The 726th ACS ensures mission readiness

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tyrell Hall
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

The 726th Air Control Squadron focuses on accuracy and accountability during the preparation for their deployment exercise.

As the Airmen in the 726th ACS prepare vehicles for an exercise, their training serves to decrease mission obstacles and increase mobile efficiency down range.

The Medium Tactical Vehicles (MTV) that the 726th ACS use during exercises and down range are capable of hauling up to five tons worth of equipment.

Ensuring these vehicles are packed is a key step in their deployment readiness training.

"For the purpose of the exercise, we are focusing on accountability of the equipment we need," said Senior Airman Taylor Dugger, 726th ACS vehicle maintenance journeyman.

Improperly loaded vehicles are deemed unsatisfactory by the 726th ACS. In a deployment setting, if equipment is missing, a mission can suffer setbacks and time loss replacing much needed resources such as gasoline, tents and generators.

Duggar explained the importance of ensuring all vehicles are equipped with tools needed to maintain them, especially vehicles packed with communication equipment.

"We're trying to calculate for the things we need," said Dugger. "We must anticipate the types of issues they may run into down range, and pack accordingly."

Duggar said these issues can range any from flat tires to hard breaks, which is a problem that renders the vehicle immobile.

A hard break in the vehicle can hinder communication equipment from being transported, adversely affecting the 726th ACS communication capabilities; a vital component of their mission.

Another part of enhancing mission readiness is vehicle inspection of cargo and item accountability.

"It's very important that the vehicles are packed efficiently," said Airmen 1st Class Tyler Arnold, 726th ACS surveillance technician. "We’re making sure that cargo is strapped down correctly and items are up to code."

Items like tents, spare tires and cargo covers are essential to a deployment mission. For the purpose of this readiness exercise, Hardrockers want to make sure these items are accounted for.

If a vehicle is not properly packed, it will have to go back to the packing section to be corrected. Even a fully-packed vehicle will have to be re-packed, which will cost time and hinders the mission.

When weighing MTVs, Airmen are focused on making sure a vehicle is cleared to load onto aircraft.

"When we are doing weight inspections on a vehicle, we're trying to find it's center balance," said Airman Joseph Landeros, 726th ACS surveillance technician. "If the vehicle’s balance is off, it can affect the aircraft it's loaded onto."

Landeros said this is because it creates an imbalance within the aircraft.

Airmen of the 726th ACS work around the clock to make sure every vehicle is ready to perform.

These Airmen play a vital role in mobilization. Through their diligence in training and attention to detail, the 726th can deploy down range with increased readiness, equipped with the tools they need to execute the mission efficiently.