CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Need a runway at your forward operating base? You could have one soon, courtesy of Charleston AFB.
Charleston AFB is currently working to move numerous shipments of airfield matting overseas to help create landing strips and taxiways in a number of remote locations.
Airfield matting is used to accelerate airfield construction by eliminating the time required for placing cement or asphaltic concrete pavement and allows the military to go to remote areas of the world and lay an airfield in a fraction of the time it would typically take.
Charleston AFB has been tasked with receiving, processing, loading and airlifting all but a small portion of the AM-2 matting currently heading downrange. Throughout this project, Charleston AFB will ship approximately 32 acres of matting throughout locations in the Middle East.
"The AM-2 matting supports the force build-up for Operation Enduring Freedom," said Lt. Col. Robert Neal Jr., 437th Aerial Port Squadron commander. "The matting is being used for various forward operating base construction projects."
The second generation mats are one-and-a-half inch thick aluminum alloy panels, 12-feet-by-2-feet, and each weighing approximately 150 pounds. Nonskid ferrous coating is factory-applied to the wearing surface and mats are fastened together by interlocking connectors and secured with locking bars. Mats can be laid on the ground or a subsurface of soil-cement after required grading and leveling.
Throughout the next few months, Charleston AFB will palletize and load 87 percent of the required AM-2 supplies being sent overseas. Kadena Air Base, Japan, will be responsible for shipping out the remaining 13 percent.
"In order for Charleston to ship all the supplies, multiple missions out of Charleston on wide-body aircraft will be flown," said Colonel Neal. "A majority of the supplies will be moved on B-747s and C-5s. Some of the supplies have gone out on C-17s, to include a couple of Charleston aircraft."
Paul Reiff, Naval Air Systems Command, Expeditionary Air Field integrated team leader says it only takes a few weeks to complete a full airfield when using the airfield matting as opposed to the three to five years it would normally take.
"AM-2 matting is the basic thing you need to get your logistics set up at forward operating bases," said Kenneth Lane, Cherokee Information Systems distribution process advocate. "The military can take matting to a remote area, create a landing strip and then bring in heavy equipment to continue working on a base."
Another reason the matting is so important in building forward operating bases is because it's not permanent.
"We can remove the matting, lay asphalt, lay the matting on top of the asphalt until it settles and then remove the matting from the airfield," said Mr. Reiff.
If matting were to become broken or damaged throughout its lifetime, it would not go to waste.
"Because it is aluminum, it has a high-end resale value," said Mr. Reiff. "Broken and damaged aluminum can be sold in bulk to help provide funds back to the armed services."
With the focus of operations begning to shift to Afghanistan, the use of airfield matting will prove to be significant in fighting the Global War on Terrorism, Colonel Neal added.
"It is important Charleston AFB delivers the airfield matting in a timely manner to help enable the U.S. open up more forward operating bases in Afghanistan and allow the military to put aircraft at those locations," he said. "It has been primarily Port Dawgs and Dyncorp folks preparing the shipments, but several Marines have arrived within the last two weeks to help. We have a complete operation going on with all four services to set up bases quickly."