RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- Aerial Porters don't just move cargo. Passengers - mostly service members, but also their families, and retirees - regularly fly into and out of some Air Force airfields, and Aerial Porters are responsible for making sure passengers are properly transported.
In fact, an entire section of the Aerial Porter career field is devoted to operating the passenger terminal at an airfield. Passenger Terminal Specialists security screen passengers, handle checked baggage, issue tickets and seating, and transport passengers to and from aircraft. Consequently, customer service is key.
"You’re constantly interacting with customers with all different attitudes,” said Senior Airman Marquise White, Air Transportation Journeyman with the 81st APS. “You always have to be on your A-game. You never know what someone’s going through, or why they need to be going home, or why they may be upset. You always do the best you can.”
Flying as a passenger on a military aircraft can require several documents, depending on the passenger and the destination. Making sure passengers have authorization is part of the job.
“They might not have the letter they need, or they might not know what all is needed, and so you try to move them in the right direction and help them,” said White. “People can get frustrated, especially when they’re trying to get home to their families.”
Additionally, the passenger terminal has several Airmen in charge of Grounds, which is responsible for handling baggage, loading and unloading carried items, placing staircases by newly-arrived aircraft, and transporting passengers to and from the aircraft. They also run the baggage rotator, which delivers checked bags to their owners after landing.
In some locations, passenger terminal Airmen also pre-pack lunches for passengers. Others service aircraft sanitation systems.
In order to maintain proficiency, Citizen Airmen of Joint Base Charleston's 81st Aerial Port Squadron assisted the active duty 721st APS at the Ramstein passenger terminal. White said that this is because all APS Airmen – active duty and Reserve – need to be trained to the same level so they can work together during deployment. When deployed, White said the transition is usually seamless, as it should be.
Typical passengers are service members, who are traveling on airlift aircraft in Space-Required status, meaning that their travel is mission-essential. Other travelers, such as their families, retirees, or reservists cleared by their commander, typically fly in Space-Available seats. It's also common for service members to fly Space-A when responding to family emergencies, which means that terminal personnel must be sensitive to passenger issues.
Space-A seating is prioritized based on the passenger’s status, and as a result can never be guaranteed.
Because Ramstein is a large, high-volume air terminal, its functions are separated into different flights. In contrast, at JB Charleston, APS Airmen tend to share many responsibilities because the passenger terminal is currently smaller and lower-volume. White said that Ramstein gives a unique opportunity to train with the APS.
“You have a lot of deployers, you have a lot of Space-Available passengers, and you have a lot of people PCS-ing,” said White. “From all over Europe, people transferring back home will come through here.”