Pacific aerial porters

MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. – Senior Airman Andrew Cramer directs Senior Airman Baltazar Valdez as he drives a 60,000-ton on/offload vehicle on the flightline here July 20. Airman Cramer is from the 732th Air Mobility Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, and Airman Valdez is from the 731st Air Mobility Squadron, Osan Air Base, Korea. They and four other aerial porters from around the Pacific joined Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, aerial porters Tech. Sgt. Dwayne Johnson and Staff Sgt. Clifton Robertson, 735th Air Mobility Squadron, to train as a team for the Air Mobility Rodeo 2009, July 19-25. Aerial porters are timed and graded on their ability to operate and on/offload cargo using the 60-tunner and a 10,000-ton forklift. Later, they will join the 15th Airlift Wing members for an Engines Running On/Offload event, known as an ERO. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Carolyn Viss)