LRS Airman supplies U.S., Iraqi Army

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  A staff sergeant from the 436th Logistics Readiness Squadron, currently deployed to the 402nd Army Field Support Brigade at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq, works to supply and redistribute Army equipment, and help supply the Iraqi forces prior to U.S. force reductions in the region.

Staff Sgt. Scott Chadwick is part of a Redistribution Property Assistance Team and fulfills a non-traditional Air Force role with his joint expeditionary tasking to the 2nd Battalion of the 402nd AFSB.

"As a RPAT member, I clear the battlefield of excess equipment prior to high volume [Transfer of Authority] activities and [Forward Operating Base] closures," said Sergeant Chadwick. "This relieves the combatant commanders of accountability as far forward as possible."

A very large part of Sergeant Chadwick's job is assigning M1114 Up-Armored Armament Carriers to the Iraqi army, he said. However, prior to turning the vehicle over to the Iraqis, the RPAT teams must inspect the vehicles, and remove any ammunition and communications equipment.

Once his five-man team completes their task, the M1114s are transported to Iraqi units, Sergeant Chadwick said.

"The vehicles are usually transported on the back of flat-bed trucks and convoyed to their respective destinations," said 1st Lt. Justin D'Agostino, officer in-charge of RPAT, deployed from the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C. "This saves on manning since it usually takes five people per vehicle to convoy to a location."

Another task the RPAT teams complete is more-or-less a supply operation, Sergeant Chadwick said. RPAT provides warfighters with an issue point in Iraq for theater refurbishments, Army pre-positioned stock and theater sustainment stock.

Sergeant Chadwick lauds the professionalism of Soldiers and explained how similar U.S. air and ground forces are when it comes to proficiency and work ethic. "The only real difference is rank structure," he said.

This JET assignment isn't the first time many of these RPAT Airmen worked with Soldiers, said Lieutenant D'Agostino. Many are seasoned in joint taskings.

Like the others, this deployment is not Sergeant Chadwick's first joint deployment, he said. Other than being twice as long as the Air Expeditionary Force taskings many Airmen are assigned to, the experience is positive for Sergeant Chadwick. Still, this doesn't alleviate him from being home sick and longing to return to his wife, Disa, and their two boys.

Yet, standing strong on the homefront, Mrs. Chadwick keeps herself busy with her home daycare endeavor and awaits Scott's return.

"I know he'll be home to us soon," said Sergeant Chadwick's wife, Disa. "I understand the sacrifices we are making here will someday improve the lives of the people of Iraq."

Sergeant Chadwick agreed. "I know that what we are doing over here will help get us out of here in the long run."

(Staff Sgt. Kenya Shiloh contributed to this article)