Mobility Airman profile: Joint Base MDL technical sergeant leads aerial port support at Iraq base

Published March 3, 2011
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- At Sather Air Base, located near Iraq's largest city of Baghdad, deployed air transportation Airmen are in the heart of support for Operation New Dawn. Among those Airmen is air transportation craftsman Tech. Sgt. Jerry McPherson.

Sergeant McPherson is deployed with the 447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Air Tactical Operations Center. The 447th ELRS is part of the 447th Air Expeditionary Group at Sather AB which "operates the busiest aerial port within the Iraq area of operations," according to a news report from the 321st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.

"The airfield handles nearly 80 movements of rotary and fixed-wing aircraft daily and more than 9,000 movements in the last six months," the news report stated.

Sergeant McPherson is deployed from the 305th Aerial Port Squadron, 305th Air Mobility Wing, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. As an air transportation Airman, or aerial porter, Sergeant McPherson is doing exactly what he's been trained to do.

Air transportation Airmen like Sergeant McPherson are trained to be able to move cargo, passengers, or both on a moment's notice. Each air transportation Airman deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, including Sergeant McPherson, also 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.

Sergeant McPherson's deployed unit also 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.

In directing air transportation activities, aerial porters like Sergeant McPherson 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.

Sergeant McPherson 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 Sergeant McPherson can check in passengers and process, schedule, transport and escort passengers to and from aircraft. They also 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.

The 447th AEG ensures the expeditions movement of personnel, equipment and materials for U.S. and coalition forces throughout the USCENTCOM area of responsibility in support of Operation New Dawn, according to the 321st AEW Web site. "With support from the 321st AEW, the 447th AEG helps advise and assist the Iraqi Air Force in developing a credible regional airpower partner."

At his home station with the 305th APS and the 305th AMW, Sergeant McPherson supports a wing with a motto of "can do." The 305th AMW "extends America's global reach by generating, mobilizing and deploying 32 KC-10 and 13 C-17 aircraft to conduct strategic airlift and air refueling missions worldwide," according to the Joint Base MDL Web site. Additionally, the "wing operates two of America's largest strategic aerial ports supporting the delivery of cargo and personnel to combatant commanders abroad."