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818th CRG redeployment in full swing

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Erick Saks
  • 818th CRG/24th AEG Public Affairs
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (AMCNS) --  The redeployment process is in full swing for the members of the 818th Contingency Response Group/24th Air Expeditionary Group at Chaklala Air Base, Pakistan.

Group members will rotate out of Pakistan next week after more than two months assisting the local government following October’s 7.6 magnitude earthquake, which reported to have killed more than 73,000 people.

The reconstitution process is designed not only to get the unit back home, but also to ensure the unit is ready to deploy again when called, said Maj. Allen Schwartz, unit operations officer.

“In basic terms, we’re cleaning, we’re inventorying and we’re replenishing,” said Major Schwartz. “We look at everything we brought to the field, evaluate it and prepare it for the next alert.”

The major said one of the most time-consuming functions of reconstitution is preparing the tents.

“We have to break them down, find a location for us to set them back up and get a water supply to wash them,” said Major Schwartz. “It generally takes a six- or seven-man team to clean each tent.”

According to Major Schwartz, tents are normally cleaned after the unit returns home.

“Usually, you pack the tents up, place them in a CONEX and clean them when you get home,” he added. “We’re trying to get as much done as possible now so we have less to do when we get home. We want our people to be able to spend more time with their families when they get home.”

Cleaning the tents in Pakistan has had its challenges, said Tech. Sgt. Louis Ruiz, Aerospace Ground Equipment specialist.

“It’s been a difficult process here because we have limited resources,” said Sergeant Ruiz. “For one, we don’t have a good supply of water. They have a wash rack here, but normally a wash rack has plumbing and a constant water supply. Here, they only have a 250-gallon container for water, which they have to keep refilling. Also, the equipment we have right now doesn’t have good water pressure. But, once our pressure washer arrives, we should be good to go.”

Also included in the redeployment process is inventorying the equipment and materials the unit brought to the field and determining how to replace it.

“We go through all of the CONEXs,” said the major. “We make sure everything is in its place, including all of the computers, radios and other equipment. We make sure we have a consolidated list of everything that needs to be re-supplied." He said the list is provided to the Global Deployment Readiness Center so the supplies and equipment can be replaced.

While the unit is getting a jump on the reconstitution by starting in Pakistan, much of the work will still be done when the unit returns to McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., said Major Schwartz.

“Reconstituting much of the equipment, like the communications equipment, all of the trailers, the AGE equipment and the vehicles, will have to be done when we get home,” he said. “Filling out our travel vouchers, completing the post-deployment medical questionnaires and completing our individual checklists is also included in the reconstitution we’ll complete when we get home.”

Major Schwartz said he’s noticed a change in the mood of the group members since the reconstitution process began.

“When we tear down tents, morale will generally rise because everyone knows we’re coming to a close,” Major Schwartz said. “We’re actually ahead of schedule right now. I think everyone’s anxious to get home. They can see the finish line from here, and they’re ready to be there.”