DUKE FIELD, Fla. -- Citizen Air Commandos deploy in quick succession. The second one team comes in, the next is going out. With the high-tempo demands of the special operations mission, unit deployment managers keep the wing running smoothly.
“I love the high-speed of the work we do,” said Master Sgt. Alan Smith-Toro, 919th Special Operations Maintenance Group unit deployment manager. “Sometimes you want to pull your hair out, but we need someone managing these deployment cycles in order to succeed at our mission.”
UDMs ensure assigned personnel are mobility trained and mission-ready for combat and deployment operations in any theater. They schedule currency training, coordinate orders, help Airmen get where they need to be in a timely manner, and handle an assortment of other responsibilities.
“We have a lot of moving pieces and really rely on each other as a team,” said Erin Tyler, also a 919th SOMXG UDM. “It’s important we ensure we take care of everything for these Airmen to make the whole deployment process as easy as possible.”
Maintenance personnel from the 919th Special Operations Wing deploy in four-month cycles at different sites and locations. The team of UDMs at the 919th SOMXG handle the constant flow of tasks that comes with the pace of their group’s mission.
“The taskings we get are pretty exciting,” said Toro. “Our unique mission keeps us pretty busy and working hard.”
At the squadron level, the position may be an additional duty, while at the group level the UDM position is a full-time job. They ensure all their Airmen are ready to deploy within a 72-hour notice.
“We’re setting our Airmen up for success,” said Toro. “We get them passports, make sure they have deployment orders, and just generally ensure everything is all together and ready to go.”
Tyler and Toro work alongside and collaborate with their active duty counterparts from the 492nd Special Operations Wing in their shared workcenter. The duo ensures the best use of personnel in the integrated fighting force.
“We call ourselves ‘Team UDM,’” said Tyler. “Everyone in our office is important and our team is awesome.”
By ensuring personnel are ready to fly, fight, and win at a moment’s notice, Toro, Tyler, and the team enable the 919th SOW to provide America’s Citizen Air Commandos, “Any Time, Any Place.”