TMO packs it, tracks it in Afghanistan

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Andrew Gates
  • 455th Expeditionary Operations Group Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  In a combat zone, being able to track the exact location of critical outbound equipment is extremely important.

That is why Airmen at the traffic management office here are the first in the service to test the Air Force’s latest version of cargo tracking software.

The Airmen are responsible for scheduling, packing and tracking all the outbound cargo that leaves here. They are also responsible for tracking and distributing inbound cargo for Airmen, Soldiers and allied forces here.

“We process outbound cargo for shipment and decide how it leaves the theater,” said Staff Sgt. Kevin Isaac, 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron logistician. “We determine if we need to use Air Mobility Command airlift or a commercial carrier.”

The latest software version helps them track the equipment better, since it uses a satellite connection rather than using a local-area network, eliminating slow network speeds and system crashes, said Senior Airman Timothy Grasso of the 455th ELRS, who has been testing the new software. With multiple databases and routes to connect to those databases, the system is somewhat similar to a wireless Internet connection

“We needed a central server to help maintain 100-percent accountability (for) every piece of cargo shipped from Bagram,” Airman Grasso said.

This is especially important to help the Airmen track critical cargo, such as hazardous material and cryptographic material, Sergeant Isaac said.

“We’re able to pinpoint exactly where any particular piece of cargo is at any one moment -- no one else in the Air Force is using this version,” he said.

The Airmen said their goal is to move cargo quickly.

“We want to send cargo out the most cost-effective way possible, but get it here quick enough to keep the mission going,” Sergeant Isaac said.

A key portion of their mission is sending aircraft parts to a depot for repairs and making arrangements to get them back, but the Airmen can mark cargo to go places as close as Kandahar, Afghanistan, and as far as Japan and Korea.

When cargo comes in by C-130 Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III or commercial carrier aircraft, the TMO Airmen receive it, sort it, account for it and distribute it through various channels. One of those channels is the supply network.

“We give supply their cargo,” Sergeant Isaac said. “But there’s a lot of cargo we receive that’s not generated through the supply system. We give a lot of cargo directly to the customers.”

The TMO Airmen handle much more inbound cargo than outbound. In July, they sent out 370-plus shipments valued at more than $20 million dollars; however, they received more than 1,880 inbound pieces of cargo, weighing more than 170 tons.

Inbound cargo can often provide one of the greatest challenges for the TMO Airmen -- tracking down the owners.

“Sometimes we have cargo coming in, and we can’t be certain who exactly it goes to,” said Airman 1st Class Ieisha Smith of the 455th ELRS. “We have a high turnover rate of units in theater, which can make it very difficult to determine exactly who needs to get some parts that come in.”

The length of time it takes to ship items from home stations also adds to the challenges, she said.

Whether dealing with inbound or outbound cargo, the Airmen here said they know how important their job is to the mission.

“It’s good knowing the property we bring in keeps the mission going,” said Senior Airman Michael Spera, another 455 ELRS logistician.