86th VRS keeps OAR rolling

By Senior Airman Taylor Slater, 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs / Published September 07, 2021

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 1 of 5

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cole Dredge, 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron central dispatcher, left, monitors bus dispatches with Major Amanda Femano, 86th VRS commander, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Aug. 30, 2021. Dispatchers provide the communications necessary to facilitate transport for evacuees to different locations on base during Operation Allies Refuge. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Taylor Slater)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 2 of 5

Airman 1st Class Joshua Sandoval, 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron ground transportation support operator, displays his patch at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Aug. 30, 2021. After every vehicle movement of evacuees, 86th VRS Airmen sanitize buses to prepare for the next movement of passengers. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Taylor Slater)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 3 of 5

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cole Dredge, 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron central dispatcher, left, distributes keys and communication devices to Senior Airman Kevin Souriyanyono, 48th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle dispatcher, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Aug. 30, 2021. The 86th VRS has enlisted help from various Logistics Readiness Squadrons around the European Theater to assist in Operation Allies Refuge. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Taylor Slater)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 4 of 5

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cole Dredge, 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron central dispatcher, far left, distributes keys and communications devices to members and augmentees of the 86th VRS at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Aug. 30, 2021. The 86th VRS moved over 70,000 passengers in August. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Taylor Slater)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 5 of 5

A bus rests at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Aug. 30, 2021. Buses transport evacuees to various places on the base during Operation Allies Refuge, including pods, the Joint Mobility Processing Center, and the flightline upon departure/arrival. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Taylor Slater)

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --

The 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron has been a major asset for evacuees seeking resettlement locations during Operation Allies Refuge.

The unit’s assistance in OAR started even before the evacuees arrived as they helped transport aircrew to help with evacuation efforts in Afghanistan.

“It was hectic,” Staff Sgt. Cole Dredge, 86th VRS central dispatcher said. “And then we went straight from that into [evacuees].”

In an average month, 86th VRS handles 13,000 passengers. During the month of August, the 86th VRS moved over 70,000 passengers.

“We’re the first Airmen [evacuees] see when they leave the plane,” said Tech. Sgt. David Martinez, 86th VRS chief dispatcher. “And we’re the last people they see when they depart.”

The 86th VRS has also experienced an exponential increase in vehicle requests during Operation Allies Refuge, operating around 15 buses at one time and various heavy equipment vehicles to help other units such as the 86th Civil Engineer Squadron build shelters for evacuees.

To maintain demand, the 86th VRS requested help from other Logistics Readiness Squadrons in the European theater, such as the 48th Logistics Readiness Squadron in Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England and the 31st Logistics Readiness Squadron in Aviano Air Base, Italy.

“We can’t just pull any bus driver and stick them on the flightline,” Martinez said. “You’ve got to have a competency card to know how to approach an aircraft and you’ve got the restricted areas too.”

Despite the challenges, Martinez has been brightened by the resilience shown by his Airmen.

“A lot of times young Airmen see that we’re just driving from point A to point B and they don’t really understand the big picture of what we’re actually doing,” Martinez said. “With all of this happening right here the Airmen are fired up.”

Staff Sgt. Brian O’Connor, 86th VRS ground transportation support operator, agrees.

“I’ve been in the Air Force nine years and I’ve never been in any sort of evacuation effort on this level,” O’Connor said. “I’m happy to be a part of it and see my Airmen grow doing this.”