Joint training sharpens skills for Airmen and Soldiers

Airmen from the 60th Aerial Port Squadron and the Army National Guard's 49th Police Brigade practice loading and sling loading vehicles on a CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopter Oct. 14, 2015, at Travis Air Force Base, California. The units also practiced night time operations in total darkness with the aid of night vision goggles. (U.S. Air Force photo by T.C. Perkins Jr.)

Published Oct. 22, 2015
By Ellen Hatfield
349th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Participating in joint training with their 49th Military Police Brigade partners, Travis Air Force Base, California's 60th Aerial Port Squadron Airmen got to call a CH-47 Chinook helicopter their office for the day Oct. 14.

Headquartered just outside the Travis gate, the 49th MP Brigade is California's only Army National Guard military police brigade, and is tasked as the Homeland Response Force supporting FEMA region 9. They must be ready to go within 12 hours of notification, so the plans section looks for any chance to exercise training opportunities with Team Travis.

This time, training was established by Warrant Officer 2 Laurel Benghauser, 49th MP Brigade rotary wing planner. It entailed sling load training with a Chinook helicopter using a Humvee.

At the completion of the sling load, the combined teams from the 49th MP Brigade and 60th APS continued operations into the evening, allowing them to validate both Air and Army personnel on Engine Run Offload, using Night Vision Goggles under no-light conditions. The Chinook and flight crew belonged to the 40th Combat Aviation Brigade from Fresno, California.

According to Plans NCO in-charge, MSG Jerry Davis, the 49th MP Brigade was testing a proof of concept to validate the use of helicopters to insert communications equipment, operational support and light vehicles into an area of a disaster, if roads and bridges become unusable or gridlocked.

"We need to continuously improve our ability to get our equipment into the air," Davis said. "The 60th APS has been a critical partner is our increased readiness. Being able to expand our joint training to rotary wing is a win for all units involved."

Certified and qualified to perform duties of NVG operations for the 60th APS were: Senior Airmen Alexander Robinson and Tobias Richards, both special handling journeymen, Michael McIntyre, cargo operations journeyman; Airmen First Class Daniel Gardner and Sean Platt, both cargo operations journeymen, and A1C Tyler Perdue, ramp operations journeyman.

According to Staff Sgt. Leah Johnson, 60th APS special handling supervisor, as their Airmen return from deployments, more are experiencing rotary winged missions. This was the very first training opportunity to work rotary winged operations using NVG.

"We're seeing the need to have our porters gain experience and understanding of how to work with and support rotary winged operations," Johnson said. "Seizing unique training opportunities like this gives them more experience under their belt to use for future operations."