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62nd APS hosts, trains with reservists

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Tim Brady
  • 62nd Aerial Port Squadron
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  For many Air Force Reserve and National Guard aerial porters, getting the chance to be a part of the mission doesn't happen as often as they would like.  These members must stay current on flight line operations as well as maintain currency on driving specific material handling equipment. 

The 62nd Aerial Port Squadron assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord is the answer to keeping these units as fresh and competent as possible by hosting units from around the world with a partnership dating back to the early 1980s. 

In 2014, the 62nd APS hosted more than 210 reservists on their annual tours.  These Airmen spent two weeks in the various flights within the 62nd APS often times allowing the active duty to take a back seat to daily operations and their reserve counterparts the chance to maintain proficiency.

"The partnerships we have with our Air Force Reserve brothers and sisters are vital to maintaining current operations," said Chief Master Sgt. Ordena Willis, 62nd APS air terminal manager.  "Our Port Dawgs cannot get the job done without our reserve and National Guard counterparts as they make up 62 percent of the aerial porters in the Air Force.  Of those 38 percent of active duty Port Dawgs, Air Mobility Command owns the most which is right at 80 percent.

"This means that AMC doesn't have the ability to say 'no' to current or future deployments. Mission success is ensured with the reserve and National Guard Port Dawgs.

"Additionally, no one down range knows if a person is Air Force Reserve, National Guard or active duty which is awesome and directly linked to the at home training received and provided by the active duty units."

Not only do reservists come to McChord for their annual tours but they also come for their upgrade training.

"Within the 62nd APS we have the "Port Dawg University," a nine-week post tech school curriculum designed to produce mission ready Airmen that upon graduation are ready to take on any responsibility within the squadron," said Tech. Sgt. Andrew Jarvis, 62nd APS NCO in charge of training flight. 

"Airmen begin their upgrade training by completing their Career Development Courses well within the AMC standards of three months by finishing an entire volume in one week. 

"Through a series of instructor administered tests, these Airmen will finish their CDC's in weeks not months and since its inception, we have never had a five-level CDC failure.

"That is something to be proud of," he said.  "The 62nd APS PDU has been recognized in person by Gen. Darren McDew, AMC commander."

In addition to the Air Force Reserve and National Guard, the 62nd APS also hosts the Navy and Marine logisticians with their training requirements.

"The Marines and Navy come to McChord to get the best training possible," said Mr. John Draper, 62nd APS reserve coordinator.  "For instance, the tunner 60K loader class is a stringent two-week course that teaches them the operations of a $2.2 million dollar piece of equipment used all over the world to load and unload aircraft."

"Without the partnerships we have with our reserves and sister services, many aspects of our mission would be difficult to achieve.  It is because of these men and women we are able to sustain global airlift dominance."