Reserve aerial porter manages air transportation ops at Afghanistan base

Published Oct. 12, 2010
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Tech. Sgt. Robert Medlock is an air transportation craftsman, or aerial porter, deployed with the Aerial Port Squadron, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, at Bagram Airfield, 455th Expeditionary Afghanistan.

Sergeant Medlock is deployed from the 70th Aerial Port Squadron at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla.

As an aerial porter, Sergeant Medlock is someone who can move cargo, passengers, or both on a moment's notice.

Sergeant Medlock'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 455th EAPS, including Sergeant Medlock, 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 Medlock 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 Medlock 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 Medlock 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.

The 455th Air Expeditionary Wing is comprised of more than 5,000 Airmen, the wing's Web site reports. The wing consists of five groups -- the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group, 455th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, 455th Expeditionary Medical Group and the 755th Air Expeditionary Group. The wing's primary mission is "to provide aerial support for Coalition and International Security Assistance Forces on the ground."

Sergeant Medlock's service on deployment is consistent with the Air Force's history of a Total Force team -- active duty, Reserve and Air National Guard -- working together to complete the mission at home or while deployed, officials said. According to the Air Force Reserve Command Web site, the command provides the Air Force about 20 percent of its capability "with only about four percent of the total Air Force budget." Air Force Reserve Command supports space, flight test, special operations, aerial port operations, civil engineer, security forces, intelligence, military training, communications, mobility support, transportation and services missions. The command is also administratively responsible for all the Air Force's individual mobilization augmentees.