By Sgt. Dan Purcell
CAMP AL-TAHREER, Baghdad, Iraq -- Whether you are going home or down range, you can always count on the Soldiers working at the West Baghdad International Airport passenger terminal to get you where you need to go.
Commonly referred to as the Aerial Port of Departure or APOD, the passenger terminal is the hub for all military and civilian personnel traffic requiring air transportation to all points within Iraq and abroad. Dedicated professionals staff it around the clock.
"Basically, my job is to track all 1st Cavalry Division Soldiers and attachments entering and exiting this theater of operation," said Sgt. Tonia Jackson, passenger liaison, 15th Personal Service Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. "For example, we are responsible for receiving incoming replacements and pushing them down range to their respective units. We handle Soldiers redeploying, going on leave and passâ?¦wherever 1CD Soldiers go, we know."
According to Jackson, she is in good company, working side by side with Air Force, Soldiers from the Third Armored Corps and civilian personnel.
"We [passenger liaisons] run a 24-hour operation, 365 days a year. There are two... shifts manned by two Soldiers each and a bus driver. The bus driver provides transportation to and from nearby Camp Stryker for incoming Soldiers who are waiting for their units to pick them up," Jackson said.
"Every day is a busy day," Jackson, a native of Roanoke, Va. said. "We coordinate helicopter missions and fixed-wing air support from the Air Force for as many as 350 Soldiers or more a day. Getting people to where they need to go takes a joint military effort between the Army, Air Force and Marines. If we weren't here it would be chaos."
In order to keep things running as smoothly as possible Jackson explained that every effort is made to prioritize requests for transportation.
"A lot of people come in thinking that their mission is more important than the nextâ?¦so, we have to prioritize [those missions] according to their needs because we can't get everyone out at the same time," Jackson said. "For example, a Soldier going home on emergency leave is considered priority number one whereas a Soldier redeploying is considered priority number two. We try, but we can't make everyone happy."
However, most Soldiers are generally happy with the service they receive, despite the occasional delays, because they know that they will get to where they need to go.
"When people come in asking for help, we try to do the best we canâ?¦We had one guy come in wanting to push some ammunition down range, so I ran around until I found him some transportation," Jackson said.
In an expression of his gratitude for a job well done, Maj. Joseph Friedman, Coalition Military Assistance and Training Team, pointed out that his unit "brings hundreds of people through here on their way to destinations all over Iraq, and these guys here at the terminal are outstandingâ?¦I always get the help I need, from transportation to forklifts. We will continue to work through here as we cycle our Soldiers through."
Jackson also said that patience and good customer service skills are prerequisite to continuing the mission, and liking your job helps too.
"The upside of my job is when I can get our Soldiers to where they need to go and accomplish their mission," Jackson smiled. "I especially like it when I know I got a Soldier home in time for something special like the birth of a child."
| Date Taken: | 01.04.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 01.04.2005 08:23 |
| Story ID: | 768 |
| Location: | ABU GHRAIB, IQ |
| Web Views: | 183 |
| Downloads: | 18 |
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