MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- From working in unfamiliar environments to being separated from loved ones across the world, Airmen often face many challenges and stressors while on deployment. Fortunately, three noncommissioned officers assigned to the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron stand ready to tackle these issues head-on.
Behind the scenes of the Bomber Task Force deployment to Misawa Air Base, Japan, various NCOs assigned to the 9th EBS play a key role in ensuring that every Airman has the support they need to accomplish the mission.
"Aircraft can't get up into the air without the people who put them there," said Master Sgt. Homer Resendez, 9th EBS loading element section chief and project officer. "Taking care of the Airmen and making sure all their needs are adequately met, such as proper gear, places to sleep, and plenty of personal time for themselves to recover are essential to the mission."
During the deployment, in addition to his official duties as a maintenance lead, Resendez coordinated travel, housing, and logistics for all personnel on the deployment.
"Taking care of people is absolutely important and essential," said Resendez. "The first sergeant and I have a very grounded belief that the mission can't succeed without people."
The care of Airmen is as vital as maintaining the aircraft they support. That responsibility is at the heart of Master Sgt. Briscoe-Deroo's mission as the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron's first sergeant, guaranteeing every Airman under her care has the personal resources, guidance, and morale to perform at their best in a deployed environment.
"People can only take so many hits before their motivation fades and their work suffers," said Master Sgt. Marla Briscoe-Deroo, 9th EBS first sergeant. “Lifting others up builds stronger teams.”
While Briscoe-Deroo focuses on the well-being and morale of the squadron, serving as the link between leadership and the Airmen on the ground, that same dedication to supporting Airmen extends across the unit through leaders like Staff Sgt. Trevor Devine, the 9th EBS aviation resource management noncommissioned officer in charge.
"I want to convey to Airmen that when you work hard and take care of people, good things happen," said Devine. “If you’re able to carry that mentality, you will be able to create a healthy and positive environment wherever you go.”
Beyond overseeing flight operations data, Devine has taken on additional responsibilities as the vehicle control officer and logistics planner, overseeing that transportation, supplies and quality-of-life improvements are handled effectively behind the scenes.
"If NCOs were not as involved, quality of life wouldn't be as good, it could get a little chaotic if everyone just showed up here and there was a lack of preparation," said Devine. "Morale would be significantly damaged if details weren’t coordinated."
Devine's efforts go far beyond spreadsheets and schedules; his work directly impacts how smoothly the squadron functions each day. His attention to detail and proactive leadership allows others to focus on their duties, knowing the logistics and essentials are taken care of.
"The most rewarding part of this mission is seeing us able to execute what we came out here to do and knowing the role I had in that," said Devine. “We do thousands of training scenarios a year, but when we show up here, we complete the higher headquarters missions that we have been training to do.”
The NCOs of the 9th EBS work tirelessly throughout the duration of the BTF deployment so that every aspect of the mission holds together and that every Airman under their care has the resources they need, alleviating tension, pushing Airmen to succeed and thrive, upholding the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.