Dover's airlift team delivers the goods

Published Nov. 16, 2011
By Airman 1st Class Samuel Taylor
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- When it comes to delivering, Dover Air Force Base, Del., has set the bar high. They routinely load millions of pounds of cargo annually, which is then transported to all corners of the earth.

From bullets, beans, and troops down range, to humanitarian relief to countries suffering from disasters -- ramp services technicians and loadmasters are integral parts of an airlift team, which enables Team Dover's flyers to deliver hope to those in need of their precious cargo.

"The cargo that is processed through the 'Super Port' and transported downrange sustains the war fighter, and supports those in need of our assistance," said Senior Airman Ryan Larsen, ramp services load team chief with the 436th Aerial Port Squadron.

From tanks and helicopters to giant squids and satellites, no cargo is too cumbersome for the airlift team at Dover AFB. When met by disaster, such as Hurricane Irene, Dover AFB can load and unload 1.2 million pounds of cargo in three days; more cargo than most bases process in a month.

"The amount of cargo and the number of missions is beyond comparison to other aerial ports," said Master Sgt. Patrick Voyce, the NCO in charge of the 436th APS ramp services shop. "The professionalism and mission focus of our Airmen and NCOs is phenomenal."

As for the mission, proper planning and systematic execution is essential to mission success. Each loading operation originates from the air terminal operations center in the command post. ATOC sends orders to the 436th APS load planning shop to create a load-sequence-breakdown sheet for the ramp services shop.

Once the load sequence breakdown sheet reaches the dispatcher at ramp services, he radios down to the dock team and has them get the cargo ready on 60,000 ton loaders, or attached to tow vehicles, said Senior Airman Adelbert Brown, a ramp specialist with the 436th APS ramp services shop. Sometimes the cargo is especially dangerous, explosive even.

"We are very careful and vigilant when handling explosive materials," said Brown. "We are trained specifically for anything volatile being loaded on the plane."

The 60K loaders and tow vehicles are operated by one of the two load teams. They are driven out to different air frames including the C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III, and civilian aircraft such as the Boeing 747. To completely upload or unload most aircraft takes ramp services only a couple of hours.

"Each plane has its own center of balance," said Brown. "We have to execute the load plan so the exact weight and position of each item we place on the aircraft can maximize its performance."

Once the load is secured into the cargo bays of Dover AFB's mighty cargo planes, the responsibility of delivering then falls on the loadmasters, engineers and pilots to transport the goods to their destination - a feat executed numerous times daily.

"Loadmasters are responsible for making sure cargo gets into planes safely and is strapped down correctly. The flight can manipulate the cargo, so a floor map, which documents the location of cargo and the plane's center of gravity, is needed to ensure stability during flight. Though the planes are forgiving, we have no room for error when it comes to strapping down cargo. It's like balancing a pencil on your finger," said Airman 1st Class Colby Wentland, a loadmaster with the 9th Airlift Squadron. "Each job is unique - every job is fun."

Through the combined effort of the airlift team, Dover AFB's cargo is recognized as the lifeblood of combat operations and humanitarian relief efforts on a global scale.