ATOC keeps mission movin'

Published June 26, 2012
By Master Sgt. Scott MacKay
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- If you're a deployed air terminal operations center, how do you move 3,063 tons of cargo, 3,858 passengers with 172 tons of baggage, and support a real-world exercise, during a two-month surge with only a 12-Airman crew?

It starts with great leadership and training, as well as a well-versed crew with a can-do attitude, knowledgeable in all facets of ATOC operations, said Tech. Sgt. Mark Taylor, 380th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron ATOC supervisor.

A little luck doesn't hurt.

The luck part of the equation came in the form of a slow build-up in the two months before the "storm" that was March and April, which allowed time for everyone to get spun-up on operations at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Taylor said.

The rest of the equation came down to plain old hard work. Staffed for normal mission operations, they rose to meet the challenge of the increased workload.

"We would hit the flightline at 10 a.m. and not return until 12:30 a.m.," said Taylor, who is a native of North Anson, Maine. Energy bars and water were staples, he said.

It was a marathon pace.

"The work didn't end; we spent all day working and there was still more to do at turnover," said Senior Airman Zachary Burson, who is on his first deployment from Joint Base Andrews, Md.
In one shift alone, a five-man crew moved 900 passengers and 100 short tons of cargo.

"That's a day at Ramstein (Air Base, Germany), and they have 380 people," said Taylor, who is also deployed from Joint Base Andrews.

Along with the grueling pace and limited manning, other challenges arose, such as a lack of vehicles. Any time a vehicle went down, an already difficult mission got that much tougher, but the unit pushed through.

"Everyone here has to be 100 percent on their game," said Burson, a Florence, Ariz., native."We do the best we can with what we have."

Through the two-month period, they set wing records for passengers, tons of cargo and tons of baggage moved. Their biggest reward was a job well done.

For Taylor, that meant knowing the ATOC supported the wing's unique mission, which included the 19-country and joint service Eager Lion exercise. For Burson, it was knowing the unit was not only successful, but did so with no accidents and was 99 percent on time.

They accomplished all this while still providing their primary mission of direct support to deterrence.

"The flying mission, parts, supplies and passengers comes through us," said Taylor. "I couldn't ask for a better group of individuals."