Mobility Airman profile: Travis Airman supports aerial port ops at Southwest Asia base

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

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Senior Airman Eugene Lineham may be thousands of miles away from his home unit - the 60th Aerial Port Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. -- but he continues to manage air transportation efforts for the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia.

Airman Lineham, an air transportation journeyman, or aerial porter, with the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, supports aerial port operations from his deployed location in support of operations New Dawn, Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

As an aerial porter, Airman Lineham is someone who can move cargo, passengers, or both on a moment's notice. Each air transportation Airman deployed to the 386th ELRS, including Airman Lineham, 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 Lineham 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.

Aerial porters like Airman Lineham can also check in passengers as well as 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.

Airman Lineham 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.

Airman Lineham'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.

The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing is the primary tactical airlift hub for re-supply missions supporting coalition operations in Iraq and provides combat service support to land component forces throughout the Persian Gulf Region and Iraq, the 386th AEW Web site shows. The wing is comprised of the 386th Expeditionary Operations Group, 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, 386th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, and 387th Air Expeditionary Group and includes approximately 2,400 active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Airmen.

At his home station with the 60th APS, as part of Air Mobility Command's 60th Air Mobility Wing, Airman Lineham supports a mission that "is responsible for strategic airlift and air refueling missions circling the globe," according to the Travis AFB Web site. The 60th AMW's primary roles are "to provide rapid, reliable airlift of American fighting forces anywhere on earth in support of national objectives and to extend the reach of American and allied air power through mid-air refueling. Wing activity is primarily focused in the Pacific and Indian Ocean area, including Alaska and Antarctica."