Pope NCO supports air transportation ops at Afghanistan base

Published Oct. 15, 2010
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Staff Sgt. Octavia Swinson is an air transportation craftsman assigned to the 451st Aerial Port Flight, 451st Air Expeditionary Wing, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.

Sergeant Swinson is deployed from the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, 43rd Airlift Wing, at Pope Air Force Base, N.C. The 43rd Airlift Wing was reactivated at Pope AFB, N.C., on April 1, 1997, and is part of the 18th Air Force and Air Mobility Command at Scott AFB, according to the 43rd AW Air Force fact sheet. The wing is capable of deploying a "self-sustaining, warfighting package anywhere in the world at a moment's notice, to form our nation's premiere forced entry capability with the United States Army."

As an aerial porter, Sergeant Swinson is someone who can move cargo, passengers, or both on a moment's notice. Sergeant Swinson'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 deployed to the 451st APF, including Sergeant Swinson, 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 Sergeant Swinson supplement policies and direct supervisory personnel to provide cargo and passenger loading and unloading services. She 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 Swinson is also trained to verify eligibility of cargo and mail offered for airlift and to review passenger travel authorizations for validity and accuracy. She also ensures all cargo documentation, packaging, labeling and marking requirements, and all border clearance requirements have been met. She 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 Swinson 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 the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing Web site, the wing provides a "persistent and powerful airpower presence" in the Afghanistan area of operations. 451st AEW Airmen provide "world-class tactical airlift, close air support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, command and control, airborne datalink, combat search and rescue, casualty evacuation and aeromedical evacuation capabilities whenever and wherever needed."