makes this deployment unique?
This deployment is unique because I can say that I was here during Operation Iraqi Freedom when I was deployed here in 2008. Now our mission has shifted to support Operation Enduring Freedom. I take pride in being a small part in such a rich history within our young Air Force.

Why did you join the Air Force?
I initially joined to get an education and to learn a skill set that will go with me way beyond my Air Force career. The more I grew in the Air Force and learned about our rich history, the clearer the picture became as to why I really joined the Air Force and it was to be a part of something bigger than myself.