651st ELRS raises the bar

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Russell Martin
  • 451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan --  The 651st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Aerial Port Flight has transformed itself into arguably one of the most dependable and efficient aerial port teams in Afghanistan.

In the time that Maj. Raymond Bradshaw, deployed from the 70th Aerial Port Squadron from Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida, and Chief Master Sgt. Mark Mann, deployed from the 109th Air Wing, New York Air National Guard, have been at the helm of the flight, they've instilled a sense of discipline and respect amongst their Airmen that is reflected in their mission.

In the aerial port staging facility, a white dry-erase board features the Air Force Core Values, "Integrity First," "Service Before Self" and "Excellence in all we do." And, Bradshaw and Mann added a fourth... "Respect."

"No one rides the pine here...everyone is in the game," Bradshaw said. "From day one, the Chief and I laid out our philosophy so others knew what we expected of them. We will respect each other and we will continue to look for the talents in each other so we may better harness those talents to accomplish the mission. Everyone has talents, and we will make sure we find out what those are and put them to use."

"We are an integrated Air Force unit here at Bastion, there is a total force of members from the active-duty, Air Force Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, exemplifying the "one team, one fight" motto," Mann said.

The aerial port yard is always on the move, with a "max on ground," or MOG of 2. This means at any given time, Bradshaw's team can be downloading, or uploading two strategic wide body cargo aircraft with the manpower and material handling equipment required to perform the mission. Depending on the aircraft type, load times vary from two hours on the C-130 Hercules, to up to four hours allotted for the much larger C-5 Galaxy.

During the last four months, the team's 24/7 operation has yielded some eye-popping statistics. They have moved nearly 32,000 passengers through the area of responsibility and continental United States, they have moved more than 20,000 tons of cargo. During the last three months they have also recovered nearly 1,000 unused or abandoned 463L pallets, the metal foundations for pallet-building, on Camp Bastion and Leatherneck. The recovered pallets were returned to the Air Force inventory and yielded a cost savings of more than $1 million.

One of the elements that has made it possible for the flight to become so efficient is the emphasis on training and improving communication with their service and coalition partners. Camp Bastion is a United Kingdom-run base and the majority of forces are Royal Air Force and U.S. Marine battalions.

"Previously, it seemed like the British and the Marines were on a completely different page than we were, and we were constantly scrambling to interpret what their needs were," Bradshaw said. "But now, we have managed to build a common vocabulary and dialogue that allows working more seamlessly together and getting the mission done faster, more efficiently and with less manning."

The flight has seen a drawdown in numbers over the last several months, going from around 50 operators down to less than 30. But with the aid of their civilian contractors, the flight continues to meet mission demands.

"One difficult challenge we faced was during loading and unloading Class V ammunition and hazardous materials," Bradshaw said. "Our Airmen were the only ones authorized by regulation to handle it, and this type of cargo is located at a seperate ramp which is a long distance away. This is a logistical challenge for (Air Transportation Operations Center) for several reasons including distance, access to the ramp, and manpower...it is time intensive. So that would take Air Force 60K drivers away from the flightline ramp loading and unloading aircraft."

The 60K loader is a mobile vehicle system that can transport up to six pallets of cargo. Its versatile deck elevates from 39 inches to 18.5-feet high and employs a powered conveyor system to move the cargo. To better utilize everyone's capabilities, Bradshaw's solution was simple...train them up.

"We got with DynCorp leadership and supported a plan to send contractors to 60K-qualification training over in Kuwait," Bradshaw said. "They agreed and once all the contractors were trained up, it allowed us to do the two missions at once, and eliminated the lag time."

Following a recent Multi-MAJCOM Staff Assistance Visit in which experts from maintenance and logistics career fields came to Camp Bastion to inspect their processes and programs, the aerial port was singled out for their outstanding achievements. The flight set a new Air Force Central Command record during the November inspection with the entire ATOC Team receiving the "Top Performer" Award. The unit's turnaround amazed the 651st Air Expeditionary Group commander.

"It's truly remarkable to see how Maj. Bradshaw and Chief Mann took one of the less heralded units in the country and turned it into the standard for other aerial ports to measure themselves against," said Col. John Trumpfheller, 651st Air Expeditionary Group commander. "They've managed to take the strengths from other nations and services and meld them together into a synergistic team. It is truly amazing."