pressure washers require small quantities of water and
can be connected to a water buffalo with a garden
hose to provide a very efficient tool for washing
CESE.
A de-bugging steam wash may be required on all
CESE that is to be returned to the host country.
Normally, this is a rule directed by the Department of
Agriculture of the host nation.
After all the pallets are built and the CESE is
prepared, the air det has the responsibility to develop
its own load plans and to set up the marshaling area
by chalks. A pre-JI inspection is normally held that
allows the air det time to correct any discrepancy.
Again, operators must stand by their CESE during the
inspection.
The “fly away” can take several days; therefore,
arrangements should be made for rations and berthing
for those personnel who are scheduled on the last
chalks.
The maintenance field crew is normally
among those personnel. The field crew is required to
stand by to repair any unplanned breakdowns of
CESE that are to be loaded on (he aircraft. Another
group of personnel that remains at the airfield is the
Departure Airlift Control Group (DACG). The
DACG supports the Air Force with the loading and
securing of CESE and 463L pallets onto the aircraft.
Normally, the majority of air det personnel are
manifested to be on the first group of chalks to fly out.
These members will have the responsibility to
perform the air det retrograde. The retrograde is the
period of time used to inventory, reorder, clean, and
turn in all the supplies and gear embarked with the air
det.
Normally, CESE returning from the air det
operation is directed through the maintenance shop.
This allows CESE to receive an acceptance check
before being returned to the field. The air det
maintenance supervisor turns in all the EROs, 1250s,
and vehicle history jackets (if deployed more than 30
days) used during the mission to the cost control
clerk. The license examiner turns in all license
related items and any accident reports to the battalion
license examiner and the air det dispatcher turns in the
closed out dispatch logs, hard cards, and mileage
reports to the battalion dispatcher. All collateral
equipage is inventoried and turned over to the
battalion collateral equipage custodian.
After the completion of the retrograde, the air det
chain of command will forward an after action report
to the battalion chain of command.
This report
contains a daily diary of events, the personnel
embarked, CESE and supplies embarked, task
assigned and completed, man-days expended, and
lessons learned, and so forth. Therefore, remember to
keep records of lessons learned throughout the
mission. This will support the after action report, plus
help plan future missions
Remember, the final condition of CESE, the
positive accountability of collateral equipage, and the
positive accountability of tool kits are your final grade
on how well the equipment management program was
conducted during the air det mission.
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