A mile in their shoes: Aerial port

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Joseph Kapinos
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  There is an old saying that to truly understand a person, they should walk a mile in their shoes. It is not to be taken literally, but to help someone think about the other person and their lives before passing judgment.

That is what this series is about, taking the time to "walk a mile in their shoes" and understand them just a little bit better for the experience.

They work tirelessly around the clock, no matter what the time and no matter the weather; they are out on the flight line making sure the warfighter down range is getting the supplies they need to fight the fight. They are the unsung heroes of the flightline: the aerial porters, also known as the "port dawgs!"

The journey to becoming one of these "dawgs" begins surprisingly enough at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. When most of their basic training comrades leave the base to begin their technical training, these personnel simply "cross the street" and start training to become the best aerial porters in the world. A current Airman at Incirlik knows firsthand how the training regimen goes as he just recently graduated from the course and reported here for his first duty assignment.

"I did my training at Lackland after graduation at the 345th Training Squadron," said Airman 1st Class Roger Umfress. The 21 year-old Success, Mo., native was excited to begin his career after graduating from the six-and-a-half week course, which focused on all areas of the career field.

"The course teaches us the basics that we need to take to our first duty assignment," said Airman Umfress. "After we get here, then we learn more about how to do our jobs and even how we can specialize within the career field."

Specialization is key part to the success of the aerial port mission. While everyone is trained in basic procedures, some porters then get more training on specific aspects, such as passenger service, Air Terminal Operations Center or cargo load planning said Staff Sgt. Christopher Williams, who works in the load planning section.

"We are trained to do specific jobs, such as loading the planes or building pallets in the yard," said the Melbourne, Fla., native. "But that doesn't mean that we just do that job. If it gets too busy, or we want to give the ramp guys a break because of the heat, then all of us are out there pushing pallets and loading cargo. We are a team, first and foremost."

It is that team mentality the "dawgs" are most proud of. Many times at many ceremonies, the unmistakable barking of the port teammates can be heard echoing across the rafters and the stage. But that teamwork is built on the fact they are out on the flight line doing the mission no matter the hour or the weather.

"We do twelve-hour duty days when we work and it doesn't matter the time of day, we have to move the cargo," said Airman Umfress. "One of the items of cargo I thought was the coolest was the mine-rolling vehicles we loaded for the Army. They are designed to help protect and destroy explosive devices. If we weren't out there to load those, they wouldn't get to Iraq where they are needed, and maybe lives would be lost."

After the cargo, such as the mine roller, is loaded and the plane leaves Incirlik, it doesn't mean porters are done. When a plane touches down at a deployed location, other porters are needed to make sure it gets off the plane and on its way to the user.

"We deploy a lot in this career field," said Sergeant Williams. "Everywhere we have cargo flying in, we have to have porters there to handle it. I, myself, have deployed to Iraq twice along with other deployments. I even deployed here to Turkey."

While it may seem odd to deploy to a location where permanent party personnel are assigned with families, it is critical to the success of the mission. Deployed personnel make up approximately half of the port personnel here at Incirlik.

"We currently have about 35 people permanently assigned to the squadron," said Sergeant Williams. "We also have about 35 personnel from active-duty, guard and reserve forces to help augment us. And trust me, we need everyone helping."

The job may not be glamorous, but it is one these Air Force professionals take very seriously. They understand that if they are not there, then the "beans, bombs and blankets" won't get to the people who need them the most.

"Our aerial porters are part of an outstanding total force; the 728th Air Mobility Squadron team including our maintainers and command and control specialists," said Lt. Col. Scott Morris, 728th AMS commander. "These amazing Airmen are pushing pallets on the flightline 24 hours a day, seven days a week all year long to move cargo to the war fighters downrange. It's inspiring to see their dedication, motivation and confidence."

Note: This is the second part in a three-part series. To view the first part - "A mile in their shoes: Finance customer service" visit: http://www.incirlik.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123145984