A dozen LRS employees, using 400-gallon “water buffalo” tanks borrowed from the U.S. Marine Military Police C (Charlie) Company, 4th Law Enforcement Battalion, and U.S. Army 705th Transportation Company Army Reserve Center, filled 32-oz. spray bottles with an approved bleach/water mixture to be used for cleaning and disinfecting base surfaces. An assembly line assembled the bottles in the Hazardous Materials Storage Warehouse, Bldg. 247, Area A. LRS personnel put the bleach in the tanks, which were then filled with water by the Wright-Patterson AFB Fire Department.
“As we move out into Phase One of COVID-19 operations and bringing back our workforce, it’s important that our workforce has a safe environment to return to,” said Col. Paul Burger, 88 MSG commander. “Some of what we have experienced throughout the U.S. is a shortage of cleaning supplies we need to keep the workforce safe, so along with the 88th Medical Group’s Public Health Flight, we devised a plan to use a weak bleach/water solution in an appropriate ratio to use as a disinfectant.”
Building custodians will pick up the bottles and paper towels to take to their work centers for disinfection purposes, Burger said.
“This is incredible,” he said. “I would not have come up with the idea to borrow the water buffaloes. Credit goes to the 88th Logistics Readiness Squadron for leaning forward and finding a novel solution to assemble and distribute the disinfectant in a safe manner and so units don’t have to come here and do it themselves.”
The 88 LRS plan means the bleach/water solution can be obtained in a safe manner, he added.
Burger credited Tom Riste, 88 LRS director, and Gary Beckley, 88 LRS deputy director, for the project.
“The LRS team never ceases to amaze me with the support they provide to the base,” said Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Newton Jr., 88 MSG chief. “People don’t realize that although it’s a small team, they have a large footprint that supports the installation – from providing the heaters to the 88th Medical Group while they work outside to ‘catching’ the aircraft that come in to drop off samples to be tested.”
“This is what the LRS is all about,” Beckley said. “We have military, civilians and contractors – the entire team – and everyone jumps in. Hopefully this project will give the base an initial supply of something to give everyone confidence until the supply chain catches up.”
The base’s safety and security are a key part of the LRS mission, its director said.
“Col. (Thomas) Sherman, 88th Air Base Wing commander, has said he wants employees to come to a safe environment and feel secure when it comes to the virus and he tasked the LRS with making sure we have supplies,” Riste said. “Mixing this bleach solution in these water buffaloes is a great answer. I’m very proud of all these folks for stepping up to do this.”
James Byers, 88 LRS fuel contracting officer representative, said he volunteered for the project “because the base needed help and that’s what our sponsor does. We help each other while having fun. It feels good to help the base knowing you are doing something that makes a difference.”
Bob Spires, 88 LRS maintenance section chief, said he was happy to do his part in fighting the coronavirus. “It feels good and I’m glad to do it. LRS is one of the groups on base that didn’t shut down. We have been here to support the base and conducting all of our functions.”
Next on LRS’ list is in-processing the issuance to the installation of 25,000 white face coverings from the National Department of Health and Human Services, Beckley said. Ten thousand more face coverings will arrive soon.
In addition, the squadron has purchased three 55-gallon barrels of hand sanitizer to be strategically located around the installation soon for installation-wide usage, he noted.
Beckley has words of praise for the people he works with.
“The entire team has shown greatly flexibility and willingness to adjust and overcome to support all the various mission-essential services that continue each day – even with the limitations of the COVID-19 restrictions. From fuels and transportation and aircraft support of incoming aircraft with new students or COVID-19 samples to be tested, to significant increases in health and safety measures in bussing our Area B students, to on-time, yet ever-changing deployments, to purchasing and distribution of mask and disinfectant supplies,” he said.
Members of the 88 LRS are also actively involved with participation in the Public Health Emergency Working Group, Incident Command Center, Emergency Operations Center and Unit Control Center, Beckley noted.
A few facts about the 88th Logistic Readiness Squadron
• Comprised of about 190 military, civilian and contractors. Resides in 25 buildings on base.
• Responsible for the Leadership, Management, and Operation of the Deployment and Distribution, Vehicle Management, Fuels, Materiel Management and Operations Compliance Flights. Provides logistics plans support for Wright-Patt, including the Installation Deployment Office and Agreements Management.
• Provides contracted supply, transportation and aircraft maintenance support for the base and numerous off-base organizations.
• Operates a contingency Aerial Port of Embarkation.
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