4 Mission Support Squadron loads cargo plane for OP REASSURANCE Air Task Force Romania on August 20, 2021 at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta – Photo by Aviator Avery Philpott
So what is a Traffic Technician? Well, Traffic Technicians, or Tfc Techs, are members of one of the least known trades within Logistics, constituting a small, but vital, part of any Base or Wing.
Traffic Technicians at 4 Wing Cold Lake loading chartered aircrafts for OP REASSURANCE (Air Task Force – Romania) Photo by Avr Thornton
Tfc Techs are the background of all movements within the Canadian Armed Forces. They are the ones who ensure all of the freight gets where it needs to go. Whether it be cross-border or dangerous goods paperwork, loading and unloading aircraft, processing personnel through the terminals, building pallets of freight for sea and road transport and much more; if it got there, a Traffic Technician handled it.
The amount of work and dedication that 4 Wing Tfc Techs put towards their duties is quite remarkable. Over the past couple of months, the staff of Medley terminal have been working day in and day out to ensure that exercises and operations have the equipment they need to get the job done. EX AMALGAM DART, OP CARRIBBE, EX MAPLE RESOLVE, and OP REASSURANCE (Air Task Force – Romania) are just some of the operations and exercises the Section supported recently.
Over the summer, Medley serviced over 55 aircraft, shipped close to 500,000 lbs. of freight and received over 125,000 lbs. of freight. They have shipped close to 200,000 lbs. of critical equipment via sea container to Romania by container ship and processed over 500 passengers for EX MAPLE RESOLVE and OP REASSURANCE. While performing outstanding work, Section members maintained a positive attitude throughout constant changes, cancellations, delays, and personnel shortages while working with aircraft in the middle of the night and on weekends to avoid interfering with local flying.
Whatever the situation, these Titans rise to the occasion.