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.

JB Andrews Airman supports deployed aerial port ops

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  In his hometown of Robins, Iowa -- located in Linn County on the central-eastern part of the state, there are less than 2,000 people. But for Senior Airman Nicholas Worrell, every day as an aerial porter he alone can move more than 2,000 pounds of cargo supporting the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing's deployed mission.

Airman Worrell is an air transportation journeyman, or aerial porter, with the 380th Expedtionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's Air Terminal Operations Center at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia. He is deployed from the 89th Aerial Port Squadron at Joint Base Andrews, Md. As an aerial porter, Airman Worrell is someone who can move cargo, passengers, or both on a moment's notice.

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

"Being an aerial porter has its fun every day," Airman Worrell said. "Anything can happen."

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

Aerial porters like Airman Worrell can also check in passengers as well as 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.

Airman Worrell 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.

"I do like being an aerial porter ," Airman Worrell said. "Any job the lets me work around aircraft is a fun job."

Airman Worrell '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.

After leaving his Iowa hometown and joining the Air Force, Airman Worrell said he is soing something few others will ever do and he is proud to support the military through his service.

"I joined the military to get out and see the world and finish up college," Airman Worrell said. "I also my service, especially out here, is keeping the cargo and people moving that are crucial to the deployed mission."

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.