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AMC CRE increases, sustains airlift flow at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan

  • Published
  • By Roger Drinnon
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill --  AMC 615th Contingency Response Element Airmen recently deployed to Camp Bastion in Southern Afghanistan to increase airfield operations in direct support of U.S. Marines during the U.S. troop increase called for by President Obama to target the insurgency and secure key population centers.

"The 615th CRE brings a very robust capability to the fight while logistically supporting our joint and coalition brothers and sisters," said Maj. Sang Kim, 615th CRE commander. "We are truly 'all in' and will do whatever it takes to bring stability to the southern region of Afghanistan."

He said communication between the Marines and CRE members was vital to ensuring overall mission success.

"The CRE provided me an avenue to voice any issues and to ensure aircrews received the best possible air traffic controller services," said Marine Staff Sgt. Ricardas McQueen, Marine air traffic control tower liaison at Camp Bastion.

Major Kim said his team's close coordination with the Marines accelerated the delivery of critical troops, supplies and armored vehicles, despite limited cargo space at Camp Bastion.

"Our job was to boost the velocity and throughput of cargo and personnel into this location," said Major Kim. "We did this first by maximizing the use of existing aircraft ramp space, then by augmenting the existing airfield personnel to help minimize the time aircraft - mostly C-17s and some contracted DC-8 and IL-76 aircraft - spend on the ground. This allows more aircraft arrivals."

Major Kim said the CRE's aerial porters would pre-position on the ramp to rapidly offload cargo from arriving aircraft, then would quickly load the cargo onto material handling vehicles and rush the critical supplies to the cargo yard at the airfield for pick-up by the Marines.

"As my first real-world deployment, you see how the CRE is close-knit," said Airman 1st Class Christopher LeQuire, CRE aerial porter. "Showcasing our capabilities and seeing the immediate impact of our operations gives you a sense of pride."

Airman LeQuire said the teamwork inherent in the CRE not only instills a sense of prestige but also instills a sense of duty for being a member of one of the Air Force's premier expeditionary units.

The CRE made other improvements to the base - the team's civil engineers laid down an aluminum helicopter landing pad, which reduces dust and debris during Aeromedical Evacuations of wounded service members who transit Camp Bastion aboard U.S. Air Force helicopters.

Team members also provide more airfield security. The CRE not only brought additional security forces to Bastion, but also intelligence officers who continuously evaluate potential enemy threats and up-channel threat assessments to higher headquarters.

U.S. Transportation Command (USTC) requested the team to accelerate the movement of troops and equipment needed by U.S. Forces-Afghanistan and the International Security Assistance Force commander. With only two days' notice, the 49-member CRE deployed from Travis AFB, Calif., last month, and upon arrival at Camp Bastion, immediately worked to increase airfield airlift flow by 30 percent while reducing C-17 aircraft ground time by 50 percent.

Lately, the cargo delivered to Camp Bastion has included Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected All Terrain Vehicles, or M-ATVs, which protect coalition forces from IEDs and other attacks by insurgents. As of mid-February, more than 870 M-ATVs have been airlifted via U.S. military and commercially-contracted aircraft to Afghanistan - about 500 since January.

The 615th CRE is comprised of specialists spanning the gamut of airfield operations, including command and control, airfield management, aerial porters, aircraft and vehicle maintenance, airfield security, communications systems, loadmasters, intelligence officers, and flightline ramp coordinators. The CRE deployed as a team specifically tailored to boost operations at Camp Bastion based on needs identified in a Joint Assessment Team report compiled last fall.

The JAT included 621st CRW airlift planners, airfield operations specialists, civil engineers, security forces, and aerial porters deployed from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., as well as some AFCENT logistics specialists. The JAT identified the personnel and resources needed to project additional airpower in support of ground troops, including thousands of U.S. Marines who re-supply at Camp Bastion. The JAT report gave the CRE an advance glimpse of the airfield.

Prior to the CRE's arrival, airlift operations were being conducted by the Royal Air Force's 903rd Expeditionary Air Wing, assisted by U.S. Air Force aerial porters and the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. The RAF's 903rd EAW remains the senior airfield authority responsible for all airfield operations at Camp Bastion.

"The close coordination between the Royal Air Force and the U.S. Air Force CRE has been exceptional, which has safely increased operations while enhancing visibility on aircraft and airfield issues," said RAF Squadron Leader Danny Endruweit, 903rd EAW squadron leader of operations.

AMC CRE Airmen enable the command's global reach by employing rapidly-deployable, cross-functional teams to establish or expand airbases in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, supporting combatant commanders around the globe. The expertise CRE Airmen bring to the fight ensures additional airfield and airlift capability is available to move troops, supplies and equipment whenever and wherever needed.

Air mobility Airmen overall have transported more than 14 million passengers and more than 5 million tons of cargo in support of global operations since Sept. 11, 2001. To sustain Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM, AMC Airmen have moved nearly 10 million passengers and more than 4 million tons of cargo.

AMC CREs are subsets of Contingency Response Groups which in turn are subsets of the command's two CRWs. The 615th CRW at Travis and the 621st CRW at JBMDL typically support ground forces in places like Afghanistan by deploying scalable teams to bridge the gap between combat forces deploying to a new or expanding area and the follow-on combat forces.