Air Transportation; a walk in the park for Port Dawgs
By Airman 1st Class Tiffany Price, 325th Fighter Wing public affairs
/ Published February 04, 2021
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- From humanitarian supplies and various armaments, to maintenance equipment and parts for aircraft, the 325th Logistics Readiness Squadrons air transportation operations flight has seen and moved it all.
The 325th LRS aerial transporters, also widely known as ‘port dawgs’, are responsible for inspecting, loading, unloading and transporting all cargo and passengers as quickly and safely as possible.
Tyndall hosts several large-scale exercises every year, including Checkered Flag which happens bi-yearly and Weapons System Evaluation Programs which are hosted monthly and include aircraft and personnel from around the country.
“Here at Tyndall, we have mostly moved passengers and different types of maintenance equipment [for] the wide range of aircraft that these exercises host as that is our primary mission here,” said Staff Sgt. Brady Runk, 325th LRS air transportation function supervisor. “This can be anything from generator carts to whole aircraft engines for cargo movements.”
When transporting cargo, the port dawgs perform joint inspections where they work with the cargo’s unit to inspect each pallet for hazards and potential safety violations. Staff Sgt. Dylan Rymer, 325th LRS air transportation function supervisor, explained that the purpose of performing a JI is to ensure that all hazardous material is properly packed and labeled for airlift and that it’s separated from other cargo so it does not pose a flight risk. They also ensure that palletized cargo is air worthy, properly built and secured for transportation.
As January’s WSEP came to an end, the aerial transporters were tasked with preparing a C-130 Hercules and a KC-46 Pegasus for departure. Over 30 Airmen with Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing had participated in the exercise and were enroute back home.
“All passengers or ‘pax’, are vetted to ensure they are eligible for travel as well as getting [the] pax and baggage weight,” said Tech. Sgt. Abraham Rivera, 325th LRS air transportation non-commissioned officer in charge of air terminal operations. “Along with that, we also follow new COVID-19 guidelines implemented by higher headquarters that requires all pax to fill out a health questionnaire and take their temperature to ensure the safety of all air transportation reps, aircrew, and the pax themselves.”
With the dedicated support of the air transportation operations flight, Tyndall is able to accomplish its mission in training and projecting unrivaled combat air power safely and efficiently.