News

Reserve Airmen prepare to take aerial port role to Southwest Asia

  • Published
  • By Sandra Pishner
  • 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD FIELD, Wash. --  In late February, Reservists with the 36th Aerial Port Squadron will deploy to Southwest Asia to help move things along. Responsible for the movement of passengers and cargo, about 35 of the McChord Field-based Airmen will serve overseas for about six months.

The squadron, as an aerial port, serves as the point of embarkation and debarkation at any location to which it deploys. While serving in Southwest Asia, the Reserve Airmen will be heavily involved in the continuing redeployment of forces from Afghanistan.

"We'll be operating the whole aerial function (at the deployed locations)," Master Sgt. Daniel Blas. "I've been there before. Along with myself, there is an additional person who has been there before, so we've explained to those going for the first time that there have been a lot of upgrades to the facilities."

Ensuring the team of Reservists is ready to go, the squadron leadership split the annual tour of duty.

"We did a split annual tour (one week) in November and one week in January. We're trying to take care of all our CBTs (computer-based training), scheduling people for shots and medical appointments, firing the M-4s. Just all the administrative work that makes us eligible to even be deployable," explains Blas, a deputy with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Department.

Although deploying to locations outside of Afghanistan, Blas knows the work aerial port Airmen will be doing is important to supporting the mission.

"Up until the time everybody is out, there will still be incoming cargo and people. We anticipate being there for the push out also. We want our Airmen to know that what they do there affects everything up and down range," says Blas. "What we do there is very, very important. Just because we're not in Afghanistan - don't minimize the importance of what we do."

These Reservists are deploying on a scheduled air expeditionary force rotation.