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Airmen at war set cargo, passenger movement records

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Shawn J. Jones
  • U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Air transportation requirements of cargo and troops within U.S. Central Command's 27-nation area of responsibility reached an all-time high in March, but Airmen responded to this demand with a record-setting performance.

U.S. Air Forces Central's air mobility professionals topped previous benchmarks in the number of passengers and amount of cargo moved in a one-month period.

Airmen exceeded the prior record for passenger movement by 3 percent, transporting nearly 120,000 troops into, out of and within the Middle East and Horn of Africa. Airmen moved more than 41,350,000 tons of total cargo weight, exceeding the previous record by seven percent. Furthermore, Airmen set a single-day record of 1,365 pallet-position equivalents, a standard unit of measurement that reflects the floor space occupied by both cargo and troops, by beating their previous best by seven percent. A record was also set for the average daily pallet-position equivalents moved.

Despite the record work load, the Airmen demonstrated mobility effectiveness with a 91 percent on-time delivery rate and maintained velocity by minimizing cargo inventory at the aerial ports.

"Maintaining effectiveness under these conditions is a significant accomplishment by our Airmen," said Lt. Col. Brian Robinson, Air Mobility Division director at the Combined Air and Space Operations Center here.

The demand for airlift in March high due to the transportation of particularly large warfighter units to and from Iraq and Afghanistan in additional to typical air mobility requirements, said Colonel Robinson.

While much of the credit for March's record-setting performances goes to deployed Airmen actively flying and maintaining aircraft in the Global War on Terror and Air Mobility Division's planners and schedulers, Colonel Robinson said two other mobility programs were essential elements to the performance.

The Theater Express Program, which allows commercial air transportation companies to move non-sensitive coalition cargo throughout USCENTCOM, saves money and eases the requirement on coalition aircraft and aircrews. Of the record cargo weight delivered in March, Theater Express transported over 27 percent.

Also, coordinated and responsive reachback support from 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center temporarily brought forward strategic mobility crews and C-17s which contributed to air mobility's big month. Reachback support ensured warfighters moved to the fight on time by airlifting over 4,698 troops, said Colonel Robinson.

"The two things that put us over the top were the Theater Express Program and outstanding reachback support provided by 618th TACC," said Colonel Robinson.