Yokota AB Airmen provide Afghan military with 'props'

  • Published
  • By Airman John D. Partlow
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS) --  Airmen from here helped airmen in the Afghan National Army Air Corps get off the ground and take control of maintaining Afghan national security.

The Yokota AB Airmen were tasked to package and ship 15 sets of propellers, three blades per set, to the ANAAC for their growing fleet of C-27A Spartans.

The propellers came from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in Kisarazu, Japan. United States Forces Japan officials purchased the blades from the Japanese Ministry of Defense to donate them to the Afghan military.

The ANAAC started receiving C-27s in November 2009 via NATO's International Security Assistance Force and will obtain 20 total. The C-27s play a key role in Afghanistan's mountainous terrain because of their short takeoff and landing ability. The planes will provide tactical airlift support for Afghan national security forces performing combat operations and humanitarian assistance.

Yokota AB's part in this process started with the 374th Contracting Squadron.

"Our job was to prepare the contract between USFJ and the JMOD," said Chiyonoli Shimizu, a 374th Contracting Squadron contracting specialist.

Before they were shipped, Airmen from the 374th Logistics Readiness Squadron ensured the blades were properly packaged to guarantee a safe delivery.

"From the 374th LRS perspective, we are responsible for figuring out how the equipment will be delivered here and how we will deliver it elsewhere," said 2nd Lt. Rian Cho, the 374th LRS officer in charge for distribution.

374th LRS vehicle operations and traffic management office personnel transported the propellers from the JMSDF depot in Kisarazu to here.

In preparation for air transit, the 374th LRS Airmen and Japanese nationals prepared 15 wooden crates to house the equipment for the delivery process.

Construction of the crates was scheduled to take four weeks, but with the Airmen and Japanese nationals working together, the task was accomplished in nine days.

"It's an honor to support a mission that is important to the Afghan military," said Master Sgt. Dion Thompson, the 374th LRS NCO in charge of cargo movements. "I'm happy we have the experience and drive to get the mission done."

Once all the blades were packaged, they were sent to the 730th Air Mobility Squadron.

Once there, the equipment was put into a C-17 Globemaster III and the shipping process began. a 730th AMS cargo operations Airmen loaded the cargo onto shipping pallets and ramp services personnel were the ones to load the cargo to its designated aircraft.

"We support many missions," said Senior Airman Steven Laydon, 730th AMS cargo processing specialist. "Each mission we do effects situations around the world."