Tech. Sgt. Victoria Kohagen 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron individual protective equipment non-commissioned officer in charge, inspects paperwork before checking out an M4 carbine rifle in preparation for Beverly Sentinel 24-1 at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, March 21, 2024. With a team of seven individuals, the IPE team outfitted over 600 Airmen with either M4 rifles or M9 pistols in support of the new 8th Fighter Wing general arming program. (Staff Sgt. Samuel Earick, U.S. Air Force)
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- The 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron led the 8th Fighter Wing in conducting general arming procedures during Beverly Sentinel 24-1, Mar. 25-29.
Airmen of the 8th LRS were among the first to spring into action, ensuring hundreds of M9 pistols and M4 carbine rifles were in good working order and distributed across the wing ahead of the call of “START EX!”
“We have a team of seven to outfit over 410 plus weapons to base personnel,” said Staff Sgt. Daniel Lopez, 8th LRS individual protective equipment supervisor. “The team here has done an amazing job navigating their new requirements and getting the job done.”
General arming is the primary line of effort during the week-long Beverly Sentinel exercise. Aimed at developing a more mission-ready force, the training was designed to diversify Airmen’s skill sets and knowledge of security and threat response.
After exercising two squadrons in general arming procedures in January, the Wolf Pack expanded to having members from each of its 14 squadrons arm up and practice base defense tactics.
“Force protection is a shared responsibility, making every Airman a defender of this base,” said Col. Matthew C. Gaetke, 8th FW commander. “General arming supplements the base defense experts in our 8th Security Forces Squadron, integrating the whole Wolf Pack into a unified defense and making Kunsan more robust.”
Once again doing the work that goes unseen, Airmen of the 8th LRS, nicknamed Wraith Nation, worked tirelessly to supply the Pack with the weapons needed to exercise safeguarding vital assets and facilities.
“This is a brand new thing we are doing here and it is also the first time that the IPE team has distributed from an armory here at Kunsan,” said Lopez. “We had to work with and learn from 8th Security Forces defenders to understand the procedures needed to distribute weapons and to make sure we do it right the first time.”
The 8th LRS is a continuous factor in ensuring 8th FW Airmen remain agile and armed as a combat-credible force. Exercising procedures like general arming confirms the Pack’s ability to, if called upon, rapidly enter a contingent environment in defense of the ROK.
