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.
All 12 American bombers deployed in Britain rapidly returned to the U.S. on Oct. 4 following security concerns about a potential Iranian threat to their base in the U.K.