Photo By Airman Nathaniel Jackson | U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 18th Logistic Readiness Squadron Individual...... read more read more
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Walk into any office or unit on Kadena Air Base, and you’ll see them, two unmistakable green bags tucked neatly beside desks or stowed within arm’s reach. Far from ordinary luggage, these bags contain body armor, chemical gear and other essential items, ready to go at a moment's notice for training exercises or real-world missions.
Behind each of these bags is the 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron’s Individual Protective Equipment flight, a small but vital team making sure Kadena’s Airmen are always ready.
With just 13 Airmen, IPE flight maintains over 450,000 assets providing the critical gear needed to respond to any threat or deployment with speed and precision.
“Our primary mission is to make sure every Airman is geared up, ready for whatever happens,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Beatrice Carrasco, 18th LRS IPE non-commissioned officer in charge. “That includes Mission Oriented Protective Posture gear, deployment weapons, and cold weather items. We handle it all.”
Whether equipping hundreds of deploying airmen with little notice or maintaining thousands of pieces of critical equipment, the IPE team ensures that everything is serviceable, clean and mission-ready. That includes Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) gear, M4 rifles, M18 handguns and cold-weather gear.
“IPE is one of the most critical functions on base,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Marco Ibarra, IPE supervisor. “When large-scale deployments happen, we’re the ones issuing gear, weapons, and ensuring everything is accounted for. It’s a fast-paced environment, especially when taskings come down with little to no warning.”
The team also handles monthly inventories, annual inspections, and coordinates with tenant units across Kadena. They manage gear redistributions and track assets down to the smallest detail, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
Their work supports not just planned exercises but also real-world contingencies, which can happen at any time. When the call comes, the IPE team is expected to respond quickly, sometimes with less than 24 hours’ notice.
While their mission is essential, it is not easy. Okinawa’s weather can be extreme, from sweltering heat to heavy rain, but the IPE team continues to push forward to meet every deadline and deployment requirement.
“This job isn’t easy,” said Carrasco. “But our Airmen show up everyday and give 100%. They work in hot, humid conditions, lifting heavy gear and keeping everything running smoothly. That dedication is what keeps this mission alive.”
| Date Taken: | 07.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.31.2025 04:44 |
| Story ID: | 544345 |
| Location: | KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 45 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Readiness in every bag: the 18th LRS IPE team at work, by Amn Nathaniel Jackson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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