JOINT BASE LANGLEY- EUSTIS, Va. –
Editor’s Note: This article
is part of series highlighting Joint Base Langley-Eustis members’ contribution
to humanitarian relief efforts from JBLE.
In
normal day-to-day operations the small air terminal at Joint Base Langley-
Eustis, supports the 633rd Air Base Wing
in passenger and cargo transport, to locations around the world.
But
the Tanker Airlift Control Center from Scott Air
Force Base, Illinois, recently tagged the local unit to accomplish
a much more intense mission, to assist in the loading of a transport for
humanitarian relief efforts to the Caribbean Islands.
According to U.S. Air
Force Technical Sgt. Eugene Floyd, 733rd Logistics
Readiness Squadron small air terminal NCO in charge of operations, getting the
opportunity to directly support the Puerto Rico relief efforts and manage the
deployment of the Fort Story, Va., Inland Cargo Transfer Company, allowed his
Airmen to work right next to their U.S. Army counterparts.
Floyd’s team, with the assistance of the Fort Story Unit,
successfully loaded seven C-17 Globemasters with more than 360 tons of cargo
and 70 personnel, in just over 33 hours.
“Providing
disaster relief brings a sense of accomplishment, when you see those aircraft
takeoff after you have just worked so hard,” said Floyd. “I was extremely
impressed in how our team of Airmen came together to accomplish this mission,
showing the true grit that they have to make it happen.”
According to U.S. Air Force
Master Sgt. William Linford, 733rd LRS small air terminal manager,
being able to get all the units’ equipment pre-staged and inspected to joint
service standards allowed for the teams to efficiently load all the cargo.
While
the small air terminal is balancing their normal daily missions and one
deployment, Linford managed two more important missions. The first was
assisting in the deployment of the Global Response Medical Force from Langley Air Force Base that supplies a
mobile hospital and the second being the Rapid Port Opening
Element from Fort Eustis.
This meant taking on an
influx of over 200 tons of cargo, 150 more passengers and seven more aircraft
on the flight line, all with their team of nine Airmen.
“No matter what the hours
are, the mindset of our Airmen is the gear has got to go, especially when it
involves humanitarian airlift,” said Linford. “The Airmen were the ones that
pushed through and got the job done, they were driving the train to knock it
out and make it happen.”
According to Linford, his
team had the opportunity to really see the efforts hit home as they have five
unit individuals who have family in the Caribbean Islands show up to fly as
Space Available passengers. With the approval of Air Combat Command, the
terminal was able to fill those seats and help get additional supplies to those
in need.
“Whenever we were working
with those families and good samaritans, to help get supplies to families, it
really hit me,” said Linford. “There is a feeling of accomplishment just moving
the units, but adding the families just made it more impactful.”
The small air terminal is
not a big Air Mobility Command port, and the Airmen are proud and ready to
support the next big tasking to their full capability, whenever the Air Force
calls.