TOWNSVILLE, QSD, Australia -- Port Airmen are performing key roles in daily flights working with maintenance team members and the Royal Australian Air Force during Operation KENNEY’S RETURN.
For OKR, these specialized Airmen are responsible for loading and unloading aircraft, training maintenance teams on palletized loading and unloading procedures, all while across the globe at RAAF Base Townsville.
“The goal for our Port team is to gain experience working in a Joint and Coalition environment and practice our Mission-Ready Airman concepts,” said Tech. Sgt. Rory Kaplan, 7th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron NCO in charge of special handling. “At the same time, we need to practice figuring out solutions to problems as they arise with limited resources and equipment.”
Kaplan explained this is a challenge for some of the team as a few members haven’t been on temporary duty before.
“Townsville is a fantastic first experience for the team,” said Kaplan. “This type of operational environment has allowed them to find solutions to the challenges we face. Our objectives are to get as much experience as possible and focus on problem solving innovative solutions thus ensuring mission success.”
Problem solving and building a team is the cornerstone mission goal of Operation KENNEY’S RETURN. OKR was created by the 62d Airlift Wing, named after World War II Air Force Gen. George C. Kenney, known for his many successful missions across the Pacific, and his exceptional leadership and combat innovation.
“Being here in Australia has been a great experience,” said Senior Airman Dionne Hardrick, 7th EAS cargo specialist and special handling representative. “I’ve been learning a lot and enjoy working with our Australian counterparts. Getting to know them and watch how they handle cargo, seeing how they handle their workload, and how that compares to how we do it has been a rewarding experience.”
Port Airmen are also working with maintenance teams to train together, teaching each other what they know, so every member of the OKR team has experience beyond their normal duty role.
“It’s really interesting to see all the different aspects of what is going on here,” said Hardrick. “I learned a lot while preparing to come here and even more now that we have arrived. Operation Kenney’s Return has been a great learning experience for me and I’m glad I am a part of it.”
Team members learning and operating at a high level is vital and another big part of the overall goal for OKR.
“We are thrilled to be here and are enjoying the opportunity to work alongside our maintenance teams and Australian counterparts,” said Kaplan. “It’s really a pleasure to be here because everyone understands the bigger picture and why successfully accomplishing our tasks is important. As a total force, we have been in the correct mindset and be able to get the mission accomplished every time.”