The 12 airmen who make up the Air Terminal Operations Center at Ali Base, Iraq, work 24/7 moving passengers and cargo through this C-17 and C-130 airlift hub. In one month the ATOC team moves more than 700 tons of cargo and 4,000 passengers, says SSgt. Gregory Steffers, load planner with the 407th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron. The load planners try to match seats and cargo booked to max out each aircraft’s load. The airmen all pitch in, when needed, performing work that often is handled by multiple work centers at stateside bases.
Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, nominee to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Defense Department needs to upgrade its electronic warfare capability and its EW training ranges; just as his predecessor said at his own confirmation hearing.