Joint Base Lewis-McChord aerial porter supports air transportation efforts in Afghanistan

Published Aug. 9, 2010
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Airman 1st Class Mark Gates is an air transportation journeyman with the 455th Expeditionary s Aerial Port Squadron deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

Airman Gates is deployed from Air Mobility Command's 62nd Aerial Port Squadron at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. As a deployed air transportation Airman, Airman Gates supports all aerial port operations for the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing.

Air transportation Airmen, or aerial porters, like Airman Gates 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 Airman Gates, 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.

Airman Gates ' 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.

In directing air transportation activities, aerial porters like Airman Gates 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.

Airman Gates 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 Airman Gates 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 62nd APS is part of the 62nd Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.