Photo By Tech. Sgt. Travis Edwards | Senior Airman Justin Shepherd-Helm, 51st Logistics Readiness Squadron documented cargo...... read more read more
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OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea - Deep in the heart of Osan, there is a small group of Airmen responsible for ensuring the entire base gets the parts and equipment they need, when they need it, especially during exercises like Beverly Midnight 16-01.
They are the Airmen from the 51st Logistics Readiness Squadron documented cargo section of vehicle operations. A team that focuses on their customers and ensuring the proper documentation of equipment that comes to the installation.
“We’re like your own personal commercial cargo delivery service,” said Senior Airman Justin Shepard-Helm, 51st LRS vehicle operator dispatcher and one of the four Airmen who work in the documented cargo section. “We deliver all across the base to nearly every unit -- a lot comes through our office.”
From tires and aircraft pylons to washers and even spare parts for the M-4 carbine rifle, these Airmen have seen just about everything come through their warehouse.
“These units on base depend on us to get them the right parts on time,” said Shepard-Helm. “We delivered the cots to [the 51st Force Support Squadron], who used them fill up the [collective protection system] dormitories during the exercise.”
Key dorms on Osan Air Base were filled with sleeping cots to exercise the maximum capacity of the CPS facilities in case of a chemical attack. The cots would provide Airmen a safe place to rest their head at night without having to continuously wear chemical warfare protective gear.
“It comes down to customer service,” said Senior Airman Sterling Tutt, 51st LRS vehicle operator dispatcher. “It’s important for us to have a good relationship with the people we deliver cargo to and those we receive cargo from.”
He added the relationship and camaraderie built with the units and the people in them make the job worthwhile because the section they work in is so small.
However the job isn’t just moving cargo from one place to another. Shepard-Helm said proper documentation of the cargo movements is necessary to preserve the integrity of the system and is required to be a good steward of taxpayer money.
The driving is easy according to Shepard-Helm. “The hard part is getting to know the other [Air Force Instructions] of the units we coordinate with, to get the cargo to the customer,” he said.
The documented cargo section routinely works with the traffic management office and with base supply for routine requests for specific resources and materials.
However, when a piece of equipment or cargo has to be delivered immediately, it’s stamped as a MICAP, or mission capability item. A MICAP is an essential piece of equipment that can bring a unit’s mission to a halt.
“I get a sense of pride knowing that I’m delivering parts that put aircraft in the air,” said Shepard-Helm. “It’s honestly great. We go all around base to all these different units and learn and experience what they do and what they need to work; after a while, you start to see the big picture of how one unit affects the other and ultimately, at the end of it all -- all those jets get airborne. There’s no better feeling.”
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.11.2016 00:36 |
| Story ID: | 192010 |
| Location: | OSAN AIR BASE, 41, KR |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Cargo delivery team keeps Osan’s mission rolling, by TSgt Travis Edwards, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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