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1 million pounds down

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Brok McCarthy
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTWEST ASIA --  Forty-two days after arriving here Dec. 30, the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron dropped its 1 millionth pound of equipment from a C-17 Globemaster III, faster than any other squadron stationed here before, according to the unit.

The unit, which deployed from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., completed its record breaking mission Feb. 16.

"We have been flying sorties at a quick pace," said Lt. Col. Chris Mann, 816 EAS commander. "This was because the warfighter's requirements have increased dramatically, so the need for airdrop has increased dramatically."

The squadron has been dropping an average 30,000 pounds of supplies and equipment per mission to more than 20 forward operating bases, which are mostly in Afghanistan, said Capt. Marshal Haylett, a member of the 816 EAS mission planning cell.

"A lot of the areas we go are high terrain and really tough to get convoys up to," the Orlando native said. "The need for air drops is only going to increase because it's such an effective way to get supplies to those bases."

A large majority of supplies dropped include food, water, ammunition and fuel, though medical supplies and morale equipment are regularly dropped as well, he said.

"We provide support to all the ground guys," said Senior Airman Lee Vearrier, a C-17 load master. "It makes a huge impact, especially for the Army guys on the ground, because they are the ones who are doing the major work, we are just trying to help them out."

In addition to supplies for the FOBs, the 816th will do drops to Afghan villages as gestures of good will from the United States.

"We did a drop the other day where we dropped blankets, clothing and soccer balls to the kids, and that's been proven to help the fight," the captain said. "After we did that drop, some locals came in and gave [the FOB] information that lead to a local weapons cache because we were helping the village."

Colonel Mann, who is from Leesburg, Ga., said even though the members of the squadron make providing air drops look easy, a lot of work goes into every mission.

"These missions are challenging, and we all enjoy that challenge," he said. "What may be lost because we've been doing this mission for so long and so well is how complicated this mission really is."

The squadron is made up of an array of career fields, including intelligence personnel, load masters, crew chiefs and pilots, all of which are critical to missions being completed, said Colonel Mann.

Airman Vearrier, who hails from Redfield, S.D., said it typically takes about two-and-a-half hours for cargo to be loaded onto a C-17 from start to finish. Cargo is typically loaded on 48 by 48 inch plywood pallets, though the pallets can be larger.

People can be working on a mission for up to 14 hours before the C-17 even takes off, said Captain Haylett. It all depends on how many drops are being made and what the terrain looks like.

"I work for about an 85-percent solution for how the mission should go and present it to the crew," he said. "They take that solution and they refine it, do a good terrain study and make sure they know exactly what they are doing. Then they take that and make it their own so they understand it and can execute it."

The ability to complete missions relies, not only on the more than 100 people assigned to the 816th EAS, but on other units on base.

All of the aircraft and maintenance personnel belong to the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron which Colonel Mann said, does a great job maintaining the C-17s.

The squadron also relies on the 824th Quartermaster Master Company, Detachment 7, which is better known as the 824th Riggers, to make sure everything being dropped has a working parachute so the items can get safely to the ground, Captain Haylett said.

"The thing I think most of us enjoy about this mission is we load up our plane and deliver it directly to the guys who need it," said the captain. "We deliver the stuff and half an hour later they are eating the frozen food we delivered to them, so I think that's really rewarding.

"We have a lot of pride in being able to airdrop these supplies," said Colonel Mann. "It comes down to supporting the warfighter with pride and professionalism. This milestone isn't the end; it's only the beginning."