Fifty years of heritage (edition 27) Published Nov. 29, 2011 By Eric M. White 910 AW/PA YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, Ohio -- Youngstown home to Reserve first The 76th Aerial Port Squadron here exists to deploy mission ready aerial port personnel in support of worldwide Department of Defense wartime, peacetime and humanitarian airlift requirements. The squadron is comprised of air transportation specialists who ensure cargo is loaded to proper specifications for effective transport, which may include air drops. The 76 APS regularly supports humanitarian airlift missions under the Denton program. Participation in humanitarian missions provides real-world practice for wartime operations. The 76APS began in Youngstown as the 76th Mobile Aerial Port Squadron. The squadron was the first reserve cargo unit to be tasked with aerial delivery capability. The following story, taken from the 1981 910 Flyer, chronicles the establishment of the new squadron. From the January, 1981 910 Flyer New YMA unit opens its doors By SSgt Mark Barnette Editor The newest squadron at the 910th has already established a milestone for the Air Force Reserve. The 76th Mobile Aerial Port Squadron, MAPS for short, will be the first reserve cargo unit to be tasked with aerial delivery capability. In addition to being able to drop cargo by parachute the new unit, which was activated January 1, will have specialized handling and loading capabilities. The squadron, commanded by Maj. Max Munch, will be headquartered in hanger 413. A second hanger will be constructed for the squadron's maintenance and storage of the 757ths C-130s. When fully manned the squadron will have 138 reservists. Two ART slots have been assigned to the unit to handle its daily mission requirements. The unit still has approximately 55 jobs open, although Major Munch anticipates the squadron will be 90 to 95 percent manned but this summer's annual tour. Major Munch said that he has tried to get as many local people in the unit as possible, members of the unit who will be displaced by the conversion. As a result about 75 percent of the new unit will be in retraining. Despite the high percentage of retraining Major Munch feels the unit's mission will not be hampered. "We are going to incorporate a high degree of safety training into the retraining group," Major Munch said, "safety will not be compromised during the training period." Major Munch also pointed out that a large number of the unit newly assigned members have had experience in cargo loading, with many holding several AFSCs. Some members of the 910th have already been selected for loadmaster training in anticipation of the mid-summer conversion. The selectees are: SSgt Ken Eddy, Warren Sgt David Daisher, Struthers SrA Tim Tarchick, Warren SrA Kevin Cartier, Maple heights MSgt Scott Bauman has been selected as the first sergeant for the 76th and Capt William Chester, who transferred from Robins AFB, is going to fill the operations officer position. According to Major Munch the unit, once operational, will deploy every third UTA to an active duty base to get "hands on" experience. "Because of the requirements of the mission of the 76th," Munch said, "the members of the unit will be pulling UTAs at different times, with somebody loading a plane almost every day."