Preparing for deployment: Installation Personnel Readiness

  • Published
  • By Airman Tristan D. Viglianco
  • 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs

Across the Air Force and Beale, Airmen are in the process of deploying. While a variety of units across base play a part in said process, Installation Personnel Readiness plays an integral role by dealing with a majority of the paperwork.

 

When taskings come down from higher headquarters, it’s IPR who passes the information along to the units on base.

 

“The taskings come down to us and once we gather the information we inform the unit they have a tasking to fill,” Senior Airman Kelvin Hailey, 9th Force Support Squadron IPR journeyman. “When they provide us with a name for the tasking, we cut orders for the person.”

 

Before creating orders for people, IPR must confirm all the information provided to them is correct.

 

“We make sure people are qualified for the deployment they have been tasked for,” said Tech. Sgt. Cassandra Eddins, 9th FSS noncommissioned officer in charge of IPR. We use a site to validate the person is the right AFSC, skill level, and grade.”

 

Once an individual is selected for a position, they must complete a pre-deployment checklist with the help of their Unit Deployment Managers and IPR. When the time comes to finally out-process, IPR reviews the checklist to ensure everything is done correctly and deal with any problems they find.

 

“We make sure they have done everything they need in order to deploy. We also deal with any discrepancies for out-processing,” said Hailey. “Once we make sure everything is good to go we give them their orders.”

 

Every deployment IPR handles presents them with a unique set of challenges they must overcome.

 

“Every deployer is different so we research whether they are qualified and ensure everything they need done is up to date,” said Eddins.  “It could be the person’s first time deploying and a lot of deployments are fast turning and they need to leave right away.”

 

The Airmen working IPR realize the work they do has an impact on the military and the lives of the people deploying.

 

“Deployments are a big part of the military,” said Hailey. “When we’re on top of our game it helps prevent additional stress for people deploying.”