LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
During real-world contingency operations, military branches often join forces to move personnel, cargo and equipment to wherever they may be needed in a timely manner.
Soldiers from the 690th Rapid Port Opening Element were the first among the 597th Transportation Brigade's three RPOEs to test their unit's deployment readiness during an unexpected Joint Assessment Training exercise Oct. 12 at Langley Air Force Base.
More than 50 RPOE Soldiers participated in the exercise as brigade vehicles went through a pre-flight inspection process, conducted by members of the Air Force's 633rd Logistics Readiness Squadron.
The joint inspection process involved passengers, cargo, and communications equipment, as they would in a real-world, contingency operation.
Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Jones, S-3 Plex NCO in charge, and Army Warrant Officer Daniel Dryden, brigade mobility warrant officer, spearheaded the planning and execution of the training exercise.
According to Dryden, the purpose of the training was to develop a realistic Joint Assessment Training that was either low-cost or no-cost and would prove effective in optimizing deployment readiness for the RPOEs.
"The most challenging part in deployment is getting on a flight," Dryden said. "We've asked the Air Force to help us out in bringing light to the shortfalls in our vehicle preparations for deployment. If supplies and equipment can't get on a flight, the unit can't fully support the mission."
According to Air Force Tech. Sgt. Matthew Marsh, the Joint Inspection checklist includes: cleanliness, appropriate weight and center of balance, items that need to be secured in the vehicle while in flight, hazardous material, appropriate fuel levels, and vehicle size and dimensions to fit into the aircraft.
In addition to the above criteria, impeccable documentation supporting the inventory within each vehicle must be in order. Any discrepancies in documentation must be rectified, or the vehicle and cargo will be bumped, Marsh said.
"We have a lot of Soldiers who are brand new and have not gone through an alert cycle," said Spc. Anthony Burgess, 690th RPOE information systems operator. "For them, this training is very informative as far as what to expect when we deploy in the real world."