386th ETDC keeps deployers supplied

Published March 17, 2011
By Staff Sgt. Patrice Clarke
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- In assembly-line style, there is a small group of Airmen who are taking orders and diligently filling them. These aren't hamburger and French fry orders, but orders for equipment that save lives. The men and women who work at the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Expeditionary Theater Distribution Center provide the equipment deployers need downrange.

The ETDC is one of three in the U.S. Air Force's Central Command Area of Responsibility that provides a one-stop shop for individual body armor, chemical protective gear and weapons courtesy storage for forward deploying members.

Before this type of equipment was housed and distributed in-theater, the cost of excess baggage for deploying Airmen was more than $51 million. Using ETDCs was the solution. Distributing the equipment here saves millions of dollars a year in excess baggage charges, aircraft fuel expenditures and movement costs.

The Marauders manning the ETDC have made it their goal to ensure processing through the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing is a smooth operation.

"The Airmen working here do a tremendous job of providing this much needed capability," said Master Sgt. Marvin Gordy, ETDC superintendent. "They are the reason this operation runs as smooth as it does."

The smooth operation is all many forward deployers see. Once a transit deployer arrives at the 386th AEW they immediately begin in-processing. During those briefings they are handed a gear request form to fill out indicating sizes and type of equipment needed. After the briefings, deployers are sent to the ETDC to turn in their forms for processing and to courtesy store their weapons, if needed.

ETDC members take the forms and begin filling the orders, usually within 12 hours depending on the number of passengers transiting through.

"As the only ETDC with pre-built bags, the process is pretty streamlined," said Tech Sgt. Edward Sommers, ETDC nightshift NCOIC.

Framework C, or chemical bags, are pre-built with the necessary equipment minus the chemical protective suit and boots. Forward deployers indicate on their request form what size chemical equipment is needed and the ETDC finishes the bag with the correctly sized equipment required.

Many of the Airmen currently working at the ETDC don't perform this mission back at their homestations, but come from many other sections throughout their logistics readiness squadrons.

Senior Airman Donald Collier, an ETDC journeyman deployed from the 436th Logistics Readiness Squadron out of Dover Air Force Base, Del., had never worked at an ETDC before deploying here.

"At my home station, I worked customer service and dealt mainly with maintenance and LRS," said Airman Collier. "Here we get to meet a variety of people from everywhere."

For the Jacksonville Fla., native, the mission is what is important to him.

"The best part of this job is knowing the equipment you provide has an impact on the mission," said Airman Collier.

Though this isn't Senior Airman Lateshia Blackely's first time working at an ETDC it is a change from her homestation job working in the flight services store there. Airman Blackely is also deployed from the 436th Logistics Readiness Squadron out of Dover AFB.

"Back there it's mostly dealing with aircraft parts, making sure the aircraft have the parts they need and the parts that need repairing, get repaired," said Airman Blackely. "It's a change, but my last deployment I worked at an ETDC."

While here, the Brookhaven Miss., native accomplishes a variety of jobs throughout the ETDC to include logging equipment into the Mobility Inventory Control Accountability System, which is the system of record for all mobility equipment.

"All equipment is tracked in this system," said Airman Blackely. "Everything from its current location, whether on the shelf or checked out, as well as its expiration date is tracked in MICAS."

At times, redeployers passing through will return equipment checked out from one of the other ETDCs in theater.

"If equipment is checked out at another ETDC and returned here, we ship that equipment to its owning ETDC," said Sergeant Sommers. "The same, if items checked from our ETDC are returned at one of the other theater ETDCs, they will be shipped here."

All sections working together make the process smooth for forward deployers processing through. Getting the deployers the equipment they need to do the mission is most important.

"I know I make a difference in the long run," said Airman Blackely. "The things I provide ultimately are saving someone's life."