ATOC keeps troops, supplies moving

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jennifer Lindsey
  • 455th Expeditionary Operations Group Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  Get ‘em in, get ‘em out. From troops to supplies, the Airmen of the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron’s air terminal operations center here take care of it all, ensuring aerial transport lines keep flowing smoothly.

With only about one-fifth the number of people with which the aerial port squadron typically operates at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., the center here ushers an average of 6,000 tons of cargo and 8,000 people through the region monthly. That is an average of 24 loading and unloading missions daily.

“We have a tough workload here, working with the Army, lots of aircraft and few people, but we’re prepared for it,” said Master Sgt. David Benson, ATOC superintendent. At home station, the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron provides combat airlift support for the Air Force and the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.

One of the challenges that adds weight to the center’s workload is dealing with limited assets, Sergeant Benson said. The center operates with fewer computer systems to track cargo and passenger data, fewer vehicles to move pallets stacked with baggage, supplies and equipment, and through rough weather conditions.

Late summer winds here can whip dust up 15 to 30 mph during the day and upward of 50 mph at night. Ramp teams loading and unloading cargo on the flightline must often deal with sinus trouble, chapped lips and “a throat like you ate chalk,” Sergeant Benson said.

The dust also takes a toll on vehicles. The fine dirt gums up forklift engines, resulting in the need for increased maintenance time, so air transport technicians must learn to treat forklifts as a precious commodity, said Staff Sgt. John Padgett, a ramp team member.

Upon hitting the ground here following a 38-hour trip, the ATOC team had three days to take over the reigns from the New York Air National Guardsmen who ran it since May. Within a week, the Pope AFB team implemented databases and processes, including monthly station-handling reports that closely track and accurately monitor passenger and cargo movement. Such reports influence manning numbers for future deployments.

One night, the team had to load and reload an aircraft several times because of higher priority cargo and passengers causing load-plan changes, Sergeant Benson said.

“We loaded 20,000 pounds, but handled it four times,” he said. “That’s actually having to move 80,000 pounds on just one mission.”

Sergeant Benson said he was able to implement such improvements because he is working with his “dream team.” Some members are useful for their expertise and some, who are new to military service, for their dedication to getting the job done efficiently no matter what the challenge.

Loading and unloading aircraft is only part of the ATOC mission. Although the ramp team may be able to load 17 pallets on a C-17 Globemaster III in 20 minutes, each load must first be accurately documented, marked, checked in, planned and inspected for airworthiness. Then, the loads must be placed according to a plan based on weight and compatibility. If not, flight safety could be at stake.

Load plans must be balanced from nose to tail to keep the aircraft from becoming too nose or tail heavy, and loads must be tied down properly according to differing G-factors to keep them from moving around during flight, said Tech. Sgt. Joe Eytalis, joint inspection supervisor.

Serving here with coalition forces, the job typically involves loading and unloading commercial air carriers and foreign aircraft.

“It’s interesting here working with people of different nationalities,” said Staff Sgt. James Clark, load team chief and a vehicle control noncommissioned officer. “I’ve helped unload a Russian IL-76 cargo aircraft and airlift from the United Arab Emirates. It’s neat how even though they didn’t speak English, and I don’t speak their language, that we still understood what needed to be done.”

Dedication to getting the job done right is important because several of the center’s Airmen have less than a year of military experience, said 1st Lt. Dennis Jones, 455th ELRS operations officer.

“These guys are making a huge impact by moving cargo and people in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and they’re just out of technical school,” he said.

From people to packages, the ATOC Airmen keep the supply lines flowing and keep Operation Enduring Freedom moving forward.

“It wouldn’t happen without us,” Sergeant Benson said. “There is no other organization besides us (that) maintains information as to who or what is on the aircraft that passes through here. Every aircraft, person and piece of cargo goes through the ATOC.”