‘Port Dawgs’ Send the Goods
By Staff Sgt. James Merriman
Published Date: Feb. 12, 2020
JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. (Feb 12, 2020) – ‘Port Dawgs’, a nickname for the Airmen of 437th Aerial Port Squadron (APS), responsible for processing and handling cargo that enters and leaves Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
One of their most significant missions revolves around operations in South America in which the porters prepare and send supplies directly to Honduras to support military bases. They spend hours weighing, marking boxes, and building pallets that hold up to 10,000 lbs to be loaded onto C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from Little Rock AFB, Ark. “We get all kinds of cargo for the Honduras mission,” said Senior Airman Clinton Pope, 437th APS aerial porter. “Mostly rations but we also send medical supplies, like blood and plasma.”
The 437th APS is a key component of what makes the Air Force the ready and lethal force it is today. In this instance, they are sending rations, but they also ship munitions, aircraft parts, and other military equipment. This responsibility stays in the front of Pope’s mind.
“Without this weekly shipment the military installations wouldn’t have food,” said Pope. “It’s really satisfying to know that I’m helping our people out.”
Without the ‘Port Dawgs’ hard work and dedication, the needed food, blood and everyday supplies wouldn’t make it to the people that need them. The mission would slow to a grinding halt, and it could even mean the difference between life and death.
-30-