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Airmen keep equipment moving down range

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Brok McCarthy
  • 379
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  It's not exactly possible to send items like large aircraft parts down range using the U.S. Postal Service. So Airmen with the 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron ensure equipment and other items transiting into or out of the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility make it to the proper destination.

"We are basically responsible for any cargo that goes in and out," said Staff Sgt. Leviticus Robinson, 379th ELRS shipments and planning NCO in charge, deployed from Kessler Air Force Base, Miss. "And we are the number one cargo yard in the AOR because everything has to come through us before it can go down range."

The unit is responsible for moving everything from a small o-ring, to something as large as a C-130 Globemaster III propeller, the Mobile, Ala. native said. In one week, the squadron can move approximately 3 tons, or about 360 items, worth of inventory.

Prior to anything being able to leave the cargo yard, one of the Airmen there must visually inspect the item being shipped, ensuring it has adequate packaging so it doesn't become damaged in route, and verifying all the relevant information for the item.

"We have to make sure everything matches, stock numbers, serial numbers, etc," said Senior Airman Frank Maguina, a 379 ELRS traffic-management apprentice, who is deployed here from Langley, Va. "We also make sure that someone at the other end knows that something is coming through. You have to pay attention to everything you do to make sure the item gets where it's going."

Sergeant Robinson said if they receive something that's incorrectly packaged, they have materials on hand to repackage the item so it can make it down range in the same state in which it arrived here.

"If the customer brings it through us, we have to view it," Sergeant Robinson said. "It's not necessarily saying the customer is incorrect, but we take responsibility for that piece once the customer turns it over. So we have to make sure everything's ok before we ship it out, because our name is now on it."

One of the more unique aspects of the cargo yard here is Airmen work with people from all branches of the U.S. military and coalition partners. Many of the other bases in the AOR have cargo yards and staff designated specifically for their branch of service. This diversity has helped the Airmen better understand the joint services and coalition partners.

Along with the regular items, the squadron also has to move hazardous materials on a daily basis. Sergeant Robinson said the cargo movement section works closely with Air Mobility Command units to ensure all these special items are shipped properly.

"Whenever any parts come in from the states or have to go back to the states, it's got to go through us. Whenever someone can't carry their bags on commercial flights because it's a weapon or classified materials, we ship that stuff so they get it wherever they land," said Airman Maguina, who hails from Long Island, N.Y. "We are critical to the Air Force mission in a major way."