Air Force’s Only Line Haul Unit Hits the Road in Support of OIF, New Dawn

Photo By Natalie Cole | A senior noncommissioned officer with the 387th ELRS sees off a convoy headed for Iraq Sept. 3. The combat truckers transport supplies and equipment back and forth between Kuwait and Iraq, a mission known as line haul.  

CAMP ARIFJAN, KUWAIT

09.06.2010

Story by Natalie Cole 

1st Theater Sustainment Command

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - Jets, planes, pilots, blue sky. These are all images people associate with the Air Force. Yet, Airmen with the 387th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait break the mold.

The more than 300 vehicle operators and mechanics with the 387th make up the only ground transportation unit in the Air Force. Since 2004, the combat truckers have been transporting supplies and equipment back and forth between Iraq and Kuwait, a mission known as line haul. The combat truckers drive 915's, which are over-sized tan tractor trailers with waist-high tires and roaring engines.

The 387th truckers supply troops in forward operating areas, and they have played an important role in getting equipment out of Iraq as part of the drawdown. Second Lt. Erica Coker, a logistics readiness officer with the 387th, explained the nature of the line haul mission. “It’s very unique for our Airmen. Typically, we do not go outside of the wire when we’re deployed. There’s very select career fields in the Air Force that even allow for that, so it’s a little different for us,” she said.

The 387th is made up of two truck detachments, the 424th Centurions and the 70th Scorpions. Airmen with the two detachments have taken pride in hauling the moving parts and supplies that support Operation Iraqi Freedom and now Operation New Dawn. “I love this mission. You really feel like you accomplish something when you’re done,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Steven Adams, from Dover, Del.

In past convoys, the truckers have encountered improvised explosive devices and explosive force projectiles. To stay effective in the face of danger, the 387th approaches its mission with attention to detail and vigilance. Before heading out for each convoy, the truckers gather for a final review of the plans and safety procedures for their trip. Also, the drivers look over their 915's, checking air in the tires, fluid levels and lights. All of the procedures are second nature to the truckers, Coker said. “They’re really good at what they do. We train them very well before they even get here to do what they do,” she explained.

Airman 1st Class Chris Grant, from Raleigh, N.C., drove his first line-haul mission with the 387th Sept. 1. “I’m anxious and ready to get out there,” said the 20-year-old. Newer truckers such as Grant work alongside more experienced truckers such as Senior Airman John Bicknell, from Tulsa, Okla. Bicknell has been a vehicle operator in the Air Force for nearly eight years. He has deployed four times, with two deployments to Kuwait in support of the line haul mission. “Every time I come, there’s something new to learn,” he said, adding that he likes working with the different people and equipment he encounters in his travels.

The Air Force truckers work alongside Army transportation Soldiers with the Joint Logistics Task Force Seven, under the 1st Sustainment Brigade. Coker said the joint-service environment requires adjustments, including “getting used to the Army side of stuff: The equipment, the requirements, the rules that we have to [follow] to be able to do this mission,” she said. The collaboration between services has also allowed for some information sharing, Coker said. “Often times, the Army even comes to us for ideas [asking] ‘How do you guys do this’ [and] ‘Hey we can look at doing it that way as well,’” she said.

Last month, the combat truckers 387th carried 65 percent of the convoy missions for the Joint Logistics Task Force Seven, according to Coker. As they maintain the pace and volume of the line haul mission, the combat truckers measure their success in terms of each others’ safety. “The most important thing is when you cross over and you come back into Kuwait and nobody’s been hurt or injured,” Adams said.

• Date Taken: 09.06.2010
• Date Posted: 09.06.2010 03:46
• Story ID: 55773
• Location: CAMP ARIFJAN, KW