Pacific aerial porters

MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. – Senior Airman Andrew Cramer, 732th Air Mobility Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska (close), and Staff Sgt. Clifton Robertson, 735th Air Mobility Squadron, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, off-load 60,000 tons of cargo from the flightline here during the Air Mobility Rodeo 2009 July 20. The Rodeo takes place here July 19-25. Both Airmen are part of the 515th Air Mobility Operatons Wing team from Hickam AFB, which will compete against 22 other aerial port teams. Events include C-130 engine running on and off load, joint inspection with hazmat, in-transit visibility, 60,000-ton driving course, and a 10,000-ton forklift driving course. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Carolyn Viss)

Pacific aerial porters

MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. – (From left to right): Staff Sgt. Travis Wilt, 733rd Air Mobility Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan; Senior Airman Andrew Cramer, 732th Air Mobility Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; and Staff Sgt. Dustin Barboza, 734th Air Mobility Squadron, Andersen Air Base, Guam, direct Senior Airman Baltazar Valdez as he drives a 60,000-ton on/offload vehicle on the flightline here July 20. A team of eight aerial porters from around the Pacific teamed up for training at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, before the Air Mobility Rodeo 2009, July 19-25, at McChord AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Carolyn Viss)

Pacific aerial porters

MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. – Senior Airman Andrew Cramer directs Senior Airman Baltazar Valdez as he drives a 60,000-ton on/offload vehicle on the flightline here July 20. Airman Cramer is from the 732th Air Mobility Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, and Airman Valdez is from the 731st Air Mobility Squadron, Osan Air Base, Korea. They and four other aerial porters from around the Pacific joined Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, aerial porters Tech. Sgt. Dwayne Johnson and Staff Sgt. Clifton Robertson, 735th Air Mobility Squadron, to train as a team for the Air Mobility Rodeo 2009, July 19-25. Aerial porters are timed and graded on their ability to operate and on/offload cargo using the 60-tunner and a 10,000-ton forklift. Later, they will join the 15th Airlift Wing members for an Engines Running On/Offload event, known as an ERO. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Carolyn Viss)

Pacific aerial porters

MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. – Staff Sgt. Clifton Robertson, 735th Air Mobility Squadron, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, directs Senior Airman Andrew Cramer, 732th Air Mobility Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, as he drives a 10,000-ton forklift through a serpentine course on the flightline in front of an inspector during the Air Mobility Rodeo 2009 here July 20. Both Airmen are part of the 515th Air Mobility Operatons Wing team from Hickam AFB, which will compete against 22 other aerial port teams. Events include C-130 engine running on and off load, joint inspection with hazmat, in-transit visibility, 60,000-ton driving course, and a 10,000-ton forklift driving course. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Carolyn Viss)

RODEO 2009: Ground crews emulate safest standards

Published July 21, 2009
By Tech. Sgt. Steve Wilkins
RODEO 2009 Public Affairs

MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- An aerial port team competing here performed in front of a surprise visitor July 20 during the Tunner 60,000-pound Loader Obstacle Course as part of Air Mobility RODEO 2009 events.

Retired Col. Gail Halverson, also known as the "Candy Bomber" from the Berlin Airlift of 1947, observed the Ohio Air Force Reserve and Wyoming Air National Guard maneuver through the strategically-placed traffic cones of an obstacle course, challenging their wit, patience and skill.

RODEO competition focuses on the flight and ground skills of aircrews, security forces experts, aerial porters and aeromedical personnel, and maintenance team members. It provides a forum for Airmen and their international counterparts to share the best of tactics, techniques and procedures across the mobility air forces. Aircrews from seven visiting nations are also participating.

"They're really goin' at it out there," said Col. Halverson, also a World War II veteran.

Over the next three days aerial port crews from 24 air wings comprised of a driver with a single spotter maneuvering through their course with the agile vehicle carrying a pitcher of water perched on a saw horse will compete in the 10K Forklift competition.

Twenty-one air wings sporting a driver and four spotters will vie for honors in the 60K Tunner Loader obstacle course trials, an extensive obstacle course lasting between eight and 30 minutes to complete today.

These forms of material handling equipment are the primary platform for loading and unloading all DoD general and special airlift cargo.

"When conducting a mission you want to have people who deftly operate equipment and vehicles safely," said Col. Keith Moncrief, chief of Air Mobility Command's Air Transportation Division at Scott AFB responsible for the competition. "The toughest thing during an airlift is to prepare for an air shipment [because the stress and tension of load fastenings] leaves less room for error than even on a boat."

"This is a scenario that allows us to look at safety first," said Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Moon, an aerial port chief at Yokota Air Base, Japan, serving as chief umpire for the loader competition.

Chief Moon said some crews will outperform other faster crews because their attention to detail and safety make the difference. In addition to driving through the course, crews must accomplish a safety brief, make sure the vehicle is loaded properly and follow guidelines for safe operation and direction.

Colonel Moncrief said there is also an aspect of in-transit visibility as every aspect of air transportation is inspected here, including asset reporting.
"It really mirrors the conditions you have in the field, in terms of operation and thinking about how to get things done," said Tech. Sgt. Anthony Munoz, 60K team chief for the 30th Airlift Squadron, an active duty associate of the 153rd Airlift Wing out of Cheyenne, Wyo.

Although the 153rd doesn't have a 60K on base, their command thought it would be a good idea if they were prepared should they ever need to operate one on a deployment. In fact, part of the reason Sergeant Munoz is at the lead for them is because he was deployed to Qatar, where he learned to operate the vehicle in the desert heat.

"We made the best with what we had," Sergeant Munoz said, emphazing the experience in learning to work under time constraints, vying for excellence of operation while making safe decisions is worth the effort. "Mistakes cost the Air Force money in vehicle or equipment repair, or in the healing of an Airman."

The judges were straightforward in their evaluations and tried to help them before and after their performance with constructive guidance, he added.

"It's like a horse jumping competition," said Brig. Gen. Lyn Sherlock, Director, Regional Affairs, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. "If you don't make that turn just right, the horse may not complete the next jump for you."

RODEO is a biannual event, it's the mobility air force's premier opportunity to share best practices among American and international Airmen.