An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Mobility Airman profile: Joint Base MDL lieutenant manages aerial port ops at Southwest Asia outpost

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  At any deployed base, air transportation, or aerial port Airmen are busy moving cargo and personnel to meet mission requirements. For 1st Lt. Jennifer Palko, she has an integral part in working with aerial porters in managing that mission for the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia.

Lieutenant Palko is the officer in charge of passenger services with the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron. She is deployed from the 305th Aerial Port Squadron, 305th Air Mobility Wing, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.

In her deployed job, Lieutenant Palko "oversees the sign-up, selection, manifesting, briefing, busing and baggage pallets for more than 500 passengers daily" at her deployed base, a news report from the 386th AEW Public Affairs shows. She also oversees the utilization and seat coordination with joint partnerships.

In supporting her deployed wing's mission, she supports aerial port operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility for operations New Dawn, Operation Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. Overall in the U.S. Central Command AOR, Airmen like Lieutenant Palko helped move nearly 1.3 million passengers from Jan. 1 through Nov. 30, 2010, Air Forces Central statistics show.

The 386th AEW 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 wing's Web site shows. The wing includes approximately 2,400 active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Airmen.

At her home station with the 305th AMW, Lieutenant Palko supports a mission that "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, the joint base Web site shows. Additionally, the wing operates two of America's largest strategic aerial ports supporting the delivery of cargo and personnel to combatant commanders abroad.