COMMENTARY>>Aerial porters and logistics readiness Airmen team up to save lives in Iraq

By Chaplain (Capt.) Dave DePinho
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing

BALAD AIR BASE and CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq — As the chaplain to the 732nd Air Expeditionary Group, it’s my job to visit to the Air Force “In Lieu Of “ (ILO) Airmen serving in Army positions around Iraq. Along the way, I visit other Airmen including the heroes of the 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Aerial Port Detachments. These men and women load and unload cargo on aircraft.

Their efforts ensure thousands of tons of cargo reach the fighters at the end of the line who depend on those supplies of “Beans, Bullets & Band-Aids.” They are some of the many unsung heroes of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

During my tour which began in January 2007, I visited the Aerial Port at Contingency Operating Base Speicher in northern Iraq, or “COB Speicher” as it is known. Their commander, Maj. Scott Belanger, is an incredible leader who has built a solid team under spartan conditions. Working a relentless 24/7 operation, he has interfaced with his Army counterparts at COB Speicher to significantly reduce the number of convoys on the ground where IED attacks have claimed so many lives.
The term “convoy mitigation” was coined to describe efforts at the highest levels to decrease convoy exposure to IEDs. Rather than put certain supplies on trucks, these supplies such as food, replacement parts and other items are prepared for air shipment and put on airlift.

This decreases the number of service members and contract drivers in harm’s way. This method of transport has become a success story that is seldom told. Major Belanger has captured the spirit of this effort and expanded it.

He has done this by educating Army leaders at COB Speicher concerning the Air Force’s considerable airlift capacity when empty aircraft leave after depositing their supplies. Now when the 732nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, Det 1 Retrograde Property Action Team or “RPAT” as it is called, has vehicles to process to another base or out of Iraq completely, the Air Force is there to do much of the heavy lifting. My thanks and gratitude goes out to the Aerial Port at COB Speicher for pushing for this additional mission. They are motivated only by a desire to see more of our men and women safely reach home.

Major Belanger and his people are heroes who should be thanked.

The story doesn’t end there. The mission of the RPAT at Speicher is an ILO position. In other words, this Army mission is manned by Airmen.

That’s how I was made aware of this wonderful and noble cooperation which brings so much additional labor (a labor of love) to the Aerial Port. The previous RPAT officer in charge, Lieutenant Rousche, who had knowledge of the Air Force’s capabilities, was the start of this cooperation. He brought the idea to Major Belanger who doggedly pursued it with the Army until it became a reality. The work continues under the new RPAT team lead by Capt. John Foley.

Fast forward to my visit in April to Al Taqaddum. The same conditions exist at this Marine base as exists at COB Speicher. They are working hard at convoy mitigation. Al Taqadum also has an Air Force manned RPAT team led by one very sharp Capt. John Weeks, who just arrived there in early April, and a top-notch Aerial Port under the capable leadership of Maj. Steve Henske.

Knowing both of them and their desire to go above and beyond for the men and women in the field, I assumed the same arrangement was already underway there, too. So when I visited with the RPAT team, I asked if they had been shipping vehicles out by air as at COB Speicher. As they had only just begun their mission there, they didn’t know it could be done, but were excited about the possibilities. By the end of the day, Captain Weeks had contacted Major Henske and a mission was born!

Major Henske was quick to sign on. In fact, his forward thinking and willingness to do whatever it takes to help our forces in Iraq had previously led him to travel to Fallujah where he interfaced with Marine commanders and educated them concerning the Air Force’s considerable lift capabilities to move men and machine in the relative safety of the skies rather than expose more men and women to the roads where IEDs threaten them.

It has been my privilege to witness these sorts of heroic and selfless actions on the part of our Air Force men and women throughout Iraq.

Their efforts translate into more men and women returning home safely. It is humbling to minister to them. We all know about the Air Force fighters and bombers and those who pilot them. We know about their tremendous contributions and that they are all heroes. However, I have met and talked with men and women who never leave the ground, who load airplanes, process supplies and the pilots of cargo planes who work and fly throughout Iraq.

As a result the word “hero” has come to mean more.A hero isn’t just the guy or gal who faces bullets and death. A hero is also the man or woman who fights fatigue and pressures of crucial coordination. A hero works a relentless 24/7 operation without a break for months on end.

A hero is the Airman who responds to the challenge of a commander with a “Yes, sir, we can make it happen,” when he is already tasked up to his eyeballs because he knows he will save lives doing it.

Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do, are the Core Values that define our Airmen even when fatigue and hardship make living them a real test of character.

These folks have been tested and have proven themselves up to the job! So when you or a loved one return home, don’t forget to thank the heroes behind the scenes, those “other” men and women of the U.S. Air Force.