Who is a Loadmaster?
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As a non-military person, I am pretty clueless as to what many of the military terms and job titles mean. Like most non-military people, I have picked up these terms from those that have served our country and are willing to enlighten me. When my husband and I were dating, I knew that he worked on an airplane of some type. The only jobs I knew for planes were pilot and co-pilot. I may have heard about navigators and flight engineers, but only the titles. My husband told me that he was a Loadmaster and I just know he had to keep from laughing at the clueless look on my face. He had probably come across that quite a lot.
Who, in the world, is a Loadmaster?
Basically, the Loadmaster is in charge of the back of the aircraft and the cargo that is being carried. They calculate weights and measures of all cargo being carried and determine how that cargo is placed on the aircraft. Sometimes they load and unload the aircraft. Many times they are supervising the process. They place and secure all of the cargo, which can include vehicles and people. They see to the comfort and safety of any passengers. They take part in airdrops (delivering cargo while the aircraft is in flight) which are technical and can be dangerous. They are diligent about the safe transport of all cargo that is in their care.
Even though it is a position on an aircraft that is not real visible to the outside world, Loadmasters are a very important part of any transport crew.