Airlift ‘dawgs’ train at Dobbins

  • Published
  • By Capt. Sarah Atherton
  • 908th Airlift Wing
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. --  The 25th Aerial Port Squadron (APS) recently sent 22 members to the Transportation Proficiency Center (TPC) at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga. for the Reservists' first "fly-away" of 2014.

The TPC's vision: "create a learning environment to provide the world's best trained Aerial Port personnel to support the Air Force and our joint partners."

Senior Airmen Jason McKenzie was excited to be part of the team to attend the training.
"I love fly aways for the exposure to the equipment we get and the ability to focus solely on our job without the normal distractions of a UTA weekend," he said.

With the instructors of TPC standing by to help, the team went back to the basics of their job by creating and processing manual manifests and load plans. Our members also built pallets, loaded, off-loaded and broke down freight for transport on various types of aircraft. Also, the TPC staff made the training beneficial by creating multiple driving courses for the 10K forklift, All-Terrain forklift, Next Generation Small Loader and 60K Tunner loader.

As an observer, I was in awe of these 22 Airmen from the moment they stepped foot through the TPC doors. They didn't wait for an instructor to lead the way and walk them through the training; they jumped in and went right to work.

With Master Sgt. Joshua Simons as the lead, senior members already familiar with the facility and training program took charge. The Airmen immediately divided into sections and began training. It was like watching a choreographed production. Everybody knew their roles and executed their responsibilities.

In the Global Air Transportation Execution System computer lab, Senior Airman Rachel Hill described her training.

"At Maxwell we use a training module of GATES and it doesn't usually cooperate long enough for us to work through an entire scenario," she explained, "but here at the TPC lab, we were able to use their system and make it through an entire scenario."

Senior Master Sgt. Louis Agredo, the senior instructor at TPC, said he was not surprised by the impressive display of teamwork and dedication the members of 25th APS displayed.

"The 25th APS is one of the few units that really takes advantage of the schoolhouse and the training opportunities here at Dobbins," he said.

With a deployment on the horizon for the Port Dawgs, the leadership at Maxwell can rest assured that the members from the 25th Aerial Port Squadron will "DYDJ" with an excellence that will positively influence the mission of the Air Force.