TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --Travis aerial porters handle a howitzer. Feb. 3, From the left: Senior Amn. Matt Branstetter, Airman 1st Class Charles Laas, 2nd Lt. Justin Johnson and Airman 1st Class Lauralee McMillan, move the first howitzer from the 60k loader into the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. Ellen Hatfield)

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55th APS

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Loading two howitzers, plus eight pallets of equipment onto a C-5 on a Friday afternoon, was all in a day's work for these Travis Air Force Base aerial port "dawgs." Easing a howitzer into place here, are, from the left, Senior Amn. Matt Branstetter, team leader, and Airman 1st Class Charles Laas, both with the 60th APS, and 2nd Lt. Justin Johnson, with the Reserve's 55th APS. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. Ellen Hatfield)

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55th APS

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Airman 1st Class Vanuce Dias Dos Santos spots a howitzer into position aboard a C-5. A reservist assigned to the 349th Air Mobility Wing's 55th Aerial Port Squadron, she was working with a Travis team of port "dawgs" to load two howitzers and eight pallets on the aircraft, for transport "down under." The 60th partners with the Reserve's 45th, 55th and 82nd APS regularly, on training and getting the job done. This particular job was being evaluated Feb. 3. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. Ellen Hatfield)

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55th APS

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- From the left: SrA Matt Branstetter, instructs A1Cs Charles Laas, and Vanuce Dias Dos Santos, in the use of straps to stabilize a howitzer for transport aboard a C-5. Two howitzers were lowered and locked down with plenty of chains for the long flight. Branstetter and Laas are assigned to the 60th APS, and Dias Dos Santos is with the Reserve wing's 55th APS. Travis aerial porters are truly "one team, no seam." (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. Ellen Hatfield)

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55th APS

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --Airmen 1st Class Lauralee McMillan and Charles Laas use chains to secure a howitzer while 2nd Lt. Justin Johnson holds it steady. Travis aerial porters work together, active and Reserve, as "one team, no seam," to get aircraft loaded and on the way. Feb. 3, the port "dawgs" loaded two howitzers, and eight pallets of cargo, onto a C-5 traveling "down under." McMillan and Laas are with the 60th APS, and the lieutenant is with the 349th's 55th APS. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. Ellen Hatfield)

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Travis Team aerial porters handle some unusual cargo

Published Feb. 8, 2012
By Senior Master Sgt. Ellen Hatfield
349th Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- It's not every day Travis Team aerial porters handle cargo like a howitzer. But on Feb. 3, the team got to load two of them, as well as eight cargo pallets, onto a C-5.

In a delicate balancing and rolling maneuver, (from the left) Senior Amn. Matt Branstetter, Airman 1st Class Charles Laas, 2nd Lt. Justin Johnson and Airman 1st Class Lauralee McMillan, move the first howitzer from the 60k loader into the aircraft.

Branstetter, Laas and McMillan are all with the 60th Aerial Port Squadron.

Johnson graduated with two Lieutenants, Robert Schroeder and Jeff Barney, from the Logistics Readiness Officers School, recently. Johnson is with the 349th AMW's 55th Aerial Port Squadron.

55th APS

55th APS

55th APS

55th APS