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U.S. and Kyrgyz share cargo best practices

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Lynsie Nichols
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan --  Airmen at the Transit Center at Manas teamed up with Kyrgyz Republic military members to share best practices on airlift cargo operations Jan. 24.

Every month, U.S. and Kyrgyz Republic military members get together to exchange information about their jobs and share differences and similarities.

"It was unique to hear how the Kyrgyz government does a lot of things similar to the way the U.S. Air Force does things," said Maj. Thomas Klauer, 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron aerial port flight commander. "They really try to mimic some of our processes and this exchange of information really helps them understand how the Air Force does things in a different way."

Klauer is deployed to the Transit Center from the 38th Aerial Squadron at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.

The 376th ELRS demonstrated cargo handling, as well as loading and unloading cargo onto a KC-135 Stratotanker.

"It was very interesting to see how our American partners work and live and what they do here," said Senior Lt. Urmat Kanaev, chief of aircraft armament maintenance group from the Frunze 1 Air Base in Bishkek. "We learned a lot of interesting things about the loading and unloading process; it was very exciting. Seeing the aircraft was very interesting to us."

Capt. Jason Reyes helps organize these events as the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Theater Security Cooperation division chief of military cooperation.

"I'm glad we are partnering with the Kyrgyz Ministry of Defense on airlift and cargo operations," he said. "Information exchanges like these allow us to build relationships with the Kyrgyz people that enhance both militaries' capabilities in the region."