51st LRS Airmen support Operation Tomodachi during ORE

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Gena Armstrong
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFNS) --  Airmen from the 51st Logistics Readiness Squadron processed 18,000 pounds of cargo here March 14 in support of Operation Tomodachi.

The supplies were being transported to the Ronald Reagan Carrier Group to continue humanitarian-aid missions off the east coast of Honshu, Japan. The shipment included mission-essential supplies such as aircraft parts.

Staff Sgt. Cliff Cooke, from the 51st LRS traffic management flight, explained how the Airmen in the packing and crating, distribution, and outbound sections all worked together to process everything quickly.

"When the Sailors brought over their cargo, it was already in containers, but we had to re-secure all the items inside" Sergeant Cooke said. "We verified all the documentation to make sure each piece was certified correctly, especially if it was hazardous."

Then the traffic management Airmen checked the padding and seals of the containers, and verified its weight and dimensions, he said. They were able to finish all of that in addition to participating in an operational readiness exercise.

"If we didn't keep doing our job during the exercise, there would be a large amount of cargo just stuck there," Sergeant Cooke said. "And that following Monday ... we'd be getting more cargo, but there would basically be a road block via a giant surge of cargo."

All of the cargo was processed and shipped by March 16.

"Without us, the Navy could not get their equipment that they need for their planes during the tsunami relief effort," said Senior Airman Bradley Miller, from the 51st LRS.