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        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Richard Allen, 731st Air Mobility Squadron special planning supervisor, and Airman 1st Class Kevin Johnston, 731st AMS special planning technician, toss a securing net over an ammunitions shipping build during routine shipping operations at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 2, 2016. The special handlers provide storage and shipping requirements for critical military items across the Korean Peninsula. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dillian Bamman)Osan’s special handling section has a ‘hand’ in everything
                        
                        
                        Staff Sgt. Richard Allen, a 731st Air Mobility Squadron special planning supervisor, and Airman 1st Class Kevin Johnston, a 731st AMS special planning technician, toss a securing net over an ammunitions shipping build during routine operations at Osan Air Base, South Korea, Nov. 2, 2016. The special handlers provide storage and shipping requirements for critical military items across the Korean Peninsula. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Dillian Bamman)
                
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        U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Kevin Johnston, 731st Air Mobility Squadron special planning technician, moves a barrel of compressed helium at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 2, 2016. From a small blood sample to aircraft ammunition, the special handlers assist in the distribution of critical items to military installations across the Korean Peninsula. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dillian Bamman)Osan’s special handling section has a ‘hand’ in everything
                        
                        
                        Airman 1st Class Kevin Johnston, a 731st Air Mobility Squadron special planning technician, moves a barrel of compressed helium at Osan Air Base, South Korea, Nov. 2, 2016. From a small blood sample to aircraft ammunition, the special handlers assist in the distribution of critical items to military installations across the Korean Peninsula. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Dillian Bamman)
                
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Osan’s special handling section has a ‘hand’ in everythingPublished Nov. 3, 2016
                    
                    By Senior Airman Dillian Bamman
                    
                    
                    51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
            **OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFNS)  --**A dark, mysterious storage compound rests on the edge of the Osan Air Base flightline.Vaults litter the sulfur-smelling storage area holding items valued in the millions, with others priceless to the United States.One small group of Airmen hold the responsibility of accepting, storing and transferring these critical items aiding in the safety and stability of the South Korea.From a small blood sample to aircraft ammunition, the 731st Air Mobility Squadron’s special handling section assists in the distribution of critical military items to installations across the Korean Peninsula.“We deal with everything that has potential to save a life or end it,” said Airman 1st Class Kevin Johnston, a 731st AMS special planning technician. The 731st AMS assists all Osan AB units, but they work closely with the 51st Munition Squadron and 51st Medical Group, as well as Army and Marine units around South Korea, including the Demilitarized Zone.“Anything they bring to the peninsula to sustain that mission goes through us, such as helicopters, bullets and grenades, to help them keep the DMZ postured,” said Staff Sgt. Richard Allen, a 731st AMS special planning supervisor.As well as equipment, the special handlers also support the mortuary affairs capability of South Korea.“If any of our service members sustained life-ending injuries, we would be the ones to bring their body back to the states for ceremony and recognition,” Allen said.Depending on the situation, special handlers may be called to perform a joint inspection, which Johnston recently assisted with the U.S. Navy.“The situation was a helicopter was landing onto a Navy carrier and it crash-landed,” Allen said. “To help, Johnston and another Airman had to travel to the location, inspect that helicopter for air worthiness and put it on a plane to be shipped back to the States.” With the critical nature of their career, special handlers require advanced training to handle certain items.“What I like the most about my job is its significance to the mission,” Allen said. “We can ship a 1-pound box, but the total value of that box can range in the millions of dollars. We have our hands on a lot of multi-million dollar (pieces of) equipment, and for us to support that on a daily basis is amazing to me.”PACAF 



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