380th Air Terminal Operation Center ensures Army mission success Published July 12, 2008 By Senior Airman Ross M. Tweten 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs Office SOUTHWEST ASIA -- In the Global War On Terror, mission success often hinges on a unit adapting to their environment and overcoming to get the job done. Within the realm of logistics, adapting and overcoming is the standard. Since December of 2007, the 380th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's Air Terminal Operations Center and its crew of 12 Airmen have not only helped the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing meet its Air Tasking Order, but they've helped the Army with fighting their frag as well. Floating at more than 1,000 feet above the ground, tethered helium aerostat balloons provide Army Soldiers on the ground weaponized surveillance and support in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to officials, these 17-meter-long "Tactical Aerostats" can remain in the air for more than a week all the while keeping a constant vigil on the battlespace below and keeping Soldiers alive. So what does an Air Force ATOC have to do with Army blimps? They act as a critical link in the aerostat's kill chain. The 380th's ATOC load and off-load the C-17s that carry the aerostat balloon's most critical element - the helium. It sounds easy, and though helium is supposed to be light, transporting it comes with some heavy burdens. "The undertaking for the 380th to support this was immense," said Army Sergeant First Class Robert Tate, Defense Energy Support Center aerostat Liaison. "The mission evolved. The original requirement a few years ago was limited to Iraq. Then, as of this last fall, the mission kind of exploded." As the DESC Liaison, Sergeant Tate coordinates the transportation of the helium trailers between the 380th AEW and the warfighters. According to Sergeant Tate, trailers filled with helium are stored at Forward Operating Bases. Once the trailers are empty of helium from filling the aerostat balloons, they are sent back through the 380th AEW, where the ATOC again off-loads the trailers, and sends them back to the contractor who refills the trailers with helium. Once the trailers are again filled with helium, they come back to the 380th AEW, where the ATOC again loads them onto a C-17, which brings the trailers back to the warfighter. 100 percent of these helium trailers used in theater come through the 380th's ATOC. Since December of 2007, this process hasn't skipped a beat. According to Sergeant Tate, the 380 AEW has enhanced the process immensely, and cut the turnaround time in half. To date, the 380th's ATOC has loaded in excess of 110 trailers onto more than 60 C-17s that fly this precious cargo into Iraq and Afghanistan. As such, the 380th's ATOC receives an additional 10-12 C-17s per month. According to Senior Master Sgt. Curtis Palmer, 380th ELRS ATOC Superintendent, the aerostat mission brings a significantly increased work load to his less than sizable unit, but he stresses that it's not about the size of the unit to accomplish the mission, it's the unit's cohesiveness that allows it to accomplish the mission. "When we're out there loading the helium trailers, we're working as one unit, and it's flawless," he said. "The loading and offloading takes a lot of man hours and there's a lot of early mornings and late nights for the ATOC personnel. We do run into problems, but the guys are able to adapt and overcome and still fulfill the mission requirements." The 380th ELRS ATOC's ability to adapt and overcome not only allows them to accomplish their mission, but it allows the Army to accomplish it's aerostat mission of keeping Soldiers alive. "A general officer one time told me they're like silent warriors," said Sergeant Tate. "They do things in the quiet and in the middle of darkness, and nobody ever notices what they do, but they're glad they're doing it. They get the mission done, and they're always on time. Without them, a lot of things would have fallen to the wayside."