Airmen keep things moving in Manas
by Army Sgt. Greg Heath
4th Public Affairs Detachment
10/24/2003 - MANAS, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) -- A few hundred kilometers north of Afghanistan, in the small country of Kyrgyzstan, is Manas Air Base. Here, airmen are doing their part to ensure coalition servicemembers can maintain the fight on the frontlines of the war on terrorism.
Airmen of the 376th Expeditionary Air Wing work 24-hour operations, seven days a week, maintaining the vital flow of people, equipment and supplies out of the primary hub supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
“We make sure they have what they need to keep up the fight down there, so there’s no stopping here,” said Senior Master Sgt. Ian Palmer, 60th/82nd Airport Support Squadron’s air terminal operations center superintendent.
When anything arrives here from overseas, the airmen transfer it from the large cargo planes to the C-130 Hercules aircraft that take everything downrange.
The air base, which shares space with the host nation’s airport, has missions going out hourly every day, mostly to Bagram and Khandahar, where the cargo is then redistributed throughout the various outposts in Afghanistan.
Along with sending vital supplies downrange, the airmen also take pride in handling their most precious cargo -- the servicemembers and civilians going in and out of theater.
“Part of our job is customer service,” Palmer said. “About everybody who comes through here is a customer and we want happy customers.”
Since the airmen have been here about four months, they have handled more than 15,000 passengers, Palmer said.
Whether moving troops or sending them supplies downrange, the airmen are just proud to take care of servicemembers, he said.
“It gives us a good feeling,” Palmer said. “Everyone wants to do their part in the war on terrorism, and this is our way of doing our part.” |
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