Photo By Pfc. Simeon Kang | Staff Sgt. Greg Rettig, a transportation specialist, Combined Joint Special Operations...... read more read more
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BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan— Sustainment elements such as the Movement Control Cell enable forces located in remote areas across the country to continue their mission.
The MCC, which is comprised of 11 personnel, coordinates fixed wing airlift efforts to expedite the airflow of roughly 2,000 passengers and 600 tons of cargo per month. It ensures the delivery of manpower and supplies on time through the effective use of high demand fixed wing assets ranging from C-130 variants to smaller and more agile Short Take Off and Landing aircraft.
The Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan currently operates across the country in over ninety different locations with up to 5,000 personnel to support, which makes the requirements to sustain operations extremely complex.
With the current role of Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan to build the capacity of the Afghan National Security Forces, while promoting governance and development in the remote districts and villages, units are required to establish a base of operations with a minimal footprint in very remote locations. This reduced footprint, coupled with the challenges of constant insurgent attacks and undeveloped roads, limits on hand storage capacity.
“In this environment, it’s extremely hard. If you take the terrain and the environmental conditions, lack of infrastructure and wished away the enemy threat, it is hard on the best day.
Having to do that every seven to 10 days with a determined enemy, there is no room for failure,” said Ragin.
Sustainment elements such as the Movement Control Cell enable forces located in remote areas across the country to continue their mission.
The MCC, which is comprised of 11 personnel, coordinates fixed wing airlift efforts to expedite the airflow of roughly 2,000 passengers and 600 tons of cargo per month. It ensures the delivery of manpower and supplies on time through the effective use of high demand fixed wing assets ranging from C-130 variants to smaller and more agile Short Take Off and Landing aircraft.
“Understanding the capabilities of the aircraft, factoring in what makes each airfield unique and working smarter can mitigate any limiting factors that otherwise may inhibit sustainment operations.” said Army Staff Sgt. Greg Rettig, Noncommissioned Officer in-Charge, Movement Control Cell, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan. “Every day we are responsible for finding a way to get soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and their equipment to the fight while ensuring that what and who we move is in line with the priorities set forth by the upper echelons.”
Due to the constant demand for equipment and personnel support, the MCC diligently works to ensure that all movement priorities are aligned with the operational priorities of the CJSOTF-A and its higher headquarters. Prioritizing requests involves constant communication and synchronization vertically and horizontally; as well as, a broad understanding of tactical operations. Knowing how all the pieces fit together and how operations are intended to progress allows the MCC to plan movement accordingly to achieve maximum effective.
Representatives from different branches of U.S. military service contribute to MCC operations. Air Force air transportation specialists develop load plans and inspect cargo to ensure its airworthiness. Army movement specialists produce manifests, track in and outbound missions, and share firsthand knowledge of the airfields and regions aircraft are destined for. Air Force logistics planners filter and prioritize movement requests, and coordinate with aircrew and mission planners to match capability with demand.
Air Force Tech Sgt. Stuart Link, an air transportation specialist, is responsible for inspecting all cargo. He also certifies the cargo dimensions to develop load plans and produces Hazardous Declaration paperwork when needed.
“When I go out and inspect all the cargo, which can include ammunition, explosives, fuel, and other dangerous materials, I do so to ensure the safety and security of the passengers, the aircrew and the civilians they are flying over,” said Link. “My responsibility to the guy on the ground is to make sure his equipment gets to where it needs be fully functional, ready for immediate use.”
Movement of any kind is always subject to change, requiring greater flexibility. Undoubtedly, logistics in Afghanistan is inherently complicated in a country roughly the size of Texas and previous to a U.S. presence, lacking anything resembling a modern transportation system. Coupled with security issues, adverse weather, and the limitations of outlying airfields, getting the right equipment and personnel to any location can be daunting.
“In this counterinsurgency environment in Afghanistan, you cannot survive if you cannot sustain yourself,” said Ragin.
“After we review and process every movement request for the entire area of operations, we rack and stack the requests and submit them the Combined Joint Special Operations Air Division [CJSOAD],” said Air Force Senior Airman Justine Wolff. “Once CJSOAD receives our priorities, we work with the mission planners, making sure that what we need moved gets picked up as soon as possible.”
As the summer fighting intensifies, the role airlift and logistical sustainment will play will become more prominent.
“Our ultimate success rate is … teams that are across the battlefield in every location, every one of them is eating chow, have bullets and they’re protecting themselves,” Army Maj. Erik Johnson, Support Logistics Officer, CJSOTF-A, said. “The success is determined daily. The ability to sustain operations is a measure of success.”
Robust logistical support is a prerequisite for success in Afghanistan. The MCC continues to demonstrate its value as a force multiplier by giving Special Operations Forces the advantage of unrestricted movement to meet the insurgency with the right amount of resources, at the right place, at the right time.
“The reality of it is, it’s going to take everyone working in concert, a unity of effort, to achieve mutual effects and supporting effects, and that’s really what we’re working toward,” said Ragin.
| Date Taken: | 06.19.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 06.25.2011 12:20 |
| Story ID: | 72728 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 308 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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