102nd Logistics Readiness Squadron earns 'EXCELLENT' inspection rating

  • Published
  • By Capt. Evan C. Lagasse
  • 102nd Intelligence Wing Public Affairs
OTIS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mass. --  The smallest Wing-level Logistics Readiness Squadron in the U.S. Air Force earned an 'EXCELLENT' rating at the conclusion of an intensive four-day logistics compliance inspection here, April 1, 2012.

The 102nd Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) was graded on seven major areas during the first-ever Logistics Compliance Assessment Program (LCAP) inspection in the history of the 102nd, March 29 to April 1, 2012.

"[The LCAP] is like a Unit Compliance Inspection (UCI) on steroids. It is several orders of magnitude more difficult because it combines performance evaluation...with quality verification inspections," Lt. Col. Christopher Hurley, 102nd LRS commander, said.

Each Flight in the LRS was inspected and graded independently and the Squadron had many outstanding areas, numerous 'best seen to date' recognitions and an overall Squadron rating of excellent.

With only 28 military personnel in the Squadron, they were almost outnumbered by the inspection team.

"Because we're so small, at 28 [military] people, we're a quarter of the size of a regular LRS. We almost had a one-to-one Airman-to-inspector ratio for this particular LCAP. At some points we had four inspectors asking just one Airman questions," Hurley said.

With a smaller than average squadron, the efforts of each Airman were vital for success and the Airmen of the 102nd LRS were ready for the challenge.

Staff Sgt. Anthony Stemn, 102nd LRS equipment manager, is in a critical Wing-level position typically manned by an Airman with vast supply experience yet he had only been in his current position for three months prior to the LCAP.

"There is a lot to equipment management. I work with 58 primary equipment custodians and their alternates here at the Wing, personnel at the Guard Bureau, personnel at other bases and it's very easy to fall behind if you don't prioritize your tasks," Stemn, a 7-year Air National Guard veteran, said.

A native of Liberia and a resident of West Roxbury, Mass., Stemn drives 1 hour and 40 minutes one-way to get to work. His LCAP performance was a culmination of the hard work he puts in every day.

"[Sergeant Stemn] was an outstanding performer. To be able to absorb all of that information, build the programs and be able to demonstrate proficiency for the inspectors is phenomenal," Hurley said.

When the 102nd's mission changed from a Fighter Wing to an Intelligence Wing in 2008, the 102nd Maintenance Group was decommissioned resulting in the realignment of the munitions storage function under the 102nd LRS.

Technical Sergeants Steven Miranda and David Paulson, 102nd LRS munitions systems craftsmen, are responsible for the munitions storage area and it runs like a top. The duo has more than 50 years of combined military experience.

"We verify each unit's requirement for munitions and if they don't have enough we requisition through the Global Ammunition Control Point at Hill [Air Force Base, Utah]. Then we store, inspect and ensure the security of all items," Paulson said.

"We have incredible support from our leadership and the other LRS functions here at Otis which is what makes us so successful," Miranda said.

"We enjoy going to work every day. It makes it easy to do well when you like what you do," Paulson said.

"The amount of pride and professionalism that Miranda and Paulson both have, to take that munitions storage site and make it into the top performing site in the Air National Guard is fantastic," Hurley said.

For Air Guard units, LCAPs typically occur every four years but the National Guard Bureau is currently syncing LCAPs with each unit's UCI schedule. The next LCAP for the 102nd LRS is scheduled for November 2015.