724th AMS Airmen apply excellence AF wide

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Austin Harvill
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  Who comprises Aviano Air Base? Is it the medical staff, or how about the maintainers? What about the support staff for the 31st Fighter Wing? It must be the fighter pilots, right?

While all of the above is true, the base wouldn't have the personnel or supplies necessary to accomplish the mission without the 724th Air Mobility Squadron - literally.

The 724th AMS, a tenant unit headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, provides much of Aviano's transportation needs - and then some. As the Air Force-level small terminal of the year, the 724th AMS raised the bar, said U.S. Air Force Capt. Dan Morris, 724th AMS operations director.

"We got to this point because of our stellar Airmen, foremost," said Morris. "But a lot of our success comes from how we have organized and streamlined our operations, as well as the effort we put into remaining flexible within our designated assignments."

For instance, during Operation United Assistance, the 724th AMS deployed more than 30 percent of the squadron, but still maintained 100 percent of the original mission through flexibility. Part of this success is due to their innovation, as they added four new work stations in the storage facility, which turned desk work into field work, which drastically cut down time to fulfill inventory require ments.

"These guys move tons of equipment and thousands of personnel within hours," said Maj. Jason Wolff, 724th AMS commander. "Whether supporting the joint evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, responding to the Liberian Ebola outbreak or just getting equipment to our units downrange, this squadron has set the standard for small terminal transport."

Meeting these goals requires coordination within the squadron, said Morris. To accommodate both personnel and freight, the unit is divided into three areas: air terminal operations center, freight and passenger terminal.

To keep all the pieces moving together, the ATOC acts as the command and control for the unit's operations.

"Before a plane touches down and after it takes off again, the ATOC puts eyes on the mission," said Senior Airman Javier San-Miguel, 724th AMS information controller. "We utilize capability forecasting, present information control and data records to keep track of the flight from start to finish."

San-Miguel uses capability forecasting with Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, to determine what the unit can and cannot accomplish, as well as determining the most efficient way to complete the mission.

After determining the flight schedule, San-Miguel and other controllers work with pax and freight to coordinate movements between the aircraft and 724th AMS personnel. Finally, once the plane takes off, the ATOC team records the mission and resources spent and transported.

Freight consists of everything that isn't living and breathing. From luggage on the rotator to boxes of ammunition bound for deployment, freight Airmen transport, track and inventory all cargo.

"Once [an aircraft] takes off with cargo for Aviano, we always have eyes on it," said Senior Airman Dan Zamora, 724th AMS passenger service agent. "We transport a lot of high-value items, so accountability is critical for us."

Once it lands at Aviano, freight Airmen take an inventory of the unloaded items and distribute them accordingly. Similarly, before shipping out, the AMS takes inventory, loads and also inspects the items to ensure they are safely tucked away.

If the cargo does, in fact, live and breathe, then pax takes over.

"Personnel are our most valuable asset, so we strive to get them into or through Aviano as fast and conveniently as possible," said Senior Airman Steven Tiell, 724th AMS passenger service agent. "We issue a disembarkation brief, process them through and really just prepare for any questions and concerns."

Passenger terminal Airmen explain the ins-and-outs of the rotator, space-available and permanent change of station or temporary duty travel to alleviate the pressure and stress of the passengers.

Regardless of who, how or what the 724th AMS encounters, Morris knows Aviano is in good hands.

"These Airmen truly earned their recognition by watching each other's back, being proactive and taking initiative," said Morris. "They have, and continue to show, the best customer service and professionalism I have seen in my career, and I know together we will continue a pattern of excellence."