Texas reservists anchor critical war-supply hub Published March 30, 2007 By Senior Airman Candace Romano 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- The drone of forklifts moving pallets breaks the smoke-filled haze as dozens of aerial porters work against the clock to expedite critical missions. Whether it's aircraft parts, ammunition, fire trucks or heavily-armored vehicles, members of the 332nd Aerial Port Flight (APF) here palletize them, load them on aircraft and sent them down range. "Balad is the aerial-port hub for all of Iraq," said Maj. Preston McFarren, an Air Force reservist from the 433rd Airlift Wing at Lackland AFB, Texas, and the aerial port flight commander here. "We run a huge operation for cargo movement." According to Major McFarren, the self-proclaimed "Port Dawgs" move roughly 50 percent more tonnage than the busiest Air Mobility Command ports in the U.S. Their mission is saving time, getting supplies to war fighters and, potentially, saving lives. "The more cargo we can put in the air, the more we can reduce the size and frequency of convoys out on the road," said Chief Master Sgt. Steven Saxon, another Lackland AFB reservist, serving as superintendent for the 332nd. "If it can go by air, we send it that way." The smaller and fewer the convoys, the less time troops must spend in the line of fire. "During this rotation, it is estimated we will have prevented more than 190 convoys and saved over 10,000 soldiers from being placed in harm's way on Iraqi roads," said Senior Airman Michael Olsen, an air transportation journeyman deployed from Little Rock AFB, Ark. "I'm very proud of the job we're doing, and the impact we're having is rewarding." Another critical aspect of their job is speed. The mission tempo requires porters here to load aircraft nearly twice as fast as a typical stateside mission. Even the numbers add up quickly--during their tours, porters are expected to move about 6,955 cargo missions and process more than 73,900 passengers, according to Staff Sgt. Thomas Roberts, NCO in charge of data records. "They move a tremendous amount of cargo and passengers, getting the job done through hard work and a whole lot of willpower," said Major McFarren. "As busy as this flight is, and in spite of the reduced manpower we're working with, what's being accomplished here is a real testament to the abilities of the Airmen and NCOs. The work they're doing is absolutely phenomenal. While they spend most of their time moving combat supplies, porters here sometimes handle the most precious of cargo: remains of servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice. "Seeing a fallen comrade going home makes us comprehend the realities of war," said Airman 1st Class Luther Franklin, an air-transportation journeyman deployed from Charleston AFB, S.C. "It puts things in perspective. It's hard to see, but it's an honor for us to do it." To Airman Franklin, the tough parts of their job--the long hours and hard work--aren't a burden; they are a means for porters to help protect those still in the line of fire. "When we see armor kits and water going down range, we know it's keeping coalition forces alive," he said.