69th APS supports airport ops at Ramstein AB

  • Published
  • By By Tech. Sgt. Amaani Lyle
  • 459th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office
Ten members of the 69th Aerial Port Squadron arrived here May 17 through June 1 to support airport operations at U.S. Air Forces in Europe headquarters.

As part of their annual tour requirements, wing members worked alongside the 723rd Air Mobility Squadron and augmented several sections to include the air terminal operation center, special handling, passenger service and ramp operations.

"We immediately became part of the team alongside our active duty counterparts," said Senior Master Sgt. Fred Johnson, 69th APS special materials supervisor. "Since we're at the main gateway for people to go down range, there's always a lot to do to keep things moving."

Ramstein AB is a hub for forward operating bases, therefore a round-the-clock operations tempo is the norm. Wing members worked 12-hour shifts six days a week. When a section runs for 24-hours, the task at hand can run the gamut. In the passenger terminal, where thousands of people per month deploy, travel for leisure and pass through for medical evacuation, 69th APS members said they found their jobs to be anything but routine.

When a Ramstein AB Airman died unexpectedly at the base, the 69th APS joined members of the 723rd AMS in a somber but dignified human remains ceremony. No photos were allow on the flight line and both units rendered salutes to the casket as ramp personnel loaded it on to the stateside-bound aircraft.

"When you take part in fallen service member flying back home, it's a very humbling experience," said Senior Airman Daulton Abernathy III, 69th APS air transportation journeyman. "It's fast-paced here in the passenger terminal - anything can happen anytime."

His colleague agrees. Though not every day is as heavy as a human remains ceremony, most days consist of people clamoring to get to their destinations aboard Space-Available flights. One of the main rotators goes between the East Coast of the United States and Ramstein AB. Some flights have many more people waiting to get on than the plane's capacity.

"We usually have happy people on one side of the rope who definitely have a seat, and the uncertain side of the rope with people waiting for a seat," said Airman Staci Hill, 723rd AMS passenger service specialist. "They can't teach you about these kinds of days in tech school and the workload isn't always positive or predictable -- you have to adapt, learn the rules and regulations and know them well."

Members of the 69th did not only help ensure that passengers got to their destinations, but a variety of unconventional cargo as well. In the special handling section, the Reservists who came to assist active duty members said their home station training comes to fruition in a busy work center such as this.

"Everything we do here has a vital purpose," said Tech. Sgt. Randolph Lee, 69th APS special handling supervisor. "We get to do bits and pieces of training during drill weekends, but here is where we get to perform a composite of all that we learned."

Sergeant Lee said his section loads everything from commissary food rations, mail, vehicles, currency, laboratory specimens and even life-sustaining pills. He added that crucial engine parts of all sizes also take rides on the cargo jets in the in area.

"Something as small as a nut or bolt could be the crucial piece we need to send out or receive to keep a plane safe," Sergeant Lee said.

The special handling section is not the end of the line for quality assurance on a pallet's journey. Members of the ramp section monitor the incoming and outgoing amount of cargo between Ramstein AB and the area of responsibility.

Master Sgt. Bobby Rivers, 723rd AMS ramps NCOIC, said he considers himself fortunate to have not only the 69th APS spending their annual tour here, but the 27th Aerial Port Squadron, from Minneapolis Air Reserve Station, Minn.

"These Reservists bring a certain level of continuity and experience to the table -- that helps things run much more smoothly," Sergeant Rivers said.

The unrivaled wingmen of the Air Force Reserve also allow Sergeant Rivers to engage in what he said is one of the most important aspects of his job.

"With the help we've received and going to a standard shift, I'm able to reach out to Airmen individually and touch each one," Sergeant Rivers said. "We've got 60 military and 11 local nationals, and about 56 percent of my workforce is E-4 (senior airman) and below."

As a result, Sergeant Rivers emphasized the importance of "face time" and upgrade training for his young staff. He gets to meet personally with just about every shop member at least once a week.

"The Reservists have made a direct impact on helping me find innovative processes among diverse personalities to do the job better," Sergeant Rivers said.

The job is better still with the help of the overall eyes and ears of airport operations, the air terminal operations center. The section disseminates information and ensures cargo and passenger load planning is practical, efficient and effective.
Tech. Sgt. Rick Johnson, 69th APS air transportation specialist, spent September 2007 to February 2008 in Bagram, Afghanistan, where he was the ATOC senior controller.

"My Reserve training and especially my time in the desert made it a lot easier to work here at Ramstein," Sergeant Johnson said. "My experience in Bagram made the transition here just seamless."

Most of members of the 69th APS said working alongside active duty was the easy part. Many said they did not mind the long hours and six-day work weeks. However, when a human remains ceremony pauses the hustle and bustle of airport operations, several airport operations staff members said they couldn't help but put things in perspective.

"The hardest part of my job is losing one of my own," said Sergeant Rivers. "But it makes me see and appreciate how much military members put on the line every day - it makes me want to be of service to those in service."

(Editor's note: The 69th APS team members and their duty sections at Ramstein AB were: Master Sgt. Edward Buser, special handling team chief; Master Sgt. Willie Hayes, special handling; Tech. Sgt. Rick Johnson, ATOC; Tech. Sgt. John Davis, cargo; Staff Sgt. DeQuincy Reed, computer room; Staff Sgt. Randolph Cornish, passenger terminal; Tech. Sgt. Wardell Henderson, ramp; Senior Airman Max Andrade, ramp; and Senior Airman Daulton Abernathy III, ramp.)