LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- It’s been nearly 15 years since Master Sgt. Stacy Hunt raised her hand to serve in the Air Force Reserves. A native Arkansan, she joined the 96th Aerial Port Squadron when it was the only Reserve presence at Little Rock Air Force Base.
“It was the best decision I ever made and the worst decision I ever made,” said Hunt, currently the noncommissioned officer in charge of special handling and mission support operations superintendent for the 34th Combat Training Squadron. “I had no idea I would love my job and the Air Force so much. I sometimes wish I had joined Active Duty instead of Reserve. However, I have enjoyed building relationships with my brothers and sisters in my Reserve unit—some of us have literally grown up together.”
Hunt has been on full time orders since September 2018 to augment the 34 CTS during the base’s involvement in planning and participating in the Army’s Joint Readiness Training Center exercises. She ensures various Army equipment are loaded properly onto cargo aircraft. This is not her first stint on long-term orders—she also augmented the 314th Logistics Readiness Squadron in 2008 at Little Rock for 110 days and was deployed to Kuwait for six months in 2014.
“Aerial porters’ job is to deploy--no two exercises are the same, giving 2T2s [aerial porters] a realistic experience to prepare them for deployment. It is a great way to get that hands on experience,” said Hunt. “Where ever we deploy, aerial porters have an important role with what is loaded and how, which ensures the safety of equipment as well as the aircrews. My role as an OC/T [Observer, Coach/Trainer] helps me see a bigger picture than a traditional aerial porter and I can build relationships with other career fields involved in air operations, such as Airfield Management and Command and Control.”
Aircrews from the 41st Airlift Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Team Little Rock personnel played a role in GFLR 19-04, which integrates with the Army’s deployment JRTC exercise.
“What she is doing for Green Flag Little Rock exemplifies what we try to do as a Reserve force,” said Chief Master Sgt. James Henjum, 96th Aerial Port Squadron operations superintendent. “In her civilian job she is the Arkansas 9-1-1 program manager and she was ready to jump onto any team and get the mission done.”
The majority of the Group’s personnel are Traditional Reservists. These members are vital to the mission and at a minimum perform duty one weekend each month and two weeks during the year.