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LRS keeps KR14 rolling

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Omari Bernard
  • 7th Air Force Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  At a street corner, Airmen, Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers wait patiently. Their eyes pan the horizon in search of a familiar sight. Some shift they're feet, while others twiddle their thumbs and adjust their hats all while waiting. They stiffen and turn their heads at the same time as a familiar rumbling sound comes down the lane. The motley array of augmentees release sigh of relief at the sight of the bus.

Airmen from the 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron from Kadena Air Force base, Japan, take Key Resolve 2014 augmentees where they need to go.

"Out here at Key Resolve, myself and five other operators are supporting the base operations," said Airman 1st Class Sean Humphrey, a vehicle operator with the 18 LRS. "Everyone that's living in tent city or temporary lodging is being taken to and from the dining facility and five other stops."

During one 5-hour shift, bus drivers transports roughly 100 to 150 personnel along their route.

"I think the most important aspect of what we are doing out here is making sure people are fed and transported on time," Humphrey said. "Currently, the drivers work one shift a day. Six days on and one day off."

Vehicle operators prepare for their shifts by inspecting vehicles, operations checking and taking the 44-passenger buses out to Tent City by the designated time.

"I do five and half routes during my shift," Humphrey said. "After I finish, I do an inspection on vehicle, park it, double check my signatures and then hand the vehicle off to the next operator on the next shift."

Airmen like Tech. Sgt. Chris Grogean with the 747th Communications Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, use the bus to get to and from meals at the dining facility.

"They're excellent and very polite," said Grogean. "I use the bus about two times a day."

It's roughly a 20- to 25-minute walk to any place from tent city. For many augmentees, those places are the base exchange, the dining facility, or their place of work.

"I think we save people a lot of time, energy and headache by getting them home and around promptly," Humphrey said. "I don't think people take our service for granted at all. If anything, I think they wish we were operating 24 hours a day."