366th LRS ensures deployment readiness

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class JaNae Capuno
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  

In the last year, the 366th Fighter Wing has demonstrated the ability to support increased readiness operations by conducting several recent exercises.

 

To support the wing's readiness, the 366th Logistics Readiness Squadron installation deployment office plans to take their development process a step further by better preparing Airmen to deploy when called upon.

 

“We are going to focus on the ‘deployment machine’ itself and all the components that build it,” said 1st Lt. Justin Pilant, 366th LRS installation deployment officer. “We are going to exercise the muscle of being ready at a moment’s notice, and then evaluate our abilities to make our Airmen better.”

 

Airmen must maintain both a ‘ready to go now’ and a steady-state mindset in order to support global Air Force operations.

 

Steady-state deployment schedules were designed to strengthen capabilities to respond to major operations and contingencies by allowing the Air Force to deploy individual Airmen instead of squadrons or units.

 

“Steady-state is important because deployers are being sent to U.S. Air Forces Central Command which requires that mindset,” Pilant said. “However, we have to be able to adapt for any adversary and be ready to deploy any time to anywhere in the world.”

 

To prepare Airmen for both steady-state and squadron deployments, the 366th LRS IDO is in the planning stages of organizing a ‘Road to Readiness’ exercise.

 

The exercise will help ensure Airmen have the expeditionary skills to support a short-notice deployment.

 

“We work together with other units to ensure that they have all the resources and equipment they need to be able to leave their mark on a mission,” said Erik Kunkle, 366th LRS IDO. “Teaching those Airmen how to manage the capability of deployment readiness will give them the ability to understand their role in the operation.”

 

Balancing a steady-state mindset and a ‘ready to go’ mindset also helps Airmen maintain their deployment resiliency.

 

“Military flexibility is being able to provide tasking to both steady-state and ‘ready to go now’ missions,” Pilant said. “If we as a fighter wing can’t do both, we are not as flexible as we can be. We are going take our expeditionary skills to the next level.”