CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Capt. John Ramsey is a member of the 17th Airlift Squadron and has been stationed at Charleston AFB for 5 months.
He is currently deployed to the Middle East, and is assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron.
In his deployed unit, Captain Ramsey is a mission planning cell chief and airdrop director. He coordinates C-17 combat airdrop taskings and provides tactical plans to aircrews which integrate mobility forces into the area of responsibility.
While at Charleston AFB, Captain Ramsey performs duties as the assistant director of operations for the 17 AS and is also a C-17 airdrop instructor pilot. He assists in the day-to-day management and training of 161 pilots and loadmasters, ensuring a 100 percent mission-ready force.
Captain Ramsey said the most memorable aspect of his deployment was his unit's accomplishments during the month of September. The 816 EAS unit airdropped 1,348 bundles of supplies, weighing a total of 2,207,200 pounds. The amount was a single-month record in Afghanistan, he said.
"I feel that [recognition] deservedly belongs to the riggers, maintainers, pilots and loadmasters who perform remarkably on a daily basis," he said.
According to Captain Ramsey, what he likes best about his job is the opportunity to fly and instruct other pilots.
"I have a passion for instructing and I'm fortunate to be able to do it on a daily basis. My deployed job provides a great sense of satisfaction in knowing we are delivering mission essential supplies to forward deployed forces, which allows them to maintain the ability to pursue our nation's global interests. The ability to airdrop these supplies alleviates the number of convoys on the roads to some of these remote areas and keeps military members out of harm's way."
Captain Ramsey said his career goal is to continue flying as long as possible.
This "warrior of the week" hails from Goldsboro, N.C., where his family settled after several military moves during his childhood. He has been in the Air Force for nine years.
Lt. Col. Rebecca Sonkiss, 816 EAS director of operations, said Captain Ramsey has had a major impact on every airdrop the unit has accomplished.
"Captain Ramsey developed the spin-up plan for the 816 EAS airdrop operations on the deployment. His oversight of the mission planning cell and training of 48 airdrop crewmembers enabled not just seamless operations, but 100,000 pounds more support to our ground forces in one month," she said. "Captain Ramsey exemplifies the quiet professional."