Photo By Tech. Sgt. Michelle Larche | Eigth Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron aerial port transporters strap down a Mine...... read more read more
Subscribe
As the United States' deployed missions take troops out of Iraq and into Afghanistan, often to newly established forward operating bases in areas too remote or too dangerous to be supplied via convoy operations, the demand for air support rapidly rises.
Few Airmen understand this better than those deployed to Southwest Asia's 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron.
"It's a multi-purpose aircraft and mission we have here," said Lt. Col. Randy Huiss, 816th EAS commander. "We support [Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, and Horn of Africa] missions, so along with moving Air Force people and supplies, we also get supplies and equipment to Soldiers and Marines in the field. Our C-17's deliver troops and all kinds of cargo — MRE's, water, heating oil, ammunition, building supplies, vehicles and whatever else is needed. We do air drop or air-land delivery on normal runways or semi-prepared airfields. Plus, we have an [aeromedical evacuation] role."
The squadron, currently manned primarily by the 14th Airlift Squadron out of Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., arrived here in late December.
In six weeks, the squadron has moved nearly 50 million pounds of cargo — more than 3 million pounds of it dropped from the air to 66 different drop zones — flown more than 2,800 hours, moved more than 16,000 passengers, nearly 7,000 pallets and more than 800 pieces of rolling stock — such as Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles and Humvees.
Colonel Huiss, who was previously deployed here last year at this time, said the shift in focus from OIF to OEF and the plus-up in troops has demanded the 816th perform at a considerably higher operations tempo than was previously required of them.
"Compared to this time last year, we have moved more than 20 percent more cargo into theater," he said. "Not only that, the air drop demand has grown exponentially, in that we have now air dropped more than three times the amount of supplies to our front-line troops in the same amount of time, and we've been making it happen with roughly the same number of personnel as in years past. Needless to say, it's been busy."
The constantly increasing demand for air drop often means maintaining a careful balance between supplying a rising number of warfighters and properly resting a fixed number of crews to safely fly. Achieving that balance is one of the squadron's most significant challenges.
"I'm really not worried about breaking records as far as cargo moved, air dropped, and everything else," said the colonel. "I don't want to break airplanes or people, so the goal is to safely execute all the missions we're tasked with. It's a pretty high ops tempo these guys are under and a lot of it is keeping a close eye on the crew's turn times."
"We try to inject a little extra time on the ground, when we can," he explained. "All the missions push 14- to 16-hour days. Crews get anywhere from 18 to 30 hours on the ground, from landing till next takeoff and that time on the ground includes going through customs and taking care of all of their gear. It's very hard to maintain that pace for 120 days."
The stress of a demanding mission moving cargo isn't all the crews are up against.
"We also do two kinds of aeromedical evacuation," said Tech. Sgt. Kevin Owens, 816th EAS loadmaster superintendent. "One is a planned evacuation, where we fly with the specific intent to move someone who's been hurt, or has developed a medical problem, from a medical facility where they're stabilized to a facility where they can get care to increase their survivability."
"We also have in-route evacuations, which happen while a crew is in flight...and there's someone with a critical health problem. Suddenly, we'll get a call saying, 'hey, you need to divert here, right now.'"
"The last guy I evacuated...had gotten hit by an IED blast," said the sergeant. "The only bones in his body that weren't fractured were his upper facial bones and his top teeth. Every other bone in his body was fractured."
This type of aeromedical evacuation entails considerations beyond merely taking swift action.
"You hate this kind of a mission because the guy's so banged up and also because if you don't do everything just right, he's not going to make it," Owens said.
"You've got to keep your head in the ballgame because, obviously, if you hurt an aircrew member or break the jet, the guy's not going to get there any faster.
"Once you get the patient loaded, you're worried about getting the conditions inside the aircraft set right," Owens explained. "We control pressurization, and some injuries are very pressure-sensitive. A lot of times there's an internal altitude restriction that can govern what the external altitude can be, so the flight might have to be low and very slow all the way. You need to keep everything in mind."
Regardless of the long hours and the added pressures involved in transporting critical-care patients, Owens said being a loadmaster is a rewarding job he is proud to do.
"As a loadmaster there are many opportunities to see direct impact," he said. "Humanitarian airlift, aeromedical evacuation, resupply air drop and international aid deliveries are just a few examples of the times when you know that if you don't get there, people are going to suffer.
"I'm proud to be part of the two percent of the enlisted force in flying positions," said Owens. "For my job to be successful, 49 guys on the ground are giving it their all — alongside the Airmen from fuels, aerial port and maintenance, who make the planes fly."
The squadron, as a whole, is dedicated to giving its all for the benefit and well-being of fellow servicemembers.
"They all do a great job supporting the warfighter," the colonel said. "Out here, every mission we do is in direct support of the warfighter — from air, land or — no kidding — dropping food, water and heating oil to the guys out in remote FOB's in Afghanistan.
"We're never hurting for business," Huiss added. "There's no getting enough airlift — they always want more. We'll give them everything we have."
| Date Taken: | 02.27.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 02.27.2010 04:29 |
| Story ID: | 45921 |
| Location: | (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION) |
| Web Views: | 375 |
| Downloads: | 333 |
This work, Airlift squadron provides safe transport of supplies, people and equipment, by MSgt Kelly White, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
