Grissom base opens new cargo facility

Crews assigned to the 49th Aerial Port squadron at Grissom Air Reserve Base near Peru have a new, $9.3 million building to support their mission. The Kokomo Tribune reports the facility provides more space for the 122 airmen posted at Grissom who are responsible for preparing and loading cargo onto military planes.

The nearly 12,000-square-foot aerial port triples the former space used by the squadron.

The facility includes a dedicated training area to learn how to pack, load and deliver both military and humanitarian cargo.

“There is a dollar amount associated with this building, but the true value of the 49th is the dedicated training space,” said Major Jefre Potterbaum, 49th Aerial Port Squadron commander. “We can send qualified airmen out the door knowing they will fulfill their duty anywhere at any time.”

The publication says the impetus for the new facility came in 2018, when the division was upgraded to a squadron and increased its staffing from 38 to over 120.