When the 442nd FW deploys, it calls on 'Team Kennedy'

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kent Kagarise
  • 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  An Airman answers the phone and a voice on the other end informs him he is being deployed. Somewhere there is a space that needs to be filled, a job needs to be done, a mission needs to be accomplished and that Airman is just the individual the Air Force needs.

After the initial shock, the Airman packs their things and heads to Whiteman Air Force Base. As quickly as a week later that same Airman is in the combat theater.

Senior Master Sgt. Rodney Kennedy, Plans and Integration superintendent, 442nd Logistics Readiness Squadron, has been that shocked Airman packing his bags at the last minute. It was a rapid deployment in the past that drives him to assist others in their deployments today, as well as bring Airmen home with as much ease as possible today. 

To accomplish any mission Airman-power is needed and that is where Sergeant Kennedy comes in.

"I make sure the supported commander is getting the right person for the job no matter how long the mission is, and I get the Airman there in a way that is not intrusive to the member," Sergeant Kennedy said.

Sergeant Kennedy manages the spaces for all aspects of deployment. Line-numbers need to be filled to ensure tasking needs are met, along with equipment and cargo, all packed correctly and on the proper plane.

Sergeant Kennedy lights up when he talks about his job.

"I've been doing this for four years," he said. "Nobody comes or goes without moving through LRS. I love making it all come together."

Many can relate to what it means to have a "full plate." Spend a few minutes with Sergeant Kennedy and it becomes obvious he sits at a table where the waiter brings full- course meals from a kitchen that never closes.

"The key to doing my job well is multi-tasking," he said. "You have to be able to prioritize and adjust to priority changes, which can come at you with one phone call," explained Sergeant Kennedy.

Readiness is Sergeant Kennedy's business and he has some words of wisdom for Airmen anticipating a deployment.

"Readiness is our personal responsibility and it requires personal accountability," he said. "An Airman should know the requirements and seek to fulfill those requirements. If you haven't been to the dentist in a couple of years - go to the dentist!"

"Simply put - be ready," Sergeant Kennedy emphasized.

While Senior Master Sgt. Kennedy handles filling the required spaces needed for tasks of a mission, a stroll down the hall will lead to Tech. Sgt. Shannon Kennedy, Personnel Readiness chief, 442nd Mission Support Flight who determines the faces to fill those spaces, and she is also Senior Master Sgt. Kennedy's wife.

The Kennedys have been married for two years but have been friends for much longer. They're teammates at home and work.

"There is 100 percent teamwork between our jobs. I can't do my job without him and vice versa," Tech. Sgt. Kennedy said.

Some may wonder if this puts stress on their marriage. While most couples go to work apart from each other on a daily basis the Kennedys are not only working at the same place but in the same area and toward a common goal.

"It's not hard to work together and be married," Tech. Sgt. Kennedy said. "Sometimes in the evening Rodney and I will sit together at home on the front porch and get more accomplished then we do at the office.

"You wouldn't call a colleague at nine-thirty at night to ask about something that just crossed your mind pertaining to the job," she said. "It's nice to know we are both thinking about the same things."

Even chaplains cannot be in two places at the same time, but the Kennedys do their best to defy human limitations.

"There are times when one of us isn't here and the other is. We share a plan ID, which allows us to do each other's job," Tech. Sgt. Kennedy said.

When talking about her husband's work ethic she said, "Rodney is one of the hardest workers in the unit. Even on issues out of his arena he knows who to call to get things done and quite often gets calls pertaining to things outside his area of responsibility

"Rodney's mind is going 24/7 but never seems stressed and always gets the job done well," Tech. Sgt. Kennedy said.

The symbolism of marriage has often been the joining of two, becoming one. In the Kennedy's case this body is much like a body-builder.

"We are the muscle of the 442nd FW that executes the plans," Senior Master Sgt. Kennedy said.

The Kennedys' cohesion is best summed up by a visit to Tech. Sgt. Kennedy's office where she is busy on the phone. The stress levels seem somewhat high as another phone begins to ring. Without much thought her husband picks up the other line and the tension levels in the room drop immensely.

Behind every good Airman - is another Airman.