Convoy operations performed by dedicated Airmen

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Kit Lambert
  • 56th Mission Support Group deputy commander
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Many Air Force members know of Airmen performing convoy duties in Iraq, which are normally performed by the Army. 

However, unless you serve with the 70th Medium Truck Detachment Scorpions and the 424th Medium Truck Detachment Centurions, you may not hear about the duties they perform or the hardships they overcome to get the mission done. These Airmen are a true example of the warrior ethos. They put their lives on the line every time they "cross the berm," the border that delineates the departure from Kuwait into Iraq. 

During a six-month tour, these Airmen chalk up more than 200 convoys, put 2.5 million convoy miles on the road and encounter more than 40 improvised explosive devices and small arms fire, not to mention the hundreds of mortar attacks that occur at forward operating bases. As many as a third of the Airmen who return have garnered the Army Combat Action Badge. Some have also earned a Purple Heart  for being directly attacked or within 100m of an enemy IED or small-arms-fire attack. 

When they return to noncombat duties, these quiet professionals from logistics readiness squadrons or security forces squadrons around the Air Force seldom talk about the mission they performed. Many have served on convoy duty deployments previously and will again. 

Convoy operations are very involved and everyone who goes on a convoy is an active player regardless of rank or experience. Each vehicle consists of a driver and a vehicle commander. Each convoy is lead by a technical sergeant who is responsible for a 40 to 60-person team that includes armored tractor trailers, M-915s, driven by third country nationals and gun trucks. 

These professionals shoulder a big burden of responsibility that includes delivering the goods, on site medical treatment and evacuation of wounded, and fighting the enemy when they come under attack. These convoys are self sufficient as they operate in areas where there are no friendly forces. 

The convoy is under threat the moment  they cross into southern Iraq. Five to six hour trips between FOBs go by like a heartbeat as convoy team members remain focused on the road looking for emplaced IEDs or scanning the side of the road for small arms attacks. Other dangers include rock throwers who can hurdle a 40-pound rock from an overpass onto the windshield of a passing truck with great accuracy. 

Convoy teams travel largely at night when the temperature is lower, which requires convoy teams to rest during the day. They typically stay in tents along the route.  Temperatures in these tents sometimes exceed 100 degrees. 

Apart from the convoy commander, the most important members of the convoy are the lead vehicle team. These Airmen are chosen to be in the lead vehicle because they are the most reliable members of the team and are responsible for navigation. One wrong turn and the convoy can end up in the middle of the worst section of Fallujah or Baghdad without any support. They are the life and death of the convoy team. They are also the lead vehicle which means they are the most likely to get attacked. Lead vehicle teams have the highest wound rate and attack rate of all vehicles. It's a sobering job. They  usually have the best sense of humor,have a thousand-yard stare and take preventive maintenance very seriously.
 
Convoy hazards include more than IED and small arms fire attacks. Roads are tough on tires and vehicles. The  hardest working team on the convoy isthe truck maintenance team. One can only fully appreciate this team when broken down on the side of the road in the worst part of Baghdad attempting to pull security on the vehicle and change a tire. These airmen first classand senior airmen make an Indy 500 pit crew look slow. 

The unsung heroes of the convoy team are the third country nationals who drive with our Airmen in vehicles that are often unarmored earning pay that is much less than our newest Airmen.  They make up the majority of convoy vehicles and drive down the road with no more personal protection than a Bible or Quran. They are cheerful men who jump at the opportunity to help our military men and women during a maintenance failure while in harms way. These drivers are often seen jumping out of their cabs to help change tires or tighten a load. 

Our Air Force convoy teams are highly respected and the soldiers and leadership of the Army 336th Transportation Group responsible for all convoys in Iraq quickly admit that our Airmen beat out even their best convoy teams. Air Force teams are often selected to train new Army convoy teams to ensure they learn the ropes of the convoy mission correctly. They do it with dedication and pride knowing they are making a difference in the global war on terrorism.