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JBSA News
NEWS | May 29, 2017

502nd LRS Airman moves Joint Base San Antonio

By Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

Airman Ethan McFarland, 502nd Logistics Readiness Squadron logistics planner, is a wing deployment coordinator for Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston and JBSA-Randolph.

As a deployment coordinator, he deploys personnel and cargo to places all around the world.

“LRS moves JBSA; we do everything. If someone or something needs to get somewhere, we get it there,” said McFarland, who is a native of Santa Clarita, Calif.

His office has handled 119 taskings for deployments from Jan. 1 until the present.

McFarland’s primary job is to be a liaison between the installation deployment readiness center, or IDRC, and the unit deployment managers, or UDMs.

The IDRC is a focal point for all deployment execution operations and the UDM is the main organizer who ensures the deployer is successful down-range.

“I speak with the deployer’s UDM and we figure out what kind of training is necessary, such as self-aid buddy care or Combat Arms Training and Maintenance,” he said.

Once deployers return from deployment, they again see McFarland to receive the reintegration checklist.

“It is always good to see deployers come back safely,” said McFarland. “Most times when people come back from deployment, they are happy to see their families and are just simply glad to be back.”

Another facet of McFarland’s job is to assist the Army with passenger and cargo movements at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, JBSA-Lackland’s Kelly Field Annex and JBSA-Camp Bullis.

“He has played a vital role in the deployment control center’s last two Army movements where he worked with vehicle operations to ensure cargo and personnel movements went according to schedule,” said Tech. Sgt. Stephanie Lawrence, 502nd LRS NCO in charge of plans and integration.

About three weeks ago, McFarland took part in his second Army movement.

“We had an exercise where we had to ship out another Army unit,” said McFarland. “We went down to JBSA-Camp Bullis at 6:30 a.m. and made sure they were good to go.”

McFarland said he enjoys being a part of the Army movements
.

“I find that assisting with these movements is fun. You see new things. You see the bigger picture of everything, and I think that is very fascinating,” he continued.

He was also surprised with the opportunity to work side-by-side with the Army.

“I wasn’t expecting to work with the Army,” McFarland said. “I thought it was just going to be all Air Force personnel. Right off the bat I was told the joint environment is very different. There are many other factors you have to deal with at a joint base. There’s not just one base, there are three to partner with. So far I have really enjoyed it. I love the joint base concept.”

McFarland’s supervisor said he is a great asset to the Air Force. “Airman McFarland is doing great things in and out of the work center,” said Lawrence.

McFarland finds motivation and inspiration to keep putting his best foot forward by reflecting back to his family and how he was raised.

“My family has always supported me and had my back, and they continually tell me to always do my best,” said McFarland.

However, his source of motivation does not stop there.

“My supervisors also are a source of motivation,” McFarland said. “They are always preaching, do your best. I do not want to let them down.”