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JB Andrews Airman supports air transportation efforts in Southwest Asia

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  In the 380th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's Air Terminal Operations Center, Senior Airman Anita Diaz is one of 12 Airmen responsible for a myriad of air transportation responsibilities for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at a non-disclosed base here.

Airman Diaz is an air transportation journeyman, or aerial porter, deployed from the 89th Aerial Port Squadron at Joint Base Andrews, Md. As an aerial porter, Airman Diaz is someone who can move cargo, passengers, or both on a moment's notice.

Each air transportation Airman deployed to the ATOC, including Airman Diaz, 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 Diaz 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.

Airman Diaz 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 Airman Diaz 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 Merced, Calif., native has been in the Air Force for more than five years. She said she likes her job and is glad to be serving her country.

"I like being in the military because I get to serve my country and meet a lot of really interesting people," Airman Diaz said. "My job is pretty cool because I get to meet tons of people and see a lot of interesting things that come off of planes too."

Airman Misko'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.

"Our impact on the deployed mission here is what keeps everything moving," Airman Diaz said.

The 380th ELRS is a sub-unit of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The wing is home to the KC-10 Extender, U-2 Dragonlady E-3 Sentry and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft. The wing is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, air battle management, surveillance, and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia. The 380th AEW supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.