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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO AIR MOVEMENT

INTRODUCTION

Air movement is initially the primary transportation method used during crisis response. World situations that call for a rapid response by the armed forces use airlift to quickly move to an area of operations. Air movement of units requires detailed planning at all levels of command. This chapter gives a brief overview of the history of airlift and air movement missions and responsibilities. It also provides general instructions for conducting an air movement, emphasizing safety.

Air load planners must successfully complete one of three airlift planning courses to be certified to plan and sign DD Form 2130-series cargo manifests. These courses are the AMC Affiliation Airlift Planners Course, the US Army Air Deployment Planning Course (ADPC), and the USMC Landing Force Training Command Pacific (LFTCPAC) Aircraft Load Planning Course. According to AMC Regulation 55-3, this certification is valid for two years after completion of the course. As of the date of this publication, recertification procedures have not been defined. Consult the original training source for further details.

HISTORY OF AIRLIFT

Airlift has played an important part in nearly every major conflict since World War I. Throughout World War II, in all theaters of operation, commanders frequently airlifted troops and supplies. The Berlin Airlift was the first real test of airlift operations in a noncombat role. Without airlift, the Soviet Union would have been able to starve West Berlin into submission. Commanders in the Korean conflict used airlift to resupply many of the United Nation's forces. Our modern airlift force was developed during the Vietnam War, with modern, faster, and more efficient airlift replacing earlier models. Early in the Vietnam War, it took days to transport a few thousand pounds of cargo from the United States to the battle area. At the end of the war, more than 200,000 pounds could be transported the same distance with one airplane in less than 24 hours. During Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, more than 509,000 passengers and 700,000 tons of cargo were moved by more than 18,500 airlift missions.

AIR MOVEMENT AUTHORITY

AR 220-10 specifies who has authority to authorize unit air movement. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), in coordination with the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of the Army (DA), authorizes unit air movement between overseas major Army commands or from an overseas major Army command to the continental United States (CONUS). Headquarters DA authorizes unit movement by air from or within CONUS. DA normally provides instructions and movement authority to the Army components of unified commands to implement DOD and JCS directives.

DA publishes the movement directive. This basic document is the authority for the appropriate commander to prepare a unit for movement and to execute the move.

DEPLOYMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Army major commands or Army components of unified commands issue deployment instructions as a guide for the moving unit. These instructions generally cover criteria for deployable personnel, type of equipment to be taken, medical support to be provided, and special logistical and soldier support instructions. AR 220-10 outlines standard procedures for preparation for overseas movement (POM). Data in this manual are consistent with AR 220-10.

TYPES OF MOVEMENTS

The type of movement is based on the urgency of the situation. The type of movement directed in the deployment instructions determines the method of loading. The two types of movement are nontactical movements and tactical movements.

Nontactical Movement

A nontactical movement is a movement in which units, personnel, equipment, and materiel move when no enemy interference or contact is anticipated. It emphasizes economical use of the aircraft cargo space and maximum use of the allowable cabin load (ACL). ACL is the amount of cargo and passengers (as determined by weight, cubic displacement, and distance from origin to destination) that may be transported by a specific type of aircraft. Unit integrity and unloading sequence are major considerations when planning a nontactical movement, but efficient economy of space utilization has the highest priority (Figure 1-1). Units may not be required to be operational upon unloading.

Tactical Movement

A tactical movement is a movement of units, personnel, equipment, and materiel that is organized, loaded, and transported to facilitate accomplishment of a tactical mission. Unit integrity is the primary consideration in movement not economy of space. Maximum use of the aircraft ACL remains the ultimate movement goal, but the commander's sequence of employment and unit integrity receives the highest priority. Units should be configured to conduct immediate operational missions upon unloading (Figure 1-1).

SAFETY

Commanders and all personnel must emphasize safety and use the principles of risk management when making decisions. Safety in training and execution is force protection. Protecting the force through risk management means performing to standards, correcting unsafe behavior, and making good risk decisions. Vehicle accidents kill 250 soldiers and cost the Army $100 million dollars each year. These losses are preventable by taking the proper precautions. The first fatality in Operation Desert Shield was an Air Force airman struck by a vehicle on the flight line.

FM 55-12 covers specific safety measures during aircraft loading. Other safety rules are below.

Troop Movement on an Airfield

Before troops move onto an airfield, airfield operations personnel grant permission and the movement is coordinated with designated airfield personnel who provide guides or appropriate instructions. Troops move on the airfield in controlled formation only; halt at least 100 feet from the edge of runways, taxi strips, and ramps; and get clearance before crossing. The Tanker Airlift Control Element (TALCE) may identify entry control points (ECPs) for access of troops onto flight lines.

Flight Line Safety

Personnel on the flight line--

• Must not smoke on the aircraft parking ramp area except in designated smoking zones.

• Must not walk in front of any aircraft when the engines are running. Personnel must never walk within the propeller arc.

• Must walk around the outside of the wing tips to avoid the auxiliary power units' blast or heat exhaust and the propeller or jet intake area.

• Must observe a 15 mph speed limit for all vehicles on the flight line.

• Must observe a 5 mph speed limit for all vehicles within 25 feet of an aircraft. However, the speed of vehicles will not exceed 3 mph (walking speed) when within 10 feet of the aircraft, to include movement inside the aircraft.

• Must not approach within 50 feet of an engine intake nor within 200 feet of the blast area to the rear when jet engines are running. On propeller-driven aircraft, the danger area is 10 feet in front of the propeller and 200 feet to the rear.

• Must not drive any vehicle under any part of the aircraft.

• Must not drive a vehicle within 10 feet of an aircraft without a walking guide to observe clearance between vehicle and aircraft. This "circle of safety" extends 10 feet in front of the nose, 10 feet behind the tail, and 10 feet outboard of each wing tip (Figure 1-2).

• Must not drive vehicles, except those being loaded or unloaded, directly toward an aircraft or park closer than 10 feet from an aircraft.

• Must approach an aircraft in a vehicle with the driver's side nearest the aircraft. Personnel park the vehicle perpendicular to the aircraft fuselage.

• Must not allow trash or debris to be thrown on the flight line. Personnel must also ensure that canvas or small pieces of equipment are secure to prevent the jet exhaust from blowing them around.

• Must not stand or walk directly in front of or behind vehicles being driven or backed into the aircraft.

• Must not back vehicles toward or into an aircraft without spotters placed at the front and rear corners of the vehicle. (The aircraft loadmaster directs all backing.) Spotters should not be directly in front of or behind any moving vehicle.

• Must not stand between a moving vehicle and any stationary object, such as another vehicle, aircraft, or buildings.

Risk Management

Risk management is the process of making operations safer without interfering with essential mission values. The process focuses a leader on issues that could result in losses and then requires the leader to consider risk reduction measures that allow mission accomplishment while minimizing losses. The four principles of risk management are--

• Accept no unnecessary risk. An unnecessary risk is one that if eliminated would still allow for mission accomplishment.

• Make risk decisions at the proper level consistent with your local command policy.

• Accept risk only when benefits outweigh costs.

• Manage risk in the concept and planning stages whenever possible.

The risk management process is to--

• Identify the hazards that will be encountered.

• Assess the risk of those hazards by asking what are the most likely injuries or damage that might occur, and what is the probability of those losses.

• Determine what kind of control measures could be used to reduce risk. These might be speed limit controls, more supervision, scheduling, route changes, protective equipment, more training, or more indepth instructions. Once available controls are considered, decide which of those controls to implement.

• Implement controls.

• Supervise. Remember that NCOs make it safely happen.