AACG group normally remains at the air base until allthe scheduled chalks arrive at the mission site.The equipment platoon transports cargo, baggage,CESE, and personnel from the air field to thedeployment site.This movement may require atactical convoy or a nontactical convoy procedure.Convoy procedures are outlined in the NavalConstruction Force Embarkation Manual, COM-SECOND/COMTHIRDNCBINST 3120.1 series, andEquipment Management, COMSECOND/COM-THIRDNCBINST 11200.1 series.During the first few days of an air det mission,before the supplies and CESE arrive and the camp iscomplctcd, the troops endure abnormal livingconditions which can be detrimental to their morale.Once the supplies start to arrive, the set up of priorityareas should immediately begin. These areas are theshower tent for hot showers, the galley tent for hotmeals, and berthing tents to store gear and to sleep in.When provided properly, these facilities will make aPROFOUND difference in the morale and welfare ofthe troops.The support platoon has the key responsibility forthe camp setup. Some of the platoon’s responsibilitiesare:camp electrical distribution, camp tent layout,galley facilities, shower facilities, laundry facilities(depending on the duration of the mission), medicalfacility, communications gear setup, latrines, and soforth. The construction of an air det camp is an “allhands”effort.Delays can hamper plans for personnel, supplies,CESE, and construction operations and force the airdet to have to regroup and manage with the resourceson hand. Therefore, every operation the air det isinvolved in must be prioritized.EQUIPMENT PLATOON OPERATIONSThe equipment platoon primary responsibility isto support the requirements of the support platoon;however, it also has its own areas of responsibility.One area of responsibility is the control and account-ability of CESE. When control and accountability ofCESE is delayed and not implemented at the start ofthe mission, problems are sure to develop. Someproblems you can expect are unexplainable damagesto CESE, lost keys, neglected operator maintenance,loss of collateral equipage, and even theft.Dispatch operations must start at the verybeginning of the mission. All operators who areassigned to fly with a piece of CESE must report tothe dispatcher when the CESE arrives at the missionsite. The dispatcher should have an equipment statusboard that denotes the status of all CESE and have anarea to secure equipment keys. Dispatch operationsmay have to be performed out of a box before thedispatch tent is erected. The dispatcher must plan forthese situations. The best method for control andaccountability is to Class “C” assign all CESE.The air det has to account for all hours andmileage put on CESE during a mission.Theequipment platoon supervisor is responsible forreviewing dispatch logs and trip tickets as outlined inEquipment Management, COMSECOND/COM-THIRDNCBINST 11200.1 series, for an Alfacompany operations supervisor.The equipment platoon supervisor must stay ontop of all equipment-related operations of the air detDuring the first few days of a mission, the forklift isone of the most important pieces of CESE. Theforklift is required to reassemble CESE, break downpallets, move tent boxes, unload tractor-trailers, andso forth; therefore, to ensure the optimum usc of theforklift, these tasks must be prioritized.You must remember that SAFETY ISPARAMOUNT and CESE must bc reassembledbefore use.Reassembling CESE is a time-consuming forklift operation that delays individualpriorities of other members of the air det.Therefore, it must be understood and enforced thattasks do not always have to be accomplished withthe support of equipment and that waiting for theavailability of the equipment is not worth the timewasted. Use troops to accomplish tasks that can bedone manually (manual labor). Examples are:breaking down pallets, digging latrines, movingtent boxes, unloading trucks, and so forth. Thesetasks must be accomplished with or without thesupport of equipment.The equipment platoon also has the responsibilityto check and fill the water buffalos with potable water,maintain the water in the shower water bladders, andmake daily garbage runs. These areas must not beoverlooked during the planning phase. A piece ofCESE (water truck, dump truck) will have to bededicated to support this task. Water buffalosnormally embark empty unless it is determined thatpotable water is not immediately available.2-15
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