More airborne cargo means fewer convoys

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman James Croxon
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  A new way of moving cargo in theater is allowing Airmen here to process more raw tonnage of cargo than airlift wings in the states, while doing it with a fifth of the manning.

The 96 Airmen assigned to the 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's aerial port flight are the core of the hub-and-spoke system implemented April 1. Before that, cargo coming into theater could end up at more than a half-dozen locations before being processed for shipment to a final destination. Now, all cargo arrives at Balad for processing and then is airlifted to a final destination.

"We touch every piece of cargo coming into the theater now," said Capt. Karen Rupp, 332nd APF commander. "We do it even though we've experienced a 68 percent increase in pallet movements and a 38 percent increase in pieces of cargo since the inception of the hub-and-spoke system."

Getting that cargo airlifted to forward operating bases means fewer convoys on the ground. To the aerial port team, keeping Airmen and Soldiers out of danger translates to job satisfaction and determination to overcome obstacles.

"The job is more rewarding here," said Airman 1st Class Jeff Boutin. "I know after I push a pallet onto a C-130 (Hercules), it's going directly to the warfighter who needs those supplies. It makes me feel like I am directly linked to the combat."

The logistics of moving so much cargo is one of the biggest challenges, Captain Rupp said. She says major aerial ports in the states have up to 500 Airmen to move the cargo. Here it is done with fewer than 100.

To ensure cargo becomes airborne and gets to the warfighter, the team works closely with Air Force, Army and U.S. Transportation Command systems in a joint environment to track each pallet.

Captain Rupp said it's the Airmen who make the record-breaking number possible by overcoming any setbacks they face.

"A few weeks ago we had cargo that needed to get to Kirkuk (Air Base, Iraq) and the winch used to pull pallets on the aircraft was broken," Captain Rupp said. "The ramp service Airmen managed to figure out a way to get the pallets on the jet. These Airmen will always find a way to execute their mission because they know the importance of it."

The high-operations tempo and volume of cargo moved might seem daunting but at they end of a 12-hour day on a desert flightline, the Airmen of the aerial port flight go home knowing they have made a difference, said Senior Airman James Quinones.

"We definitely feel the operations tempo and that we are doing more with a lot fewer people," said Airman 1st Class Sarah Doroha, deployed from the 3rd Logistics Readiness Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. At her home station, Airman Doroha works in the readiness flight where she prepares Airmen for exercises and deployment.

"But here I get to support real-world missions where my actions have an impact downrange. I look forward to coming back to work each day because I know there is a Soldier or Airmen I've never met who needs some supplies. I am going to get those supplies to them."