DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Team Dover continues to implement Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr.'s “Accelerate Change or Lose” action orders by utilizing multi-capable Airmen from the 436th Maintenance Squadron to alleviate a recent 300% mission surge within the 436th Aerial Port Squadron.
“[Maintenance Airmen] were able to assist the Port Dawgs with building cargo onto aircraft pallets, which enabled us to sustain Ukraine requirements, while ensuring continued support for our ongoing [U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Central Command] channel missions,” said Lt. Col. Randon Davis, 436th APS commander.
The Airmen were originally trained on multiple aspects of the 436th APS in preparation for the 2022 Liberty Eagle Readiness Exercise, which tested Dover AFB’s ability to generate, employ and sustain airpower in a contested and degraded operational environment.
“We were able to test [MCA during LERE], but to see it actually in motion at the freight terminal, just validates the concept,” said Senior Master Sgt. Arnold Ogle, 436th Aerial Port Squadron senior enlisted leader. “It’s possible [and] it’s feasible.”
Six Airmen have augmented at the aerial port thus far. The augmentation is expected to extend to different squadrons within the Mission Generation Group.
“Following our current mission surge, I would like to send Aerial Port Airmen to other squadrons to train and assist with their mission sets outside of exercise purposes,” said Davis.