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Loadmasters bring it on (and off)

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. David Dobrydney
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  When you are a pilot flying a C-130 Hercules over potentially hostile territory, the last thing you need to worry about is whether your cargo is secure.

That's why each sortie the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron flies includes two loadmasters.

Loadmasters are responsible for checking all the systems in the rear of the aircraft and overseeing the loading of the cargo.

For example, said Staff Sgt. Vincent Telmanik, 774th EAS loadmaster, "if we're doing rolling stock, we're making sure it doesn't hit the aircraft at all and the vehicle is centered in the aircraft so we can tie it down properly."

On a recent mission, Telmanik was joined by Airman 1st Class Michael Brown.

Telmanik has twelve deployments behind him, while Brown is on his first and relishes the chance to work with an experienced wingman and learn.

"I'm really starting to get the hang of things ... out here we're flying every other day, so whatever I [might have done] wrong the day before, I won't do it again the next," Brown said.

The mission began with loading a tractor truck onto a C-130 Hercules. After pre-flight checks, the loadmasters guided the truck onto the aircraft and secured it with multiple chains. Once the load is secured, it is up to the loadmasters to make sure it stays that way.

"Upon takeoff, we'll be looking back at the cargo until we get off the ground, making sure none of the chains break or pop out," Brown said, "if they do, we let the pilots know... and we taxi back."

The 774th EAS pilots said the working relationship between them and their loadmasters is a unique one.

"There's a lot of trust that we put in our loadmasters," said Capt. Kenneth Pedersen, 774th EAS aircraft commander. "They're pretty autonomous ... making sure the cargo is secure and loaded correctly."

Pedersen added that having cargo loaded correctly could mean the difference between the aircraft taking off on schedule or not, a thought echoed by 1st Lt. Justin Pedone, 774th EAS pilot.

"Good loadmasters keep us on time and get our mission done."