NMCB 1 Seabees Load World's 2nd Largest Cargo Plane in Rota
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS050622-09
Release Date: 6/22/2005 11:54:00 AM
By Journalist 1st Class (SW) Dennis J. Herring, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1 Public Affairs
ROTA, Spain (NNS) -- Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1 recently moved more than 115 tons of equipment from their forward operating base at Camp Mitchell, Naval Station Rota, Spain, to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa in June.
Members of the battalion in Rota loaded the Civil Engineer Support Equipment (CESE) aboard a Russian-built AN-124 Ruslan, the world’s second largest cargo plane, in two separate flight operations, June 15 and 17. (The largest cargo aircraft is the AN-225 Mriya, also a Russian-built aircraft.)
The AN-124 was contracted by the Air Mobility Command to fly the CESE to Camp Lemonier in Djibouti. Approximately 50 Seabees from NMCB 1 are deployed there to perform military engineering and civil affairs missions.
Lt. Chad Koster, officer in charge of the detail in Djibouti, explained that their mission involves getting out to the region’s surrounding countries in need of the Seabees' help with infrastructure improvement efforts.
“We have jobs building schools, roads and bridges,” Koster said. “We also have tasking in the town center, rehabilitating water and sewer services.”
Because of the high demand for their skills to accomplish additional tasking soon after arriving in Djibouti, the detail needed more equipment from Rota.
Members of the battalion embarkation team explained there were few problems during their first encounter with the Rusla. Typically, the C-5 Galaxy cargo plane is used for transport of large equipment for the Seabees, so the team based their plan on the standard loading configuration of a C-5.
Even though the Automated Air Load Planning System (AALPS) computer program was used to plan placement of each piece of gear, changes were made after the flight crew looked over specifications for the gear.
“The original plan showed the gear placed further to the rear of the plane,” said Equipment Operator 1st Class (SCW) Jeffrey Stokes, assistant embarkation officer for NMCB 1. “At first glance, the flight crew changed the plan to spread the gear down the length of the aircraft.”
“The biggest issue was paperwork,” added Stokes. “The crew had the same forms we use, but this time, they were in Russian.”
The aircraft is designed for long-range delivery and air dropping of heavy and large cargo, including machines, equipment and troops. It entered service in 1986, and more than 55 aircraft have been built.
Flown by Antonov Airlines, Volga-Dniepr, Poliot and other airlines, the AN-124 is used to transport different cargoes all over the world. Customers have contracted the planes to fly such varied cargo as 90-ton hydraulic turbines, American Euclid dump trucks, the fuselage of a Tu-204 passenger transporter, a 109-ton railway locomotive and a sea yacht more than 25m long.
“This was the battalion’s first experience - and possibly the Naval Construction Force’s first experience - with the Russian airplane and crew,” said Lt.j.g. Matthew Williams, the battalion’s equipment and embarkation officer. “We gained valuable experience loading this aircraft – something we’ll greatly appreciate if we ever have to load one again.”
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