BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Senior Airman Kionne Lewis, 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Traffic Management Office cargo movement specialist, is responsible for ensuring all shipments from the Area of Responsibility, to include hazardous and classified materials as well as aircraft parts, are ready for transport.

Being in a deployed location, Lewis deals with materials he normally wouldn’t deal with at home station, such as hydraulic fluids, batteries, tanks, drone engines and corrosive gases. In the event an aircraft is inoperable, Lewis and his team order the new parts ensuring the aircraft is able to complete its mission.

“We deal with a lot of dangerous material out here. It’s part of our job to make sure the material is safely transported, and we make sure no one gets hurt in the process,” he said. “Logistics is needed in all theaters.

“Without us it would be hard to accomplish the main mission and get everyone out of here. We still have a while here so all the parts we receive are crucial to the mission. Whether it’s for the fighter squadron or parts for one of the drones, we’re here to make sure those assets are taken care off.”

Lewis is part of the “1000s of Hands” of the 455 AEW Airmen who are crucial to the wing’s mission to generate and sustain air power on the combat frontier of Afghanistan’s NATO’s Resolute Support mission and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. The ‘1000s of Hands’ project highlights Vulture Airmen who have a hand in delivering a blanket of steel, technology and courage to protect the force in the field and support Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.