Air drop - a look behind the scenes

by Staff Sergeant Jonathan Hehnly
911th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

12/9/2014 - PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION -- It was a rainy day with low visibility, not the most ideal for an air drop.

The two C-130 Hercules aircraft, loaded with more than 7,600 pounds of simulated cargo, were fighting through the weather as they made their approach to the Cadiz, Ohio, drop zone. The wind was too strong to make the first drop. The planes had to make another pass.

The second pass was a success; so was the third.

Ground personnel stood ready with their heavy equipment, waiting to recover the falling cargo.

Once all four simulated cargo packages landed safely on the ground, the air transportation specialists trudged through the mud to recover the cargo and load it on a trailer for the hour-long ride back to Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station.

"Rain or shine, we are out there to recover the Air Force's assets," said Master Sgt. Will Mosser, an air transportation specialist with the 32nd Aerial Port Squadron. "Our job actually begins after the drop. It's a continuous cycle of being ready for the next mission."

Master Sgt. Mosser and 15 other air transportation specialists, trained as para-riggers, are tasked with the re-packing and rigging of every air drop delivery system used for training by the 758th Airlift Squadron. The trained para-riggers ensure a minimum of 17 air drop delivery systems of different sizes and weights are packed and rigged properly at all times to support the 758th AS's training requirements.

"We provide a training environment for aircrew members, who in turn supply the war-fighter," said Chief Master Sgt. Joseph McArthur, 32nd APS air training manager. "Without [the 32nd APS] the flying squadron can't get the training they need."

The 911th Airlift Wing employs the use of its para-riggers to accomplish an average of 800 airdrops per year. Out of the 43 aerial port squadrons in the Air Force Reserve Command, only nine have trained para-riggers to support a C-130 air drop mission.

This mission provides training for not only aircrew members and para-riggers, but also for those air transportation specialists not para-rigger-trained. It is the remaining men and women of the 32nd APS who upload the heavy equipment platforms and containerized delivery systems onto the plane before take-off and who also recover the cargo after the drop.

The air transportation specialists' responsibilities help the 911th AW maintain mission capability by supporting the beginning and end of the air drop process.

The 911th AW's mission to provide airlift of airborne forces, their equipment and supplies and delivery of these forces and materials by air drop, landing or cargo extraction systems leaves the 32nd APS members involved in the beginning and end of almost every mission, not just air drops.

The five sections of 32nd APS are responsible for handling everything that goes on to a C-130, to include people, equipment and supplies. The squadron's approximately 120 members are divided amongt the air terminal operations center, passenger service, special-handling, cargo, and ramp sections.

The air transportation specialist is the third largest career field in the Air Force with approximately 12,000 members. Despite such a large career field, the 32nd APS has been able to make a name for itself.

In 2006, the 32nd APS became the first air reserve component unit to take over all the leadership positions at an aerial port in the U.S. Air Forces Central Command. Since then, the 32nd APS has run five different aerial ports in theater.

In 2010, the unit was singled out and hand-picked by the Air Mobility director of logistics to go to Bahrain and take over the influx of mine resistant ambush protected vehicles.

"Everything we do is to support the warfighter," said McArthur. "Without APS the planes fly empty and the 'trigger-puller' cannot get what he or she needs."

This is part one of a three part series on Air Drops