MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Marines and sailors at the station Air Terminal tirelessly supported aircraft, load and unload cargo and personnel in support of Operation Tomodachi.
Operation Tomodachi is a joint humanitarian effort implemented by U.S. and Jpanaese governments to give affected residents supplies and relief.
The three different departments that keep the Air Terminal running are Air Freight, Passenger Service Center and the Air Terminal Operations Center.
ATOC deals in communicating with the aircraft, ensuring the Marines and sailors are ready to support them before they land or take off.
“We assist the aircraft with anything they need before they land,” said Seaman Deante Patterson, a station Air Terminal ATOC logistics specialist. “That way they can get on and off deck as soon as possible to complete the mission.”
The aircraft on approach to the station radio into ATOC and make appropriate arrangements.
“That‘s when it comes to us,“ said Lance Cpl. Sean Jones, an ATOC clerk. “If they request fuel, then we make sure they get it. If they have passengers or cargo, we get the manifests that go to Air Freight and the Passenger Service Center. That way everyone knows who and what is coming in and going out.”
The Air Freight Marines use the cargo manifest as an inventory to keep track of the supplies and gear that is needed for the different aircraft.
Air Freight Marines receive gear that comes off of cargo planes such as KC-130s. The cargo can range from humanitarian relief supplies to operational equipment.
“We get all the cargo ready for the aircraft here,” said Cpl. Ryan Phetsouphan, the Air Freight noncommissioned officer in charge. “If it weren’t for Air Freight Marines, the cargo wouldn’t be able to get prepared and loaded or unloaded from the aircraft.”
More than one million pounds of cargo, including water, power generators, hygiene gear and various other supplies needed by the disaster victims, has left Iwakuni since Operation Tomodachi began.
“We’ve done a lot of support for Operation Tomodachi,” Phetsouphan said. “We had to move Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 and MWSS-172 equipment onto KC-130s when the operation first started so that the supplies sent later could be unloaded and delivered to the people who need them most.”
Like the cargo, the passengers don’t get on and off the aircraft by themselves. Passenger service agents from the Passenger Service Center are there to make sure passengers are taken care of and get to where they need to be.
“We’re sending Marines and sailors to their destinations in northern Japan so they can help as much as possible,” said Pfc. Jaiyon Gibbs, a station Air Terminal passenger service agent. “If they need more gear we’ll send them gear. If they need more people to help, we’ll send them more people, anything to get the mission done.”
Even with more hours devoted to work, one of the biggest regrets these Marines and sailors have is that they can’t go up north and help with the relief efforts more directly.
“We’ve put in a lot of work to get this mission done,” Gibbs said. “As much as we would love to go up there and help, somebody needs to stay behind to help support the aircraft and personnel here.”
The mission isn’t accomplished by one person. It takes a team.
“It’s all teamwork,” Gibbs said. “In order for the terminal to operate it takes teamwork. We assist everybody that needs to be taken care of.”
The old terminal is only able to support approximately 200 passengers. The new terminal can support upwards of 800 passengers. The new terminal also has areas the passengers can go to relax and watch TV before their flights.
The crew at the station air terminal is critical in the station’s ability to function as a resupply hub for Operation Tomodachi, and they daily display their dedication to support service members in completing their mission.