CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
A team of Airmen with the 437th Aerial Port Squadron here loaded the first mine-resistant, ambush-protected all-terrain vehicles to be shipped aboard a Boeing 747-400 aircraft for delivery to Afghanistan Nov. 7.
The load began a new phase of delivery for M-ATVs to the Middle East after initial shipments began here Sept. 30.
The 747-400 is a new option for M-ATV delivery which was previously unavailable due to the size of early MRAP models and will bring new advantages through its ability to fly non-stop from Charleston AFB to Afghanistan, delivering vehicles to the warfighter in less than 14 hours.
Along with the opportunity to increase the number of M-ATVs on the ground in Afghanistan, also came a big challenge for the 437 APS, said Master Sgt. Brad Kirk, 437 APS air freight superintendent. The smaller M-ATV allows barely enough clearance to fit through the side door of the 747-400. At one point during loading, the amount of available clearance is reduced to just two inches.
The load crew assigned to the task would need to load five M-ATVs on the 747-400. With a large load and a narrow margin for error, the 437 APS conducted a test load with a vehicle one month beforehand.
"We'd never done it before ... we didn't know if it would fit on the aircraft due to the height of the vehicles," said Sergeant Kirk.
Unlike loading the C-17 or C-5, M-ATVs cannot be driven in from the tail or nose on the 747-400. They must be immobilized with chains and side-loaded on pallets. A two-pallet train, consisting of two 88 by 108-inch platforms a few inches thick, is used. Metal joints connect the pallets together.
Aerial port Airmen were aware the joints at the center of the train would eventually flex under excessive weight and allow the pallets to hinge upward like the roof of a house, making loading impossible, said Tech. Sgt. Matthew Perkins, a section chief with the 437 APS.
To counteract hinging, the aerial port Airmen constructed wooden supports under the belly of the M-ATV. Then, they deflated the tires of the vehicle. Its weight rested on the wooden columns, evenly distributing the load across the full length of both pallets, allowing for a successful load.
Although a test load was accomplished, the full load required five M-ATVs, which was a big difference, said Senior Airman Andy Nanton, an air transportation specialist with 437 APS Ramp Services.
"It's going to be like a tight game of Tetris," he said.
Additionally, other concerns were present. Sheer strength and high-powered equipment are commonly used to move tons of cargo into an aircraft, but it must be accomplished with care, Airman Nanton said.
"The smallest crack in the side-wall of the aircraft will ground [the mission]," he said.
As the first M-ATV began to enter the 747-400, expected challenges surfaced, and the team of Airmen mustered their minds and strength to successfully load the M-ATV.
Airmen towered above the ground on an elevated loading vehicle, searching for ways to inch the M-ATV forward. Grouped together, they pushed, pulled and shoved.
The loading vehicle driver jostled his controls a bit upward, and then down again, compensating for weight changes. The aircraft loadmaster adjusted motorized controls to pull the M-ATV forward; the vehicle slowly entered the aircraft.
After 23 minutes, the M-ATV was through the door - a painstaking task, with four more vehicles to go.
The entire operation was completed in three hours and 12 minutes, just under the three hour and 45 minute layover an aircraft normally has on the ground.
"We'll see the problems and fix them as we go to make it as quick as we can. I think it's very important. We're changing the way that lives are affected. The [M-ATVs] save lives," Sergeant Barnes said. "So, I feel like [we're] a big part of it."