UDMs help Airmen stay ready for expeditionary role

  • Published
  • By Connie Hempel
  • 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas - --  Additional duties. That's what they may be called, but at times they can seem more like a full time job, and they're always just as important.

Unit Deployment Managers can agree that when people deploy, the UDM additional duty becomes their primary duty since they are responsible for ensuring servicemembers are ready to go.

"It's a lot of work, but having an alternate and other people in the office working as a team makes it easier," said Senior Airman Janice Vaughan, 17th Comptroller Squadron UDM. "I wouldn't be able to do it without them."

Each unit on base has different deployment taskings and numbers of people going at any given time, but when someone has to deploy, UDMs have to put their additional duty first.

"UDMs are one of the most critical unit-level functions in today's expeditionary environment," Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy said last year during a briefing at the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. He added that deploying Airmen can suffer as a result of missed combat gear, incomplete or missed readiness training, or even unprepared families.

When a tasking comes down, whether it's a definite deployment or one requiring servicemembers to be ready to go at a moment's notice, UDMs ensure each deployer is ready by helping them complete and update multiple training requirements, getting equipment and gear issued and helping them complete each deployment checklist.

Airman Vaughan has been a UDM for the 17th CPTS and Wing Staff Agencies for almost a year. Between juggling this additional duty and her primary job as a finance specialist, Airman Vaughan said, "When the time comes, I have to take care of the deployers first."
She said the demands of being a UDM can really be felt about two weeks prior to a servicemember from her unit deploying. This is the time when UDMs have to check and re-check everything to make sure everything's in order and nothing will keep the person from going or from being prepared.

"Those last two weeks I find myself working after duty hours to finish things that I normally do in finance," she said.

Airman 1st Class Tearra-Joy Ramez, 17th Medical Group UDM, said she too finds herself spending up to eight hours a day doing her additional duty, but added that as long as those deploying listen to their UDM on what needs to get done, it's a lot easier for everyone.

The 17th Security Forces Squadron UDM agreed.

"Be ready. Make sure your medical clearance and finances, legal and child care issues are in order," said Tech. Sgt. William Weston. "Follow the checklists provided to the 'T' so orders can be cut and travel can be arranged easily. Don't forget to make sure your spouse has points of contact and will be taken care of too."

Even when there's not a tasking, UDMs still have to keep deployment records updated; a job they spend a couple hours a week doing, but both Airmen Vaughan and Ramez said they enjoy being a UDM because it shows them what they can expect when it comes time for them to deploy.

"It's cool to see how all it all works before I actually have to go through it myself," Airman Vaughan said.