CDF key to deployment success

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rodney D. Ivey
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  Airmen at the cargo deployment function here at Mountain Home processed more than 800 tons of cargo during the Phase I portion of Exercise Sharpshooter 08-03 here, Feb. 2 through 4.

Phase I of the exercise assessed the wing's ability to transition from peacetime readiness to a wartime posture by deploying a specified amount of aircraft, personnel and equipment to another theater of operations in a short period of time.

Along with the aircraft launched to take the fight to the adversary, so too must go the equipment and assets required to sustain operations once the aircraft and personnel are in theater. That's where the CDF comes in.

"The mission of the cargo deployment function is to process every squadron's cargo that's leaving this base," said Tech. Sgt. Stuart Link, 366th Logistics Readiness Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of air terminal operations. "The CDF checks for air worthiness of cargo, ensures pallets have been properly built and labeled and also provides load teams to upload and secure the cargo on transport aircraft."

During a readiness exercise, the CDF employs 95 personnel from different work areas around the base. They are trained beforehand on the rules and regulations of Air Force cargo movement and processing so they are available to support exercises or real world deployments.

"The key to a well run CDF is training," said Sergeant Link. "All assigned personnel must have a good understanding of cargo transportation concepts and regulations and what their individual role is in the CDF."

It is up to commanders and supervisors to ensure their personnel's training is current.

"This action will lead to mission success during deployments and exercises," said Sergeant Link.

"The CDF is a critical portion of the deployment machine," he said. "Without a well run CDF, cargo transportation by airlift could be hampered causing the machine to seize."