Phase I exercise completes revamped deployment process

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Julius Delos Reyes
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Team Edwards concluded its most recent Phase I exercise July 19, the last exercise before the Air Force Materiel Command Inspector General re-look starting Monday.

This is the first exercise since the March Operational Readiness Inspection where Team Edwards successfully completed the revamped process of getting about 200 people through the deployment line within 12 hours. 

"It went very well," said Pierre Poudevigne, Edwards Inspector General senior exercise planner. "They got the people out on time, but we had a couple of hiccups during the exercise." 

These minor "hiccups" included cargo issues, folder discrepancies and safety concerns. 

"We can get those solved before the AFMC IG gets here," Mr. Poudevigne said. 

During the exercise, the Edwards IG team provided several exercise inputs. These include powers of attorney, conscientious objectors, blood draws on an entire chalk, new identification cards, dog tags and a re-enlistment. 

"They handled these injects very well considering how many injects they have to face," Mr. Poudevigne said. 

He said those injects were derived from other AFMC bases' inspections. The base IG evaluated how Team Edwards responded to dropped orders -- the warning, alert, execute and air flow orders. 

"We watched their briefings and observed their processes," Mr. Poudevigne said. "We evaluated their deployment folders, how they ran through the predeployment line, how they staged them and how they got the deployers out of the base." 

Previously, the people who participated most in the Phase I exercises were 95th Air Base Wing personnel. 

"Now, we have people from across the base," Mr. Poudevigne said. 

One improvement was on the speed of the process. 

"From this exercise, when the first order comes down, Team Edwards was already making plans on processing folders and looking at everybody who is eligible for the bucket," Mr. Poudevigne said. "They were making quicker decisions, analyzing each order." 

During previous exercises, Team Edwards had been performing tasks that were optional according to Air Force Instructions. 

"This last exercise, they were doing what is mandatory in AFI and leaving some optional things out," said Capt. Chad Henry, Edwards IG chief of readiness. "This allowed them more time for processing the troops faster and doing the injects more effectively and efficiently." 

He said the entire focus of Phase I is the deployment process, which the AFMC IG will come observe for the re-look. 

Mr. Poudevigne said in preparation for the re-look, everyone should make sure their deployment folders are up to date with accurate information. 

"There should be no reason for us to put more injects than what the IG gives us," he said. "The troops need to take responsibility with their deployment folders." 

During the re-look, it may not be business as usual around the base. Although there may not be long lines at the gates, there may be base organization closures because of the number of people processing through the line. 

Mr. Poudevigne said the re-look will not be different from the ORI Phase I in March. The base needs to move about 200 people through the processing line in 12 hours. 

"The whole focus of the re-look is flexibility in getting these people through the processing line," he said. 

The AFMC IG will observe the base's capability in processing its troops in a given time. 

"I think Team Edwards is capable of doing it," Captain Henry said. "We fight together as a team -- one team, one fight."