Photo By Tech. Sgt. Kaleb Mayfield | Staff Sgt. Ricky Parrish, 4 Logistics Readiness Squadron air transportation function...... read more read more
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Working in the heat of the August North Carolina sun, airmen moved palletized equipment from the hot tarmac into the back of a C-17 Globemaster. Each pallet was carefully and efficiently packed, their locations on the aircraft already determined to ensure the weight is evenly distributed. Every tiedown was expertly calculated to compensate for the varying changes in G-force throughout the aircraft’s flight and to the final descent back to the ground when the rubber of the wheels finally return to the ground.
Movements like these are only made possible through the work of the Air Transportation Specialists, known colloquially as Port Dawgs or by their Air Force Specialty Code, 2T2s.
“We have a dual role here at Seymour Johnson; our primary role is to prepare and support the installation to self-deploy. We do that by providing deployment training, palette buildup classes, HAZMAT certification classes, the type of training to assist the units and assist the wing in preparing their cargo for a mass deployment,” said Tech. Sgt. Iree Edwards, 4 Logistics Readiness Squadron air transportation function supervisor. “On the flip side of that, we also have a small passenger and cargo function here, so we're not manned or equipped to deal with heavy airflow.”
Currently, Seymour Johnson has taken on part of Pope Airfield’s mission since their runway is under construction. This assistance has drastically increased the demand on the Port Dawgs.
“Since taking the workload that we've taken on, it's start to finish, something you would normally see in a larger APS, or aerial port squadron,” said Tech. Sgt. Kevin Bolton, 4 LRS air transportation function supervisor. “We do it all here from step one, all the way to when it gets on the aircraft and leaves. When we're notified that a unit is trying to move, we will basically walk them through every step on all their paperwork, all the things that are needed before they bring their cargo.”
Typically, Seymour Johnson supports a few missions each month, with last year’s total cargo tonnage moved totaling just shy of 1.9 million pounds. Since taking on the increased workload in June, the team has already moved over a million pounds of cargo.
“Since we started assisting Pope, we have worked 21 missions,” said Edwards. “It's been a heavy increase. Some of those missions have had a large amount of cargo and some had a larger amount of passengers.”
Movements of this level are no small task and typically accomplished with a much more substantial team.
“We are part of the air transportation function. An ATF is what you will normally find in an LRS,” said Edwards. “Outside of an LRS, we would belong to an aerial port squadron or an air mobility squadron, which have a whole bunch more people, hundreds of people, versus our ten 2T2s that we have here at Seymour Johnson.”
Every consideration has to be made when loading cargo to prevent an accident in the air. To ensure the cargo is airworthy, the team must safely load hazards as well as account for the dimensions and weight of the cargo in conjunction with the capabilities of the aircraft being loaded.
“There's also [Air Transportability Test Loading Activity] cert letters that show all of the equipment has been tested on military aircraft and things like that,” said Bolton. “It's basically a guide on how to load it, tie it down, all that kind of stuff.”
To accomplish the mission, the ATF gets help from around base as well as support from members stationed at Pope.
“Whenever we have mass movements go out, like when the wing does deploy, we have augmentees and they assist us by beefing up our numbers a little bit in terms of getting passengers out, building pallets, stuff like that,” said Edwards. “Currently we have five personnel from Pope. They are here as a kind of training but they are here to assist us with these missions. They've been a huge help.”
Handling tasks of this magnitude starts with coordination from units across the base, from securing vehicles for moving passengers and baggage to safely transporting and storing hazardous cargo.
“I would say, 90% of what we do is communication with other entities around the base,” said Bolton. “If we have cargo that has ammunition and things like that, we have to store it over at munitions, that way we can inspect it all in one spot and munitions works very well with us.”
The 4 LRS Port Dawgs manage every piece of cargo and every passenger traveling to or from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
“We stand between the cargo moving from the user and getting to where it needs to go,” said Edwards. “It doesn't get loaded on aircraft without us. It doesn't get downloaded from aircraft without us.”
With all of these duties in consideration, it’s not a stretch to say that without the expertise of air transportation specialists, the United States Air Force would not be able to accomplish its mission.
| Date Taken: | 08.11.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.17.2021 14:38 |
| Story ID: | 405521 |
| Location: | SEYMOUR JOHNSON AFB, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 177 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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