WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. -- Airmen increased their readiness by participating in a cargo deployment function exercise on base August 3 and 4.
The exercise involved multiple units including the 439th Maintenance Group, 58th and 42nd Aerial Port Squadrons, 337th Airlift Squadron, 439th Civil Engineering Squadron and the 439th Logistics Readiness Squadron.
“The main function is to practice building up cargo, sending it through the cargo deployment function line, and getting it loaded onto the aircraft properly with the proper weight and balances,” said Master Sgt. Michael Teixeira, unit deployment manager for the 439th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.
In total, about 85 tons of cargo were loaded onto a C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft by Westover loadmasters, aerial porters, and contractors.
Teixeira stressed how important exercises like these are when preparing for real-world deployments.
“This is ultimately the job we’ve been tasked to do-- to train here and then take what we have here and deploy to anywhere the air force tells us to. And in order to do that, you need to have the tools, you need to have the equipment in order to do your job at forward operating locations.”
Tech Sgt. David Murphy, a unit deployment manager for the 439th MXG, said the exercise was especially important for the future of their squadrons.
“We’re losing a lot of senior staff over the next few years, a lot of guys are retiring,” Murphy explained. “So, what we really wanted to focus on this exercise was training all the new Airmen so they understand the process. Today was the first day a lot of people actually got to see cargo loaded on an aircraft.”
439th AW Commander Col. Craig Peters and Command Chief Master Sgt. Chin Cox joined Airmen out on the flight line for part of the exercise.
“I want to see Westover warriors in action,” said Chief Master Sgt. Chin Cox, 439th Airlift Wing command chief. “I might not have the opportunity to see what happens when they deploy cargo in a real situation, so watching them practice is the next best thing. It’s good to see deliberate training and how the units are interlaced to complete a mission.”