Aerial porters are making it happen

Published April 4, 2008
By Staff Sgt. Ruth Curfman
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- Although most people credit medical professionals with saving lives, another group of people here are helping to reduce patient numbers -- the 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Aerial Port Flight. When it comes to moving people, supplies or cargo, into or out of Iraq, the 332 APF makes it happen.

"Although we are mainly in charge of unloading, loading and tracking everything coming in and out of Iraq, I believe our most important contribution to this mission is being able to limit the number of convoys," said Master Sgt. Daniel Martinez, 332 APF noncommissioned officer in charge of special handling. "By being able to reduce the number of people in the direct line of fire outside the wire, I feel that we are helping to protect lives and that is a great feeling."

Although the aerial porters compose one of the smaller shops on base, they have one of the most extensive missions.

"We load and unload more than 40 aircraft on a busy day, or about 25 on a slow day," Sergeant Martinez said. "In the past two months we have processed more than 23,000 passengers, loaded and unloaded more than 29,500 tons of cargo and processed almost 2,700 missions."

"Balad is considered to be the busiest aerial port in the world," said Senior Airman Monica Vasquez, 332 APF passenger service representative. "We control the movement of various aircraft providing intra- and inter-theater airlift. In January alone, we had more than 11,000 missions. This definitely keeps us busy 24/7."

In addition to the importance of the airlift aspect of the aerial porter flight, Airmen work directly with their Army counterparts to make sure joint servicemembers are getting what they need as soon as possible.

"All supplies, including ammunition for Logistics Support Area Anaconda [which is co-located at Balad Air Base] comes to us here first," said Army Sgt. Larry Walker, 8th Ordnance Company cargo liaison. "Working with the Air Force has presented some obstacles, due to their four-month rotations versus the Army's 12 to 15- month rotations, but this crew came in here and learned four months worth of knowledge in four days. Our synchronization continues to improve everyday."

This obstacle was an even larger milestone because, not only do aerial porters support the joint mission, they themselves represent a less familiar facet of the total force -- the Air Force Reserve. Aerial port flights throughout Iraq were recently transitioned from being manned by active-duty Airmen to traditional Reservists.

"As far as I know, this is the first time the aerial port functions in Iraq have been run strictly by Air Force Reserve Airmen," Sergeant Martinez said. "Although we don't perform these duties as often as our active-duty counterparts, I believe we have been able to come together quickly as a team to make the mission happen more smoothly."
While these Airmen may not have as many hours of experience as the active-duty Airmen they replaced, they definitely show pride in the job.

"Personnel and cargo are the building blocks of any operation," Airman Vasquez said. "To be a part of this operation, at this point in history, is a great feeling and it is an experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. I encourage all of the aerial port Airmen who haven't deployed to share this phenomenal experience."