452ND APSF MAKES SURE MARINES ARE GOOD TO GO

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman David K. Flaherty
  • 452nd Air Mobility Wing, Public Affairs
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  'SEABAG DRAG'
March Air Reserve Base has become the main hub for local deployments since Norton AFB closed in '94. The 452nd APSF makes sure service members are cleared for deployment.

The 452nd Aerial Port Support Flight shipped out thousands of Marines from Camp Pendleton's I Marine Expeditionary Force last weekend to support ongoing operations in Iraq. 

The 452nd APSF operates as a central deployment center for incoming and outgoing local Marine units and other military groups. "March has the setup and the team to do large-scale operations," said Master Sgt. Phillip Cheng, the 452nd APSF's superintendent. "We have the facilities to handle large amounts of troops and it's safe and secured." 

From the inside of an airplane hangar on Graeber Street, an assembly line of Marines is processed through a series of stations to make sure they are cleared for deployment. The 452nd APSF is responsible for processing, loading, and transporting military personnel and their cargo. Immunization records are checked and legal paperwork is documented before the Marines are cleared to go. 

"We're set up so when they get here they can work with us to make sure they have everything they need to go," said Cheng. "We can handle small deployments and we can also go big." 

March ARB has become the main hub for local military deployment since Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino closed down in 1994, said Cheng. It is unique in that its flight line is able to handle large-scale, fully loaded military aircraft that otherwise could not land at nearby bases because of their weight. 

For the reservists at the 452nd APSF, getting military members to and from their deployed location is a feeling that is second to none. 

"There's a satisfaction in knowing that we're the backbone of the deployment process," said Cheng. "Our morale is good because we're able to get them there and back without any delays."