IPE key for deployment, exercise success

  • Published
  • By Airman Paul Francis
  • 23d Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  The 23d Logistics Readiness Squadron individual protective equipment flight is tasked with issuing real-world gear and exercise gear that will protect you from deadly chemicals.

All the gear vital to a deployment the 23d LRS IPE provides is equipment such as chemical protective gear, tactical vests, chemical bags and weapons. They ensure all Airmen who are deploying or going through training are equipped with the items they need.

"IPE is a big piece of the puzzle when it comes to the big picture of deployments," said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Candice Roberts, 23d LRS IPE supervisor. "I just came back from a deployment so I got a chance to see how crucial the gear is when it comes to being downrange."

In order to be prepared for a deployment, you must get the required gear from IPE.

IPE has two sections--chemical issue and the weapons vault in which gear and weapons are checked out and returned after use.

Currently, there are four IPE supervisors who inspect gear and three weapons vault supervisors who issue weapons.

An IPE supervisor's job is to issue gear based on personal size requirements and ensure the requester has all gear prior to a deployment or exercise. Weapons vault supervisors make sure the requester has the proper weapons before a deployment.

"Everyone that deploys through Moody, whether they are active duty, reserve or civilian, are required to come here to IPE for gear," said Roberts.

IPE distributes about 350 real-world and 100 exercise items a week for training and regularly planned deployments.

"We are a key component for the exercise," said Master Sgt. Melinda Eubanks, 23d LRS IPE supervisor. "It's where it all starts. What we do is very important. We are the beginning of every deployment or exercise. Without us, Airmen wouldn't have the necessities to deploy or train for OREs."

The IPE flight has some challenges they have overcome on a daily basis as well. In addition to issuing equipment, they also are required to update and track their inventory to assess their needs. This process usually takes their remaining time, because the records are done by hand to be filed and, then, transferred to a computer.

"Logging everything by hand is definitely the most difficult and tedious thing about my job," said Roberts. "The most time-consuming thing we do has to deal with equipment being logged and counted by hand."

After an exercise, all gear is returned to the flight where the items will be separated and categorized by type and size. Then, they will be put away until they are issued again.

The return process is key, because it enables IPE to assess themselves on how quickly they can get gear logged back into their inventory and is vital for real world issuing.

The same process is used for returning deployments but with one variation. All deployment gear must be inspected for any damage caused while downrange.

"This is my job," said Roberts. "I love everything that I do. It's a good feeling to have, knowing that without IPE the mission could not be done."