Mobility Airman profile: Pope Field Airman supports air transportation operations at Iraq base

Published April 27, 2011
By Air Forces Central and
sources

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- Airman 1st Class James Simpson is an air transportation journeyman deployed with the 532nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron air mobility flight here.

Airman Simpson is deployed from the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron at Pope Field, N.C. His hometown is El Dorado, Ark.

As part of Air Mobility Command's 43rd Airlift Group at Pope Field, the 3rd APS' primary mission is to "operate a fixed tactical air terminal facility supporting air-land and aerial delivery of personnel and equipment," according to the Pope Field Web site. The squadron supports training, exercise and contingency operations of co-located Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command and Army airborne forces.

The "3rd APS maintains a flexible air terminal force capable of worldwide follow-on deployment," the Web site also states.

As an air transportation Airman, or aerial porter, Airman Simpson is someone who can move cargo, passengers, or both on a moment's notice.

Airman Simpson's deployed unit ensures the safe and efficient upload and download of cargo and personnel on all organic and contracted aircraft to the base. To do the heavy lifting, they use specific material handling equipment such as forklifts capable of lifting upwards of 10,000 pounds of cargo and aircraft cargo loaders which are capable of holding pallets and cargo weighing up to 25,000 and 60,000 pounds. The loaders, when filled with cargo, are driven out to the aircraft, the deck is raised hydraulically, and powered rollers on the loader push the cargo on board the plane.

Each air transportation Airman who is deployed, including Airman Simpson, has to maintain a myriad of skills and job knowledge. According to the official Air Force job description for the air transportation career field, they must maintain mandatory job knowledge in passenger and cargo movement functions to include transport aircraft types, capabilities, and configuration. They must also know weight and balance factors, airlift transportation directives and documentation, cargo securing techniques, border clearance requirements, operation of materials handling and other types of loading equipment or devices, fleet service functions.

In directing air transportation activities, aerial porters like Airman Simpson supplement policies and direct supervisory personnel to provide cargo and passenger loading and unloading services. He is trained to establish procedures for passenger and aircraft clearance through international border clearance agencies and to inspect airlift activities for compliance with directives, the job description states.

Airman Simpson is also trained to verify eligibility of cargo and mail offered for airlift and to review passenger travel authorizations for validity and accuracy. He also ensures all cargo documentation, packaging, labeling and marking requirements, and all border clearance requirements have been met. He provides information on schedules, routes, air movement requirements, baggage limitations and local facilities for passengers and requisitions, stores and issues expendable and nonexpendable items for use on aircraft.

Aerial porters like Airman Simpson can check in passengers and process, schedule, transport and escort passengers to and from aircraft. They determine quantity and type of cargo to be loaded according to allowable aircraft cabin load and they check cargo against manifests, and annotate overage, shortage or damage.

According to an April 2011 news report that appeared on Air Forces Central News, the 532nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron air mobility flight "moves about 180,000 pounds of cargo a week, ranging from spare parts to building materials."

(Staff Sgt. R. Michael Longoria, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq Public Affairs, and Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol, Air Mobility Command Public Affairs, contributed to this feature report.)