A Deployment Cycle; Part 2 of a series

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Lauren Wright
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  The B-1 controls the destiny of many Ellsworth servicemembers. It determines where they will work, live, travel on temporary duty, and, ultimately, deploy.

Several months ago, B-1s were assigned to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing in Southwest Asia. Although the location changed, the rhythm of deployments stayed constant. Roughly every six months, Lancer air crews, jets and maintenance experts replace the ones already active in the forward operating location. It's called a rotation, and it's constantly on the minds of Ellsworth personnel and their families.

"We spent the last six months specifically training to do the role that we're on our way over there to do," said Lt. Col. Quinten Miklos, 34th Bomb Squadron director of operations.

In addition to training, pre-deployment includes focused personal preparation so Airmen are physically, mentally, legally and financially ready to leave. But what happens when it's time to say goodbye?

The simple answer: Support doesn't stop.

The concept
Approximately a week prior to the Jan. 28th deployment, unit deployment managers came together with base leadership for a preliminary briefing to highlight the deployment timeline and address final areas of concern.

"We have it down to a science," said Rick Schroeder, 28th Logistics Readiness Squadron installation deployment officer.

Topics briefed included the travel itinerary, type of support, special uniform requirements, information on formal orders, security requirements, weather information, medical expectations, as well as other relevant special interest items.

Information flow was essential given the volume of personnel Ellsworth sent to Southwest Asia. More than 300 people left Ellsworth for Southwest Asia.

Before they left, deploying servicemembers processed through a pre-deployment line in the 28th Bomb Wing Deployment Center, also referred to as building 410. There they interacted comprehensively with base finance, chaplains and medical professionals to make sure they were mentally and physically ready to deploy.

"As I processed through the line, I went through my mental checklist to make sure I didn't forget something," said Staff Sgt. Reginald Marshall, 28th Munitions Squadron munitions systems technician.

Having served as a Munitions Storage Crew member in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Sergeant Marshall also deployed as an augmentee. His deployment to Southwest Asia carries different responsibilities, though.

Sergeant Marshall is now a married father and took the steps to authorize a power of attorney and update his virtual record of emergency data online.

He said his wife is most interested in the deployment timeline, which gives her a sense of how quickly she needs to say goodbye.

Deploying people
All the goodbye hugs and kisses happened before servicemembers enter building 410 or while they were lined up with their bags tagged and ready to go.

After checking in and handing equipment to a member of the 28th Mission Support Group baggage handling team, servicemembers were in-checked. This involves a final review of dog tags, ID cards and paperwork.

Then the servicemembers were manifested. During the manifesting process passengers were weighed and their emergency contact information was verified. Then one final roll call was performed.

Because most of the processing was done in a pre-deployment processing line, servicemembers were kept in bldg 410 a very minimum amount of time.

While deployers talked amongst themselves in a waiting room, readiness personnel worked behind the scenes to load the jet.

"The amount of time Mobility Machine Airmen dedicate to a deployment is remarkable," said 2nd Lt. Sarah Atherton, 28th Logistics Readiness Squadron installation deployment officer. "It's a difficult duty to be of a team responsible for sending your fellow servicemembers to war, and it takes extreme attention to detail and team cohesiveness to get the mission accomplished. When I watch the plane take off on time, with all the PAX manifested, and all the baggage loaded, while meeting the weight restrictions, I finally get the warm fuzzy inside and know that we've done the job right."

Deploying equipment
In addition to moving people, jets also swap.

"The goal is to safely deploy and redeploy jets without flight deviations," said Capt. David Marten, 28th Operations Support Squadron chief of air operations.

The 28th Operations Support Squadron coordinated a flight path, two air refueling patterns and diplomatic clearance so the 17- to 20- hour flight was problem free for aircrew from the 34th Bomb Squadron.

For B-1 crews, saying goodbye also means saying hello.

The 34th Bomb Squadron, maintainers and support personnel will replace the 37th Bomb Squadron and other Ellsworth B-1 support crews. Those crews have been in country roughly five months.

"That's the one silver lining," said Lt. Col. Miklos. "You've got (around 300) or so people in this room today that are leaving their families but an equal number (in the 37th Bomb Squadron) that have been gone for the last five months or so. They get to come home. I know that their families are very anxious to get them back. We're happy to be going over there so that can happen. We will be equally as happy when someone comes to replace us."

Capt. Nick Yates, 34th Bomb Squadron weapons system officer, said teamwork is what it's all about.

"We've received good feedback from the 37th Bomb Squadron about what's been happening out there, and our job is to improve upon the good processes they already have (in Southwest Asia)," he said.

"The trick is to stay busy," the captain said.

He and the rest of the deployers headed from South Dakota to Southwest Asia will have a lot to do. Once they arrive in country, a host of in processing awaits them before they begin their job working on, with or inside the B-1B Lancer. Approximately six months later they will return home.

The return process will be told in Part Three of A Deployment Cycle from the perspective of Ellsworth members currently deployed to Southwest Asia. These members are scheduled to return in early February.