379th Air Expeditionary Wing

Story by Senior Airman Michael Matkin

The fight can be tough on the ground, especially for servicemembers located at remote forward operating bases where needed supplies are not readily available. When one of these ground teams needs supplies, the Army's 824th Quartermaster Company, Detachment 8, come together to load life essential commodities into bundles to be air dropped over the battlefield.

With a team of 20, these Army riggers build container delivery systems, or bundles, that can weigh up to 2,200 pounds containing life sustaining food, water, fuel, ammunition and other support supplies. They can also assemble heavy drop or mass supply loads in excess of 2,200 pounds containing vehicles, trailers, howitzers other support supplies needed for airdrop in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

"Once a bundle is built, it is placed on top of padding constructed from energy dissipating material, a thick cardboard like substance, with a cargo bag or net securing the bundle. Once the bundle is fully secured a parachute is attached and it is rigged for airdrop with either a high or low altitude parachute depending on the mission," said Staff. Sgt. Michael Sharp, 824th Quartermaster shop foreman.

Building these bundles is a Reserve unit based out of Ft. Bragg, N.C., that began their deployment July 1 to support Air Force airdrop operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa.

When the unit first arrived they were faced with some challenges.

"We are from the same unit, but because we only work together two days a month we were not as cohesive as we could be if we worked together every day," said Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Simmons, 824th Quartermaster Det. 8 acting first sergeant. "It was a challenge taking these 20 individual [servicemembers] and have them work together, essentially as an active duty unit, and prepare them to continue to do so for 400 days. However, with patience, time and hard work, we have learned to work together and have formed a well working cohesive team."

"This team building was developed partly out of necessity. During the first seven days of their deployment they were faced with the base's high operations tempo, bundling more than 300 loads and dropping 80. Seven days later, they had dropped another 254 loads and had an additional 300 bundles finished and waiting in the yard ready to go," Simmons said.

Newly arrived in a deployed environment and faced with a large work load helped the team transition from their home station mission of packing personnel parachutes to their primary wartime mission of theater resupply pack.

"Doing what is necessary to get the job done is important to the riggers because the commodities they are supplying the servicemembers downrange are life necessities," Sharp said.

"It is very satisfying knowing that what we are doing is directly supporting the warfighter," Sharp said. "Also, because [the military] is able to drop supplies we are keeping trucks off dangerous roads. We are helping to save lives by giving an alternative means of getting supplies to [servicemembers] instead of them having to rely on supply trucks which are susceptible to ambush and improvised explosive devices. We have a successful mission when the troops on the ground have a successful mission, knowing we helped get them the supplies they needed to get their job done."

"To ensure the supplies get down range the riggers must work with numerous servicemembers from many different support elements," Simmons said.

"It is really a big team effort -- from the people who bring the items in the trucks, to the loadmasters who push the load onto the aircraft, to the pilots who fly the aircraft and all of the people in between. If at any one point you take out a single element in the process, the mission will fail," Simmons said.

This team effort is also evident in the group effort between sister services.

"Cooperation is key," Simmons said. "If the Air Force and Army don't cooperate then loads don't get on aircraft, don't get dropped and the supplies do not get downrange. If the servicemembers downrange don't get needed supplies then the overall U.S. military mission could have serious setbacks and the mission of the riggers would fail."

By working as a team amongst themselves and between sister services and coalition forces, the 824th Quartermaster Company, Detachment 8, ensures the ground forces get their needed supplies and that the riggers-piece of the joint mission is in place.

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