51st LRS supports Operation Tomodachi during ORE

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Gena Armstrong
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  The 51st Logistics Readiness Squadron processed 18,000 pounds of cargo here March 14 in support of Operation Tomodachi.

The supplies were being transported to the Ronald Reagan Carrier Group to continue humanitarian aid missions off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

Originally this cargo was scheduled to be transported by ship, but because of the earthquake it got re-routed. The shipment included mission essential supplies such as aircraft parts.

Staff Sgt. Cliff Cooke, 51st LRS traffic management flight, explained how the Airmen in the packing and crating, distribution, and outbound sections all worked together to process everything quickly.

"When the Sailors brought over their cargo, it was already in containers but we had to re-secure all the items inside" said Sgt. Cooke. "We verified all the documentation to make sure each piece was certified correctly, especially if it was hazardous."

Then the traffic management Airmen checked the padding and seals of the containers, and verified its weight and dimensions. They were able to finish all of that in addition to participating in an operational readiness exercise.

"If we didn't keep doing our job during the exercise, there would be a large amount of cargo just stuck there," Sgt. Cooke said. "And that following Monday...we'd be getting more cargo, but there would basically be a road block via a giant surge of cargo."

All of the cargo was processed and shipped by March 16; and the traffic management team can be proud of the role they played in support of the humanitarian mission.

"Without us, the Navy could not get their equipment - things that they need for their planes during the tsunami relief effort," said Senior Airman Bradley Miller, 51st LRS. "So without us, they could not get the necessary parts to where it needs to go."