AUGUST 6, 2024 – In the heart of challenging and dynamic operational environments, where resources are scarce, an elite team of aerial porters from the 387th Air Expeditionary Squadron Quick Reaction Team (QRT) are the unsung heroes of mission success in the U.S. Central Command, where they rapidly deploy to austere locations at a moment’s notice.
For example, in early June, aerial porters from the 387th AES QRT forward deployed to an undisclosed location to enable humanitarian aid delivery to displaced persons in the region. This is one of many examples of the QRT’s ability to rapidly deploy and it highlights their unique mission set—one that is vital to multiple movement, maneuver, and sustainment objectives across CENTCOM.
Aerial porters from the QRT are highly specialized and dedicated, uniquely positioned to respond rapidly to emergent taskings to support deployment, redeployment, and sustainment missions for joint partners across 11 countries in the CENTCOM theater. As the only dedicated QRT of aerial porters in the U.S. Air Force, they support dynamic logistical movements to provide air transportation expertise and capabilities essential for ensuring the safe and efficient movement of cargo and personnel.
The primary mission of aerial porters is to oversee the loading and transport of passengers and cargo including the joint inspection of hazardous cargo and equipment, such as weapons and ammunition. QRT aerial porters specialize in deploying on very short notice to locations where immediate specialist transportation support is required, acting as a crucial link between various entities involved in mission operations and serving as a conduit for communication and coordination.
The 387 AES QRT is made up of 25 expert aerial porters from multiple installations, spanning five bases across the U.S. and deployed to the CENTCOM area of responsibility for six-month increments. Their skills are in high-demand, and they must be ready to deploy and work as small teams in challenging and austere environments from the moment they arrive in theater. Their ability to navigate complex logistical processes is instrumental in streamlining mission operations and overcoming potential deployment challenges with joint partners.
“It is like track and field when you’re passing the baton,” said a Senior Airman 387 AES aerial port joint inspector. “People work with what they can on their end and we take the baton and run it to the next place. It is essential because nobody else has the capabilities to do this but us.”
During this rotation, the QRT aerial porters have participated in 33 theater missions, three exercises, and two named operations, moving 4.9K personnel and 27 million pounds of cargo. The QRT also impacts allies and partners, sustaining port operations for Exercise EAGER LION in Jordan, enabling Jordanian Allies to build their humanitarian aid operations, and Exercise FALCON TALON in Pakistan, where they project Agile Combat Employment capabilities with a critical partner bridging two Combatant Commands.
The impact of the QRT extends far beyond the confines of traditional port operations. Through their involvement in humanitarian efforts by hand delivering aid to refugees, joint exercises, and high-visibility movements, the QRT plays a critical role in strengthening relationships between Air Force Central Command, and other components within CENTCOM requiring aerial transportation expertise, such as Army Central Command, Marine Forces Europe, Naval Forces Europe, and Special Operations Command Central. Additionally, the QRT enables global U.S. Transportation Command missions into and out of theater. The QRT enables this type of joint interoperability, which is vital to CENTCOM’s multinational lines of effort.
“When our personnel aren’t on forward missions, they are augmenting the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing’s aerial port every day,” said Lt. Col. Darshan Subramanian, commander of the 387th AES. “This is important because we are the logistics gateway to CENTCOM. The base port must surge rapidly and often. Our QRT enables these surges and complements the
already fantastic aerial port team we have here.”
In the current theater, where forward austere locations lack permanent aerial port capabilities, the 387 AES QRT ensures the dynamic nature of logistics movement and sustainment can be executed short notice for any joint partner in CENTCOM. These movements and sustainment efforts are critical to the consistent projection of forces in support of the U.S., allies, and partners in the region.
Story by Staff Sgt. Danielle McBride
United States Air Forces Central