JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Maintaining readiness is incredibly vital to the nation's fighting forces especially with the increase in deployments.
President Barack Obama called for more troops late last year, resulting in a surge of deployments.
"I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan," said President Obama on Dec. 1, 2009. "After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home."
The brief period between his announcement and the required "delivery date" stresses the fact that Airmen need to maintain their readiness to deploy before they are notified of their deployment.
"As members of the armed forces it is important to be ready to deploy as our primary mission in the military is to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies," said Tech. Sgt. Elizabeth Sabeh, 316th Force Support Squadron NCO in charge of the installation personnel readiness element. "The call can happen at any time."
To maintain a 'ready' posture, Airmen can manage a number of personal requirements.
"Completing ancillary training requirements, maintaining dental and medical health, ensuring that personnel issues in order - e.g., power of attorney, will, reenlistment, extensions, valid identification card is issued for dependents, etc., and maintaining the required supply of uniforms, which also need to be in a ready state, will assist all servicemembers in maintaining their readiness to deploy," said Airman 1st Class Jolisa Keju, 316 FSS personnel readiness specialist.
There are a number of other tools, in place to assist Airmen in maintaining their deployment readiness.
"The Airman & Family Readiness Center has many programs to assist Airmen with their readiness," said Senior Airman LaQuanna Pittman, 316 FSS personnel readiness specialist.
"The [Air and Space Expeditionary Force] Online Web site has endless information to get the member prepared to deploy, as well as information to get their family members ready for the deployment.
"All units have an appointed unit deployment manager as well to assist the member with any and all issues relating to a deployment," Airman Pittman said.
If a member does not maintain their readiness to deploy, they become responsible for more than just a supervisor's tongue-lashing. It can affect another Airman who must then replace the member. That replacement Airman may have to deploy for a longer period of time and miss out on their life with their family.
"If a deployment is set for a member and they are not ready, this may result in an increase in man hours from all involved base agencies in an attempt to 'assist' the member in completing final preparations or training required to meet area of responsibility mission capabilities," Airman Keju said. "Stress on the member to try to complete things in a shorter time frame due to not having ancillary training up to date and trying to make family arrangements, or the member being unable to meet the required date in-place in the AOR, can cause the redeployer to be held over past their return date."
Airmen should remember that their preparations do not only affect them, but other Airmen and members of the Air Force as a whole.
"Members should be ready to deploy at all times as at any given time our deployment tempo may increase causing policy changes in the dwell rate to occur - as seen recently," said Airman Pittman.
For more information, call 301-981-7086.