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JTF-PO leaves Liberia

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Gustavo Gonzalez
  • 621st Contingency Response Wing Public Affairs
ROBERTS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Republic of Liberia --  After almost two months of supporting Operation UNITED ASSISTANCE, approximately 45 Airmen and Soldiers of the Joint Task Force-Port Opening left Liberia along with members of the Navy and Marines in a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, Nov. 13.

Approximately 10 air mobility specialist U.S. Army Soldiers of the 688th Rapid Port Opening Element from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and 79 U.S. Air Force Airmen of the 621st Contingency Response Wing from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., deployed together as a JTF-PO to Liberia beginning Sept. 15. Their mission was to establish a hub for cargo distribution to help alleviate the increased traffic of airflow and cargo during OUA, a Department of Defense operation in Liberia to provide logistics, training and engineering support to U.S. Agency for International Development-led efforts to contain the Ebola virus outbreak in western Africa.

"We established that initial mobility footprint required to augment the airfield," said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Michael Jordan, 817th Global Mobility Squadron superintendent. The air transportation, command and control, maintenance, security, and the support capability that comes with it, was turned over to the 101st Airborne Division."

In order to fully turnover the mission, the JTF-PO worked side-by-side with the 101 AD to review the processes and procedures on the reception of cargo and passengers.

"We made sure they were set up for success so that the movement of cargo can continue to reach the folks who need it the most," Jordan said.

"We shadowed them on the ground so that we can take over their operations," said U.S. Army Spc. Thomas Underwood, 53rd Movement Control Battalion cargo specialist and part of the 101 AD team deployed to relieve the JTF-PO. "Now that the JTF-PO has turned over that mission to us, we will continue the operations they established."

Although most members of the JTF-PO have left Liberia, approximately 20 Airmen stayed behind to continue to support the mission.

"The Airmen stayed behind because their replacements, most of them from JB MDL, are scheduled to arrive at a later date," said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Lebold, 817 GMS air transportation non-commissioned officer in charge. "They will also conduct turnover to ensure the mission continues to run smoothly before they leave."