Logistics Readiness Squardon Fights In Every Clime and Place

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Shawn Rhodes
  • 927th Air Refueling Wing
MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. --  With Arctic temperatures and heaviest snowfall in decades spiking the death toll to more than 200 across Europe, the Airmen of the 927th Logistics Readiness Squadron stepped off the C-17 Globemaster at Aviano Air Base, Italy determined to train and support the Air Force mission. Merely hours before, the team was in the tropical on the bay of their home station at MacDill AFB, Fla.

"Though many leaders of the organization hail from and travel down from Michigan every month to serve in the unit and were properly outfitted by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Kramer, our wing supply non-commissioned officer-in-charge, they were all taken aback by the austere sub-freezing temperatures of the Swiss Alps," said Michigan native Master Sgt. Bob Rais, the fuels non-commissioned officer-in-charge. Like generations before them, they had left the comforts of their homes, families and jobs to prepare for war. One of many of the duties of the 927th Logistics Readiness Squadron is to ensure others have what they need to fight, so it is imperative they are prepared themselves. For two weeks, the reserve squadron trained and operated in all facets of logistics with their active-duty counterparts, the 31st Logistics Readiness Squadron.

The reservists used the annual tour program to ensure their readiness and upgrade their training and proficiency in every aspect of their individual military fields. The two-week immersion in their duties is a required part of their commitment to their country and ensures they can operate in support and defense of our nation for an extended period of time within wartime environments.

The commander of the 927th LRS, Maj. Brett Wedding, said that locations like Aviano are the tip of the spear when it comes to the newest technologies, processes, and best practices for fighting and supporting today's wars. Therefore, it was a perfect environment for his Airmen to receive training and work together with the active duty to accomplish real-world military missions as a single-unit team.

"We learned so much on this Annual Tour, because we were able to go as a whole unit." said Tech. Sgt. Joseph Patram. Patram works in vehicle operations and knows that throughout the year reservists are often deployed by themselves or as small groups but rarely with their entire squadrons.

The 927th LRS was able to integrate seamlessly with the 31st LRS, because the reserve and active troops receive the same training. The reservists were able to use their training time to amplify the host unit's mission.

"There was a shortage of active-duty drivers when we arrived," said Master Sgt. Hugh Morrison, the transportation manager for the 927th LRS. "We provided the drivers so they could use wreckers to move six truckloads of generators. We were really proud to be able to work as one team to strengthen their mission capability."

"In addition to our receiving training from our active duty counterparts, we reservists had the opportunity to provide training to the active duty." Said Senior Airman Geanny Hernandez. He said he realizes the benefit the active duty receives by having citizen-airman, because reservists bring with them both their military training and their civilian training from the corporate industries or agencies they work for.

"By the time our annual tour there was over, our active-duty counterparts didn't want us to leave. They said we were the best unit to ever work there with them," said Senior Master Sgt. Tom Lehmann, the superintendent for the 927th LRS.

When the reservists weren't busy training and supporting Operation Enduring Freedom from Aviano, they were able to travel to historical locations like Rome as a unit in an effort to learn from history. In transit they were afforded the opportunity to pay their respects and appreciation to their fellow warriors at places like the battlefields of Bastogne and the gravesite of many fallen heroes, to include General George Patton, in Luxembourg.

"These unit trips, during mission downtime, really bring home the importance of our responsibility to be trained and prepared." said Staff Sgt. Ryan Stevens a fuels Specialist with the 927 LRS.

"Annual tour is paramount. Because in addition to the individual training benefit, it allows a commander and his leadership team to realistically assess the unit and each individual member's level of maturity, capability and readiness to accomplish the Air Force's mission at war," Wedding said. As the commander of the 927 LRS, it is his job to make sure all of his reservists are just as competent and prepared as their full-time comrades. When they are needed to deploy, they continue to be ready and prepared to answer the nation's call as citizen-warriors against any foe.

"These are unprecedented times in our history," said Wedding. "The need to focus on real-world wartime training is absolutely essential."

Just as the temperature finally began to rise and the sun smiled down on the team, they boarded the C-17 again to return to their homes and families. On the long flight back they reminisced and reflected upon their time, training, and fellow warriors who hosted and bonded with them through as they accomplished real-world missions. Most importantly, they were returning home with a greater sense of confidence that they were now more prepared and ready to fight.