Makin' it move: Air Terminal Ops Airmen get cargo to the AOR

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Carolyn Viss
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Working late into the night, the sergeant knew cargo he prepared would help with the Global War on Terror. It must be thoroughly prepared and inspected, and his vigilance could make or break the success of a sortie. 

He's part of Air Terminal Operations, an elite group of 12 who have the final say on what leaves on aircraft departing for the area of operations. 

The process starts when a piece comes to the gate of the cargo yard, said 2nd Lt. Justin Coffey, 7th Logistics Readiness Squadron Air Terminal Ops officer in charge. They take down the transportation control number and call it in to the Deployment Control Center so that it can be tracked and logged. Once it's in the yard, someone checks the paperwork closely and the cargo is weighed. Airmen check all the straps and ensure everything on the packing list is present and there are no undeclared hazardous materials. Once cleared, a joint inspector gives the cargo a final "yea" or "nay." They even assist loadmasters in loading cargo on the aircraft. 

"I love my job," said Tech. Sgt. Juan Cruz, night shift noncommissioned officer in charge. "It's really gratifying to know I'm a big part of the mission. Without us, they can't get B-1s out with the right equipment and supplies to support the mission downrange." 

The 15-year career Airman has deployed four times and recently returned from a tour in Afghanistan. During deployments, he gets to see first-hand what kind of effect his job has on the mission, he said. 

"When I see a B-1 take off over there, I know what its mission is and that I helped make it possible," Sergeant Cruz said. 

During busy times, especially during Operational Readiness Exercises and Inspections, the hard-working section looks to the rest of the base to pitch in. An augmentee program trains noncommissioned officers from around the base to help get the cargo out on time. 

"Twelve people can't deploy the whole base," Lieutenant Coffey emphasized. "Team work is paramount. We absolutely couldn't do it without the help of our augmentees." 

Tech. Sgt. Joshua Rose, traditionally from the 7th Component Maintenance Squadron avionics back shop, was working night shift in the cargo yard during the ORE Sept. 6-7 and had the heavy responsibility of being the final set of eyes on the cargo before it's loaded onto aircraft. 

"It's a pretty big job," he admitted. "When you sign that paperwork you're basically saying, 'I approve this,' and if anything is incorrect or paperwork is missing, it could cause huge delays, or worse - it could even cause a plane to crash if there are HAZMATS that aren't certified or something leaks. It's extremely important for us to know every single thing that's on that palette and be able to clear it for flight." 

Attention to detail is absolutely vital, especially on the joint inspection side, Lieutenant Coffey said. The person signing off on the paperwork is ultimately responsible, and legally it could come down to him if anything were to go wrong. 

But, with all their hard work, the Airmen of Air Terminal Ops are "making it happen," Lieutenant Coffey said. 

"What you see here are a bunch of Airmen, some from career fields that have nothing to do with this job, and they come out with great attitudes to help," the lieutenant said. "They're able to jump into something that's not at all normal for them and do the job well because they have great attitudes and they know they're part of something big." 

Whether they're traditional LRS Airmen or Airmen from maintenance or supply, the Airmen working in the cargo yard are makin' the mission move. 

"With a positive attitude, you can do almost anything," Sergeant Cruz said.