TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan - C-17 Globemaster III crews begin their day not knowing where they'll be traveling or how long they'll be gone. It's a demanding job, but for 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron Detachment 1 Airmen, it's just another day at the office.

In the past year, the 817th Det. 1 EAS has transported an average 26,500 passengers and 11 million pounds of cargo each month. The C-17 crews usually consist of two pilots and two loadmasters whose hours change daily and with each mission.

The 817th EAS Det. 1 mission is "Delivering precision airlift for America." Even though the 817th EAS Det. 1 is a tenant unit, they're a vital part of the Transit Center's mission of onward movement and airlift capabilities. They are responsible for moving people and supplies between the Transit Center and Afghanistan.

A C-17 contains seat pallets for 158 passengers with room for five baggage pallets on board.

"We mostly (fly) passenger movements into and out of theater from the Transit Center," said Staff Sgt. Sean Ide, 817th EAS Det. 1 C-17 loadmaster deployed here from McChord Field. "If there were no loadmasters, the passengers would get up anytime they wanted and if the aircraft made a 60 degree bank in the combat zone to avoid a threat, passengers would go flying. We're the on-scene experts for load planning, weight and balance of the aircraft and passenger safety."

Loadmasters and pilots constantly work together to guarantee C-17s are properly prepared for each mission. Pilots are ultimately responsible for the quarter-of-a-billion-dollar aircraft they're commanding and held responsible for coordinating flight times to deliver passengers or supplies to specified locations.

"Our users require their cargo and personnel to be delivered on time to a specific location. If we are late deploying a unit, that means someone else will be late going back home," said Capt. Bill Scharfenberg, an 817th EAS Det. 1 C-17 Globemaster III pilot deployed here from McChord Field. "As the aircraft commander, there is only so much with respect to flying that we can do to ensure the cargo and passengers arrive on time. Most of the timing lies on the shoulders of the loadmasters."

Each mission is unique, from what is being transported to the quantity. The basic aircraft, emergency equipment, fuel, cargo and passenger weights are all put into a program on the aircraft to make certain it isn't over-loaded and can fly safely.

"It's definitely a complete crew concept," Ide said, "(The pilots) back us up. They're the first ones down here helping out when we don't have enough manpower to push pallets - whatever it takes to get the mission done."

"I get the greatest sense of satisfaction during the missions that involve humanitarian relations, aeromedical evacuations and redeployment of troops from combat," Scharfenberg said. "Assisting those in need as well as taking Marines, Airmen, Soldiers and Sailors back home from a long deployment makes our 24-hour days all worth it."

Photo: Airman Basic Carl-Henry Chouloute talks over the intercom on a C-17 Globemaster III March 20 at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan. Chouloute is an 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron Detachment 1 loadmaster deployed from McChord Field. /Staff Sgt. Angela Ruiz