Operating area of responsibility's busiest passenger terminal

Photo By Master Sgt. Darnell Cannady | Staff Sgt. Renee Ford, Senior Airman James Taylor, Senior Airman Casey Norton and Senior Airman Justin Hatchner, all assigned to the 8th Air Mobility squadron, build a pallet with passenger's bags Nov. 20, at an undisclosed air base in Southwest Asia. Ford, a native of North Kingstown, R.I., is deployed from Quonset Point National Guard Base, R.I. Taylor, a native of Houston, is deployed from Yokota AB, Japan. Norton, a native of Charleston, S.C., is deployed from Charleston AFB, S.C. Hatchner, a native of Grand Rapids, Mich., is deployed from Charleston AFB. All are deployed in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom and Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

11.21.2008

Story by Senior Airman Clinton Atkins 

379th Air Expeditionary Wing

By Senior Airman Clinton Atkins
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Everyone has somewhere they need to be. As a gateway in and out of the area of responsibility, the shoulders of a few carry the hopes of many at an air base in Southwest Asia.

The 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron passenger terminal controls movement of service members by the thousands into and out of the AOR.

"Our job at the PAX terminal is move people and cargo anywhere, anytime," said Tech. Sgt. Adrian Dailey, 8 EAMS passenger services non-commissioned officer in charge. "Passengers are trying to get back to their families or further into the AOR and it's our responsibility to make sure they get out of here on time and without any delays."

The 44 aerial porters send and receive passengers from commercial and military air travel and will rack up to as many as 30 in and outbound flights any given day.

"There's little variation in military air travel because they are always coming and going," said the Clarksville, Tenn., native. "When we really get busy is rotator season."

Rotator season coincides with the Air and Space Expeditionary Force cycles and the PAX terminal will receive upwards of four inbound rotator planes per day with each plane usually carrying more than 200 personnel.

"We load and unload more than 20,000 pounds of luggage for each commercial flight," he said. "If it's a commercial flight we load the plane by hand and if it's a military flight we build the pallets for the luggage."

In September, more than 50,000 passengers came through the PAX terminal, said Dailey, deployed from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.

"We're not actually in rotator season right now," Dailey said. "When rotator season does happen, it gets really busy. With 22 people for each shift, we're already stretched thin."

When people walk in, they don't see what's going behind the scenes, said Airman 1st Class Amanda Fischer, 8 EAMS PAX services representative.

"We don't work just one plane at a time," said the Anaconda, Mont., native. "We work two to four missions at a time that are going out plus we have to deal with the people who are coming in. If you can't multitask you're going to drown here."

"On top of all that, you're trying to grab a quick bite to eat so you don't fall out," said Airman Fischer, deployed from McChord Air Force Base, Wash. "A lot of the times you might not even have time to eat and your dinner might be thrown away at the end of the night because you didn't get a chance to touch it."

Though fatigue is a prevalent nemesis, the Airmen always maintain a high level of professionalism.

"There are sometimes 300 people waiting to get on a plane and you have to deal with each personality in an appropriate manner," Dailey said.

Passengers will wait up to five hours before boarding a flight. Within that time, the aerial porters make sure everyone is ready to go.

"Once passengers come in through the doors they have to go through information control where all bags go through an X-ray to check for explosives and they'll make sure all passengers have the proper documentation," Fischer said. "If they're missing something on their out-processing checklist, we'll point them in the right direction."

The stress and tension throughout the PAX terminal can hamper their mission so Dailey likes to lighten the mood.

"I like to laugh so we'll cut a few jokes here and there and that's how we vent," he said.

When asked how they maintain the mission he simply replied, "We get it done."

"These guys can't be rewarded enough for all of the work they do," Dailey said.

The aerial porters know why their job is important to everyone.

"People need to get down range for different reasons whether it's replacing people, helping people or bringing aid, and to do so they all have to come through us first," said Fischer. "We know we are helping save lives."

"It amazes me at how big of an involvement we have in everything," said Fischer, who is on her first deployment. "Being here and seeing how we affect the mission has been a tremendous eye opener for me."

• Date Taken: 11.21.2008
• Date Posted: 11.24.2008 02:38
• Story ID: 26701
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)