KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- A unit deployment manager is responsible for educating the unit on its expeditionary role, ensuring personnel and equipment are ready to deploy and support contingency operations required by their unit.
The 81st Security Forces Squadron takes pride in Staff Sgt. Lane Sanchez, 81st SFS unit deployment manager, who coordinates unit deployments with the Air Expeditionary Force Center, Air Education and Training Command, Security Forces Contingency Branch.
“COVID-19 has had a crazy impact on the deployment tempo,” said Sanchez. “Pushing out a lot more people at once was out of my comfort zone, but being comfortable with being uncomfortable makes you better as a person and an Airman as a whole.”
Sanchez finds motivation helping Airmen step out of their comfort zone by coaching and mentoring them for pre-deployment. He schedules and conducts pre-deployment training based on tasking requirements, as well as prepares Airmen and NCOs mentally and physically to support the mission as security forces defenders.
“I come from a law enforcement background,” said Sanchez. “That's one of the reasons I joined the Air Force and I take pride in being a police officer and following the footsteps of my family.”
Sanchez has family members of each military branch serving as law enforcement. As a defender and leader within his squadron, Sanchez seizes each moment help others.
“Sanchez is the epitome of a security forces defender,” said Master Sgt. Jonathan Talley, 81st SFS logistics superintendent. “He is my second in command for logistics and for me to trust a staff sergeant to fill my position when I'm not here should speak volumes.”