Page 33 - Port of Baltimore Jan/Feb 2011

To subscribe or renew, visitwww.marylandports.com January/February 2011 ■ The Port of Baltimore [33 ]
Operations Brian Miller to identify the best
berth for accommodating the Mendonca .
Meanwhile, Mid-Atlantic Terminal staff
was busy hiring the labor needed to receive
and load the cargo, arranging for terminal
access for those who needed it, hiring
escorts and providing additional security.
“This entailed some early morning and
late evening behind-the-scenes work, but
the end result was certainly a sense of
satisfaction on a job well done through a
combined effort,” Dinisio said.
Not only did a huge, designated landing
space need to be cleared on the terminal,
but it also had to be swept clean.
“The wash from these things was so
huge that we swept the area two or three
times so no rocks or pebbles would fly up
and break a windshield,” Pickens said.
Bill Maddox, who has been a crane
operator with ILA Local 333 for 41 years,
was a key part of the operation. He was
preparing to retire but agreed to operate
After they settled onto the terminal in precise formation,
the big birds had their blades disassembled and then
were loaded by crane onto a military sealift vessel, the
USNS Mendonca, which ferried them to Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii, to replace older helicopters.
the vessel’s crane as one of his last duties.
His ability to use the ship’s crane saved the
military — and the taxpayers — money.
“Isn’t that wonderful, to go out ending
your career doing something for your
country,” Burman said.
But Maddox’s job might not be done.
The Army is planning another shipment in
early 2011 and Maddox said he was “happy
to assist with the loading of the helicopters
and would come back to do the other load.”
As a result of the helicopter shipments,
the Port of Baltimore’s ability to handle
unique cargo could soon play a starring
role on cable television. A film crew from The
History Channel documented the operation
for a segment on packaging to be aired on
its “Modern Marvels” show.
“It certainly opens the door for the
scope of business that can be acquired and
handled in the future,” Dinisio said.
“It was a feather in our cap,” Pickens
added.