NOVEMBER 15, 2024 – The movement of blood, food and various essential supplies is critical to ensuring the safety of lives throughout the region. Army parachute riggers assigned to the 421st Quartermaster Company, Detachment 1, initiate the generation of these components in the humanitarian aid process.
Working alongside members of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the riggers prepare supplies to be delivered via regular airdrops, contributing to broader military operations.
“Our mission is to support the U.S. Central Command area with necessary supplies through air transportation,” said the shop foreman. “We typically do blood and food, but our capabilities go beyond that. Our job is vital because we can get supplies to people who aren’t able to receive them with conventional ground transportation. Having the potential to get supplies anywhere is essential to mission success.”
Since May 2024, the detachment has moved 398 bundles, with an overall weight of 396,329 pounds consisting of 597 liters of blood. These bundles were air-dropped during 28 missions in support of humanitarian aid and the Eastern Syria Security Area, reinforcing the parachute riggers’ role as key enablers for the entire region.
The rigging process begins with a delivery of required supplies, followed by organizing and distributing the matching products onto pallets. Once loaded, the soldiers prepare parachutes to attach to them. Finally, the bundles are loaded into aircraft with precision, as a minor mistake could lead to failure in ensuring the drops are capable of being received, which is why riggers go by the motto, “I will be sure, always. “
“Through a system called the Joint-Precision Airdrop System, we can program a GPS location into a computer attached to the parachute,” the foreman explained. “The system can verify landing areas within 10 meters of the designated coordinates, making it crucial for delivering to hard-to-reach areas.”
One of the key aspects of their duties is joint cooperation with the Air Force. The U.S. Air Force provides volunteer support and coordinates flights for the drops, ensuring mission success within limited time frames.
“The volunteers help a lot,” said a rigger with the detachment. “We’re grateful to the U.S. Air Force; they consistently gather a lot of volunteers for every mission. It’s a lengthy process, but they understand we have deadlines to meet because the aircraft doesn’t wait on us.”
Whether it’s to aid children in contested environments or to support U.S. forces, the riggers are committed to supporting those in need.
“It’s nice knowing our job can directly impact so many people,” said a rigger with the 421st QM, Det. 1. “We once sent donuts to kids in a region where they’ve never had them before. Something small that we might take for granted, and they wrote back to us about how thankful they were. Moments like that make working in this career field very fulfilling.”
By Airman 1st Class Zeeshan Naeem, U.S. Air Forces Central