Aerial Port Airmen deploy to Haiti

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kirsten Wicker
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Airmen assigned to the 62nd Aerial Port Squadron deployed early Friday for Haiti to bring specialized airfield operations skills and equipment to the humanitarian relief effort at Port-Au-Prince's Toussaint L'Ouventure International Airport.

The 15-Airmen APS team is made up of experts in airfield operations and allow critical relief supplies to be unloaded from cargo aircraft with engines still running. This allows faster ground times for all aircraft bringing in relief supplies and departing with evacuees.

"It's truly amazing and very humbling how many of our Airmen were willing to volunteer to go to Haiti," said Lt. Col. Will Phillips, 62nd APS commander. "Twenty-two Airmen actually volunteered, and we only needed 15."

Prior to the earthquake, Haiti's single runway airport averaged three takeoffs and landings per day; under current U.S. Air Force operations, the airfield is averaging more than 170 takeoffs and landings daily in support of ongoing humanitarian efforts.

"It's a privilege to participate in this operation and help the Haitian people," said Air Force Master Sgt. Jason Aven, 62nd APS air transportation operations center, Senior NCO in charge. "Engine running off-loads and on-loads are one of the most specialized skills the Air Force brings to this humanitarian airlift operation; it allows us to safely download cargo in minimal time to rush aid to the Haitian people."

The team departed from McChord aboard two C-17s Friday, one from the Mississippi Air National Guard that carried a Halvorsen loader and an all-terrain forklift, the other, from March Air Reserve Base, Calif., that carried a Halvorsen loader and two all-terrain forklifts. The Halvorsen loader is a 25,000-pound pallet transporter and loader used to transport, load and unload palletized equipment on and off the aircraft. It can carry up to three pallets. The all-terrain forklift has a 10,000-pound capacity and can operate in all-terrain environments. It is crucial to loading and unloading pallets and moving cargo efficiently around an airfield.

"Our aerial port Airmen are going to do some great work in Haiti and allow us to get more cargo through there and get relief to the people sooner," Colonel Phillips said.

All the Airmen deployed to Haiti volunteered in addition to their normal deployment rotation. They are scheduled to be there for as long as 60 days, working up to 18 hours each day in the tropical heat.