Loadmasters help reposition Australian Defense Forces

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo
  • Air Force Print News
TOWNSVILLE, Australia (AFPN) --  The U.S. Pacific Command is using its strategic airlift capability to help the Australian Defense Force. At the request of the Australian government, two C-17 Globemaster IIIs from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, are moving equipment and troops from the Solomon Islands back to Australia. This will help Australia position its forces to respond more rapidly to unrest in neighboring East Timor.

The biggest part of the mission involves the loading and unloading of passengers and cargo.

“We’re in charge of passenger safety (and) ensuring the cargo is loaded correctly ... the weight and balance (must be) correct so that the aircraft will fly safely,” said Master Sgt. Mike Cumberland, a loadmaster with the 535th Airlift Squadron.

“Weight and balance, input incorrectly, can cause an aircraft to crash, so we have a tremendous responsibility on our shoulders,” he said.

With a full tank of fuel the C-17 can carry about 165,000 pounds of cargo and passengers. With its flexibility the aircraft can get to just about any airfield in the world and transport just about anything in the Department of Defense inventory. So far Trek 21, the call sign for one of Hickam’s C-17s, has hauled approximately 100,000 pounds for the Australians.

“Being a loadmaster is great. There’s a lot of responsibility in it, there’s a lot of travel, transporting the troops and cargo -- it’s very satisfying to be able to get everything in the plane on time and take off on time and just get things done,” said Airman James Ngo, a loadmaster with the 535th AS.