The airmen of the 374th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Yokota AB, Japan, carry out a tall order—ensuring the serviceability and availability of more than 400,000 pieces of mobility equipment daily to support Pacific Air Forces airmen in training and on deployment. The seven-person LRS team, reports USAF photojournalist MSgt. Val Gempis, is responsible for everything from weapons and body armor to chemical warfare and extreme cold weather defense ensemble bags. The airmen use a slow, meticulous approach as they inspect each item looking for cracks, rips, or disbanding. Their mobility equipment piles reach ceiling high in a 30,000-square-foot warehouse.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…
