Photo By Spc. Justin Snyder | A UH-60 Black Hawk flies over southern Baghdad July 19 during a mission coordinated by...... read more read more
By Spc. Justin Snyder
Multi-National Division - Center
CAMP VICTORY, Iraq – It's a bird, it's a plane, it's, it's...... whatever it is, the G-3 Air operations cell most likely coordinated for it and the cargo it is carrying.
The G-3 Air operations cell is a crucial link in the success of the Multi-National Division – Center's mission in Iraq.
"We are the guys that make flying possible for any Soldier trying to get somewhere," said Maj. Mark Herold, G-3 operations officer.
Any Soldier includes the movement of senior leaders and members of the command group as well as a private first class needing to travel from Forward Operating Base Delta to Baghdad International Airport to head home on leave.
On an average, the operations cell, which consists of 25 personnel, receives nearly 130 air movement requests per day – not including the mid-trip pickups and fuel ups the aircraft may make during its travels to various destinations.
They also have a battle captain at the division operations center who takes care of the requests for convoy support and air assault missions.
After receiving an air movement request, they prioritize requests and manifest the Soldiers in order of importance.
The planners use a method called "coloring packs" to prioritize requests, which places the requests as one of four colors.
Pink represents generals, brigade combat team commanders and Morale Welfare and Recreation entertainers. They are the highest priority.
Green requests are from groups such as Team Borlaug, (a Texas A&M University agricultural research team touring Iraq and offering local leaders suggestions on improving agriculture in their area.) The work of groups such as this is important, and their flight requests are usually met within a margin of plus or minus 30 minutes.
Yellow is all other military personnel, and white comprises missions of least priority.
"We use the color code system to keep things organized, and it works very well when it comes to who needs to be where," said Herold, a native of Waterloo, Iowa. "While different flights are of different priority, we still do our best to get people where they need to go."
A lot of communication between the G-3 Soldiers, the pilots and flight line employees is required before the mission can be a success.
"From the time we get an air movement request to the day the flight even happens, it takes a solid three days," said Herold.
These requests are first processed and then evaluated, where the request is placed into one of the categories listed above. They then begin the process of tracking the request.
"After we get the request and prioritize it, we send it to the Task Force 49 planning cell where they plan the route for the aircraft. It then comes back to us where we check it and then post it to the SIPR net where Soldiers can check their information," said Herold.
"It's a big circle, and it's important that everyone knows what's happening. We are really the organizers behind the flights, and it's important that we do things right ... or the mission might not happen," added Herold.
Herold said the most common reason for not catching a flight is inclement weather.
"Around here, weather can be your best friend or your worst friend," said Herold. "It comes down to do we fly or not. Most of the time, about 90% of the flights gets cancelled, and they require a new AMR.
"If we were to just bump it back a day, then we'd have twice as many flights the next day. No matter what happens, we go right back to work the following day," he said.
They also have the necessary people in place for personnel recovery in case of an unexpected crash. They have support that can tell you where any Soldier or equipment is plus or minus two minutes at any given moment.
"We are not the guys who are out kicking in doors or outside the wire on the ground," said Herold. "However, making sure that the people who are out there get where they need to go and doing it in a timely matter is a huge deal. We are their support."
Tips to boarding a flight successfully:
Make sure your requests are in to the G-3 Air Operations cell no later than 8 a.m.
Other options for boarding a flight can be to schedule a space available flight, where you try to fill an empty seat on a flight or get placed on stand-by, where you show up at the flight line and check for open spots. Try multiple options for boarding
Always look for Space A flights, between 1300-2000.
Prior coordination will make your process easier. Let the cell know what you are trying to do in advance and they can try and meet your needs.
When filling out your air requests, be specific in the justification block. That is the main thing they look for when prioritizing. Take the extra seconds to let them know why you need to go where your asking.
Be flexible! A lot of people don't fly because they don't get exactly what they are asking for. The more flexible you are, the more likely you are to fly.
| Date Taken: | 11.07.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 11.17.2008 09:50 |
| Story ID: | 26441 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 246 |
| Downloads: | 199 |
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