Aerial porters keep the Afghan missions moving

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Carlos Diaz
  • U.S. Central Command Air Forces Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNEWS) --  Outside of the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron here sits a rock structure that reads: "We didn't send you here, but we'll get you out."

A close-knit team of aerial porters bring this statement to fruition every day.

The 8th EAMS' aerial porters provide cargo and passenger support for unit moves, flight aggregations for transient passengers and cargo movements to re-supply troops in the area of responsibility, said Lt. Col. Anthony Krawietz, the 8th EAMS commander.

According to Master Sgt. Mike Felton, the superintendent of freight services, on any given day, aerial porters work 12-hour shifts.

"However, they don't leave until the mission gets done," he said.

Part of that mission requires them to meticulously strap, secure and tighten cargo unto pallets.

Pallets can normally hold up to 10,000 pounds and cargo can be stacked as high as 8 feet, said Staff Sgt. Todd Frederick.

Using a tightening device, Sergeant Frederick and Airman 1st Class Corby Johnson secure case band steels and move onto their next pallet.

Inside a warehouse, a six-member crew prepare for their next cargo upload.

The band of young Airmen load the cargo into the aircraft in less than 35 minutes.

Staff Sgt. Henry Leguillou and Airman 1st Class Arnold Peña were each behind the wheel of a separate aircraft loader capable of carrying a maximum load of 60,000 pounds.

With the supervision of Tech. Sgt Lee Fletcher and Staff Sgt. Aaron Witt, Sergeant Leguillou and Airman Peña carefully steered the vehicles while Senior Airmen Katherine Bunt and Steven Bazar waited for the load.

Once the aircraft loaders were aligned to the aircraft, the team safely pushed the cargo inside.

Six cargo pallets weighing approximately 33,085 pounds were loaded into the aircraft. Approximately 2.1 million pounds of cargo are loaded per week, said Colonel Krawietz.
The aerial porters' current mission is to support Operation Achilles, a campaign to create a secure environment and better quality of life for Afghan citizens.

The 8th EAMS provides cargo and passenger travel, C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster maintenance and command and control for mobility aircraft operating from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing for Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom and the Horn of Africa.

For this group of aerial porters, "getting you out" is their business. 

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