Charleston gateway for deployed locations

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jennifer Arredondo
  • 437th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFNS) --  More than 180 Airmen from 67 installations from across the Air Force deployed from Charleston AFB Feb. 7.

Active-duty, National Guard and Reserve Airmen from all functional areas stationed at bases located throughout the U.S. and some Pacific Air Force bases aggregated, or gathered, here to deploy to the major areas of responsibility in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

More than 800 Airmen have left the base to head out to their deployed locations since Dec. 22, 2008 to support normal deployment requirements.

To help alleviate the complications of deploying from single bases across the force, Tanker and Airlift Control Center along with Air Mobility Command requested bases with aerial port capabilities to host Airmen waiting to leave for the AOR.

According to 2nd Lt. Calvin Coker, 437th Logistics Readiness Squadron officer in charge of deployments, plans and programs section, this process "takes the burden off of other bases," to fill this requirement.

Normally, an Airman from a base would have to work through their unit deployment manager at their home base to plan their trip to the AOR. With Airmen being sent directly to an aerial port of embarkation, according to Ernie Hunter, 437th LRS installation deployment officer, this process is more convenient.

"The UDM doesn't have to plan a trip from home base all the way to the deployed location, they just have to plan it to the aerial port of embarkation," he said.

The other aerial port of embarkations that support these types of missions are Travis AFB, Calif.; Dover AFB, Del.; McGuire AFB, N.J.; and McChord AFB, Wash.

While the request to depart through Charleston AFB could come at any time, most of the requests are for winter deployments due to the favorable weather down here and the ability of aircraft to take off without delay, according to Lieutenant Coker.

To help in this on-going endeavor, various units from the 437th Mission Support Group have come together to support the Airmen from the moment they touch down at Charleston International Airport to the moment they are heading overseas.

To help get the Airmen off to the right start, the 437th LRS worked with the commercial airport to set up a reception area for those Airmen flying into Charleston to meet up with representatives from the 437th LRS, who then get the Airmen onto a bus bound for Charleston AFB.

Once on base, the 437th Force Support Squadron along with the 437th LRS help make the Airmen's time on base a little easier. LRS set up bus routes to enable them to get to areas of the base they may need to go, such as the commissary, the base exchange and the dining facility.

437th FSS also arranged for the dining facility to stay open late to accommodate the Airmen's time schedule, said Mr. Hunter.

To help pass the time, the base bowling alley stayed open late to provide Airmen some form of entertainment while they waited to depart the base.

"The tenacious efforts of all base agencies involved facilitated each transient Airman having a warm reception at Charleston International Airport, comfortable, secure and free lodging, base transportation, hearty meals and extracurricular activities during their short stay," said Mr. Hunter. "Further, these efforts ensured on-time delivery of forces to the combatant commanders. Be certain that recent aggregation activity at Charleston AFB epitomizes the word 'teamwork'."

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