A Family Affair

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Family separation is without a doubt one of the toughest challenges service members will face during a deployment.

The aerial port flight at the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, avoided this challenge by deploying with their family.

"We have a flight of about 85 people with an air terminal operations section, cargo section, special handling section, load planning section and a ramp section," said Senior Master Sgt. Paul Carter, 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, port superintendent.

The port team from Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga. makes up roughly 60 percent of the currently assigned personnel with the other 40 percent being made up of airmen from Joint Base Andrews, Md., Joint Base Charleston, S.C., Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Memphis Air National Guard Base, Tenn., Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and Travis Air Force Base, Calif. respectively.

"There are 48 people from Dobbins and they range in ranks from Senior Airman through Senior Master Sgt. including myself," Carter said. "The Dobbins team is providing the NCOIC leadership so each section is headed by an NCOIC from Dobbins."

This family of airmen may not have known each other well before deploying, but this unique experience is bringing them closer.

"You may have only worked with them one weekend a month, two weeks a year before this," he said. "Here we work 12 hour shifts and spend plenty of time together both on and off duty."

Despite the increased ops tempo faced by some of the first time deployers, the Dobbins airmen have embraced their active duty roles.

"Everyone is happy to be here, eager to work the missions and there are no complaints about working long hours or working six days a week," he said.

While deploying with his Dobbins family is special, Carter has adopted the entire flight as members of the extended family.

"We have an 85 person flight and we really pride ourselves on being one team one fight no matter if you are guard, reserve or active duty," he said. "When we get back home we can say we deployed as a 48 person family and reminisce and talk about the good times."