Photo By Master Sgt. Morgan Whitehouse | U.S. Air Force Airmen, assigned to the 182nd Airlift Wing, Illinois Air National...... read more read more
Members of the 89th Aerial Port Squadron (APS) redeployed the remaining Army National Guard personnel who supported local and federal law enforcement in Washington, D.C. in support of Operation Capitol Response (OCR) May 30, 2021.
OCR was in response to the January 6 Capitol riots to assist local and federal law enforcement with securing the United States Capitol building and support the 2021 Presidential Inauguration. The first aircraft in support of Operation Capitol Response landed at Joint Base Andrews (JBA) Jan. 13, 2021 and the final departure for the withdrawal of troops occurred almost 5 month later.
Staff Sgt. Joey Williams, a capability forecaster for the 89th APS, recalls the frenzy of coordinating requirements such as cargo manifest, amount of passengers and aircraft type for inbound aircraft in the initial days of the operation.
“I was getting non-stop phone calls from what felt like every states national guard,” said Williams. “I felt like Ray Charles driving through LA traffic during peak rush hours.”
In those 5-months the 89th APS was responsible for the reception and departure of more than 16,000 soldiers and Airmen, over 2,542,000 pounds of equipment, and 317 military and civilian aircraft through Joint Base Andrews (JBA).
APS’s Airmen, also known as Port Dawgs, traditionally provide aerial port support for the United States most senior leaders to include the president, vice president, Cabinet members, and other senior military and elected officials. Port dawgs are air transportation specialist that perform and manage air transportation of Department of Defense (DOD) cargo, baggage and passengers.
“This was a complete joint effort from our port dawgs, our wingmen in the 316th Wing, and our Total Force partners from the Air National Guard and Army National Guard,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Marcus Cooley, commander of the 89th Airlift Support Group. “OCR was a proof of concept that showcased just how amazing our port dawgs are and how important they are for the mobility enterprise. I was most proud of our level of service and professionalism we gave the ANG troops.”
Army National Guard units from 31 states and three U.S. territories traveled by means of military and civilian airlift to JBA. Each aircraft was met by 89th APS Airmen who were responsible for unloading the passengers and their cargo for processing and transport to the Capitol.
The significance of this operation and surge of inbound aircraft demanded extreme flexibility and professionalism.
“These port dawgs were handling up to eight aircraft on the ground with an aircraft landing every 15 minutes. The demand exceeded our capacity, but we exceeded all expectations,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Melissa Thurman, commander of the 89th APS.
For the Port Dawgs of the 89th Airlift Wing, this operation showcased their willingness to get the mission done.
“It was overwhelming at first, but I felt a great sense of pride to play a role in such a historic and impactful operation. This was a total team effort and our team at Joint Base Andrews is second to none,” Williams said.
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 06.21.2021 12:34 |
| Story ID: | 399347 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 608 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, President’s Wing, Port Dawgs wrap up Operation Capitol Response support, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
