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.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…