AACG group normally remains at the air base until all the scheduled chalks arrive at the mission site. The  equipment  platoon  transports  cargo,  baggage, CESE,  and  personnel  from  the  air  field  to  the deployment  site. This  movement  may  require  a tactical  convoy  or  a  nontactical  convoy  procedure. Convoy   procedures   are   outlined   in   the   Naval Construction   Force   Embarkation   Manual,   COM- SECOND/COMTHIRDNCBINST 3120.1 series, and Equipment   Management,   COMSECOND/COM- THIRDNCBINST 11200.1 series. During the first few days of an air det mission, before  the  supplies  and  CESE  arrive  and  the  camp  is complctcd,   the   troops   endure   abnormal   living conditions which can be detrimental to their morale. Once the supplies start to arrive, the set up of priority areas should immediately begin. These areas are the shower tent for hot showers, the galley tent for hot meals, and berthing tents to store gear and to sleep in. When provided properly, these facilities will make a PROFOUND difference in the morale and welfare of the  troops. The support platoon has the key responsibility for the  camp  setup.  Some  of  the  platoon’s  responsibilities are: camp electrical distribution, camp tent layout, galley  facilities,  shower  facilities,  laundry  facilities (depending on the duration of the mission), medical facility, communications gear setup, latrines, and so forth. The construction of an air det camp is an  “all hands” effort. Delays  can  hamper  plans  for  personnel,  supplies, CESE, and construction operations and force the air det to have to regroup and manage with the resources on  hand.  Therefore,  every  operation  the  air  det  is involved  in  must  be  prioritized. EQUIPMENT  PLATOON  OPERATIONS The equipment platoon primary responsibility is to support the requirements of the support platoon; however, it also has its own areas of responsibility. One  area  of  responsibility  is  the  control  and  account- ability of CESE. When control and accountability of CESE is delayed and not implemented at the start of the  mission,  problems  are  sure  to  develop.  Some problems you can expect are unexplainable damages to CESE, lost keys, neglected operator maintenance, loss  of  collateral  equipage,  and  even  theft. Dispatch  operations  must  start  at  the  very beginning  of  the  mission.  All  operators  who  are assigned to fly with a piece of CESE must report to the  dispatcher  when  the  CESE  arrives  at  the  mission site.  The  dispatcher  should  have  an  equipment  status board that denotes the status of all CESE and have an area to secure equipment keys. Dispatch operations may  have  to  be  performed  out  of  a  box  before  the dispatch  tent  is  erected.  The  dispatcher  must  plan  for these  situations.  The  best  method  for  control  and accountability is to Class “C” assign all CESE. The  air  det  has  to  account  for  all  hours  and mileage   put   on   CESE   during   a   mission. The equipment   platoon   supervisor   is   responsible   for reviewing  dispatch  logs  and  trip  tickets  as  outlined  in Equipment   Management,   COMSECOND/COM- THIRDNCBINST   11200.1   series,   for   an   Alfa company  operations  supervisor. The equipment platoon supervisor must stay on top of all equipment-related operations of the air det During the first few days of a mission, the forklift is one  of  the  most  important  pieces  of  CESE.  The forklift is required to reassemble CESE, break down pallets, move tent boxes, unload tractor-trailers, and so forth; therefore, to ensure the optimum usc of the forklift, these tasks must be prioritized. You   must   remember   that   SAFETY   IS PARAMOUNT  and  CESE  must  bc  reassembled before  use. Reassembling   CESE   is   a   time- consuming forklift operation that delays individual priorities  of  other  members  of  the  air  det. Therefore, it must be understood and enforced that tasks  do  not  always  have  to  be  accomplished  with the  support  of  equipment  and  that  waiting  for  the availability of the equipment is not worth the time wasted. Use troops to accomplish tasks that can be done   manually   (manual   labor).   Examples   are: breaking   down   pallets,   digging   latrines,   moving tent  boxes,  unloading  trucks,  and  so  forth.  These tasks  must  be  accomplished  with  or  without  the support of equipment. The  equipment  platoon  also  has  the  responsibility to check and fill the water buffalos with potable water, maintain the water in the shower water bladders, and make daily garbage runs. These areas must not be overlooked  during  the  planning  phase.  A  piece  of CESE  (water  truck,  dump  truck)  will  have  to  be dedicated  to  support  this  task.  Water  buffalos normally embark empty unless it is determined that potable  water  is  not  immediately  available. 2-15