Aerial Port delivers people and supplies

Published March 4, 2011
By Tech Sgt. Emily F. Alley
451st AEW Public Affairs

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- The Airmen of the Aerial Port at Kandahar Airfield are among the busiest people on base. They are some of the last people re-deployers see before they fly home.

Senior Airman Kody Williams described watching soldiers eagerly pressing their way through the passenger processing line to their flight. He works with several other coalition countries that operate out of the hangar, which is owned by NATO. The 451st ELRS Aerial Port processes anyone holding a United States identification card. Several other countries help process other travelers and supplies.

A long line of soldiers, slinging their bags onto a conveyer belt, were directed through a metal detector by a man wearing the uniform and flag of Slovakia on his shoulder. Airman Williams stood on the other side of the belt and loaded the bags.

Once the bags are loaded onto a pallet, they will be transported to the aircraft and loaded. The drive can be difficult, since several missions from several countries all take place on the same ramp. When space is limited, they may pull over to allow massive aircraft to be towed. Master Sgt. Thomas Kondziella, the Air Terminal Operations Center noncommissioned officer in charge, described the noisy area just outside his office as one of the busiest flightlines known to man.

"We share the road," said Sergeant Kondziella, ATOC NCOIC, as he glanced out the door of his hangar.

A nearby fighter plane tore from the runway with a spine-rattling scream.

"These people are the tip of the spear. We make sure they get what they need," he added, describing the challenges for warriors who live in the dangerous heart of combat. "It's an endless cycle."

His office ships people as well as supplies; one very important mission in their charge is supply bundles that are continuously airdropped to units on the ground in Afghanistan. Their schedule is constant. Senior Master Sgt. Zane Ranum, superintendent of the Aerial Port Flight, said his team works a constant stream of aircraft loading, and unloading, 24 hours a day, averaging 50 plus aircraft a day. They even have specialized personnel dedicated to hazardous materials, ranging from oxygen bottles to missiles, to make sure they are shipped safely.

"We see everything that goes in and out of this part of theater," said Sergeant Ranum. "Everything you could imagine."

The aerial port works many unique cargo planes, including the largest in the Air Force inventory, the C-5 Galaxy, loading pallets that share space with helicopters and armored vehicles. On most days, however, it's a steady stream of C-130s and C-17s that keep the aerial port team busy shipping cargo to Army, Marines, coalition soldiers and others in more than 200 forward operating bases throughout Afghanistan.

"If they don't get what they need, it puts them at risk," concluded Ranum, who added that he reminds his personnel of the impact of those supplies, which are essential to ground forces' success.

In addition to processing passengers, his crew can build pallets, load and unload aircraft. For Staff Sgt. John Cockrell, Kandahar Airfield is his second deployment location, which he described as more rewarding because of the proximity to the people he supports. He's seen soldiers in the dining hall, for example, and wondered if they came from one of the bases he helped sustain.

Either way, he may be the one who loads the bags on the plane when the soldier finally flies home.