Photo By Sgt. Dani Salvatore | From left, a team of four Soldiers, Sgt. Lia Green, Cpl. Kenardo Bates, Spc. Clinton...... read more read more
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MONROVIA, Liberia – Checking into a deployment may not be exactly like checking into a favorite hotel; however, a team of four Soldiers, Sgt. Lia Green, Cpl. Kenardo Bates, Spc. Clinton Bowles and Spc. Tessica Charles, all with the 101st Sustainment Brigade Human Resources Company, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, leave the lights on for every service member and Department of Defense employee arriving or departing Liberia for Operation United Assistance.
The Joint Forces Command – United Assistance is supporting the United States Agency for International Development led comprehensive U.S. government and international effort to contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
The team was among the first to arrive for the mission to ensure proper inbound and outbound processing procedures are completed for every individual mobilized in response to JFC-UA. They have in-processed more than 2,000 personnel as of Nov. 14, 2014.
No matter when personnel are scheduled to arrive or depart, this team stands ready assist them any way they can.
“We are on call 24 hours a day,” said Charles. “We are constantly checking flights, so we are ready anytime flights come in or go out.”
The Soldiers must be available on short notice because flights can arrive anytime, especially when considering delays and flight changes.
“Sometimes we just stay up all night if we have a flight coming in at 3 a.m.,” said Bates.
The team springs into action the moment the plane lands.
“We come out to the bird to greet them and give an in-processing brief,” said Bates.
The brief includes general orders, how to stay healthy during the mission and safety information.
Following the brief, incoming personnel receive a health screening complete with a temperature check.
“We want to make sure Soldiers are healthy and ready for the mission,” said Kenardo.
Next, service members and Department of Defense employees are checked in using their identification cards.
“This allows us to maintain accountability of all personnel in-country,” said Green.
In addition to managing arrivals and departures, the team arranges transportation for personnel to arrive at their designated areas of operation.
“We make sure they get where they need to go safely and in the most efficient manner possible,” said Green.
The team accomplishes this by working with the armed forces of Liberia and other Liberian personnel, all of whom play a crucial role in the team’s operations.
The AFL runs security for this area of operation, only allowing access to the airport to those authorized. They also check the temperatures of anyone entering.
“They are very kind and helpful; they keep us safe so we can focus on our jobs,” said Green. “We depend on them to get our troops where they need to go safely and we wouldn’t be able to do our job without them.”
One of the team’s favorite things to do is to get to know the Liberians they work with.
“We have long conversations with them; they are fun to talk to,” said Bates. “They are happy we are here to help them, and they keep us in good spirits while we work.”
The team has particular strength that helps them accomplish their tasks.
“We have a strong bond,” said Green. “Everyone has a responsibility and that helps us get the job done.”
Charles agrees.
“We know each other's strengths and weaknesses so we can help each other out,”
The team knows the importance of being there for Soldiers upon their arrival.
“What we are doing here has a big impact on this mission,” said Green. “I am proud and feel privileged to have been chosen to serve here.”
While there are be many uncertainties while deployed, service members can depend on this team. They plan to continue leaving the lights on for JFC-UA for as long as they are needed, ensuring all personnel can arrive and depart from their deployment safely.
| Date Taken: | 11.14.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 11.15.2014 13:38 |
| Story ID: | 147959 |
| Location: | MONROVIA, LR |
| Web Views: | 1,819 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Leaving the lights on for OUA, by SGT Dani Salvatore, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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