Northwest reservists prepare to deploy to Southwest Asia

Published Aug. 26, 2010
By Sandra Pishner
446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- By mid-September, more than 60 reservists from the 446th Airlift Wing will depart for various locations across Southwest Asia. Another 95 or so will go overseas before the end of the year.

Airmen from the 36th and 86th Aerial Port Squadrons, and the 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron will deploy to areas in Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation New Dawn. They will join about 100 wing reservists already deployed across the globe.

Aerial porters will load cargo, move passengers and manage the transportation of people, equipment and supplies. Airmen from the 446th AES will take to the skies in a variety of cargo aircraft to care for patients as they are flown to other medical care facilities.

Maj. Esther Aubert, a flight nurse with the 446th AES, will get less flying time when she deploys to be the chief nurse at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

Major Aubert, who is on her eighth deployment, will leave her civilian job as an emergency room nurse with Swedish Hospital in Seattle to serve as the chief nurse. Her duties will revolve around crew management and patient care. As a flight nurse, she plans on relying on her experiences on the aeromedical evacuation crews to guide her management of those crews.

"While I prefer flying, I'm looking forward to the challenges of managing the crews," Major Aubert said. "I'll be responsible for managing their schedules, making sure all our procedures are being followed, and taking care of any waivers they may need while out in the system."

When she gets a chance, Major Aubert is looking forward to spending time with her daughter, Airman 1st Class Carina Aubert, who recently deployed to Joint Base Balad as a C-130 crew chief.

"I'll be there for her birthday," said the major. "She hasn't asked me to bring anything over for her yet, but I'm expecting some requests."

While one family will be having a reunion of sorts on a deployment, another has to put the start of their family on hold.

Tech. Sgt. Josh Warbiany, 86th APS, is deploying just weeks after his wedding and will return just a few months before his child is born.

"We have my wife enrolled in DEERS (Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System), but we still have some other things to take care of before I leave," said the NCO.

Not only is Sergeant Warbiany getting all this paperwork for himself and his family together, as the 86th APS unit deployment manager, he's charged with ensuring his fellow deploying aerial porters are all set to go.

"It's been nuts for me, trying to ensure all my people have what they need for this deployment and preparing myself as well, " he said.

In preparing for this deployment, the folks from the aerial ports have been keeping an eye on the air traffic in the area of responsibility.

"We pretty much know what to expect, what the activity level is and what kinds of loads we'll be handling," said Sergeant Warbiany, who anticipates working in the air transportation operations center.

One reservist with a unique understanding of both loading of cargo and patients on a C-17 is Master Sgt. Sarah Bobnick, 446th AES. Sergeant Bobnick is deploying as a medical technician but has also served as a C-17 loadmaster.

"I've deployed before as a loadmaster on stage missions, but this will be my first time staying for any length of time in the AOR," said the recent graduate of Portland State University, Portland, Ore. "But I think I'm well prepared. I came into the medical technician career field with a good background in the aircraft, which allowed me to focus on the medical training."

Sergeant Bobnick hopes to enroll in the Oregon Health and Science University or the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences when she returns from overseas.

Staying focused on the deployment at hand is easier when family and civilian employers are supportive.

Senior Airman Tyler Akers, 86th APS, is leaving his job at Top Foods & Drugs in Olympia, Wash., for his third deployment. He believes the support from his employer has been "awesome." His family also is supportive.

"My mom gets nervous, but in the end she's comfortable that I'll be safe," said Airman Akers.