/TANKER QUARTERLY Volume 23 • Number 2 • Spring 2015

The Amazingly Versatile Fairchild C-119 “Flying Boxcar” Pages 10-19

Recipients of the 2015 A/TA Academic Scholarships Pages 24-25

CONTENTS…

Association News Chairman’s Comments...... 2 President’s Message...... 3 Secretary’s Notes...... 3 Association Round-Up...... 4-6

AIRLIFT/TANKER QUARTERLY A/TA 2014 Year-End Financial Report...... 8-9 Volume 23 • Number 2 • Spring 2015

Airlift/Tanker Quarterly is published four times a year by the Airlift/Tanker Association, 9312 Convento Terrace, Fairfax, Virginia 22031. Postage paid at Belleville, Illinois. Subscription rate: $40.00 per year. Change of Cover Story address requires four weeks notice. The Airlift/Tanker Association is a non-profit The Amazingly Versatile professional organization dedicated to providing a forum for people interested in improving the Fairchild C-119 “Flying Boxcar”...... 10-19 capability of U.S. air mobility forces. Membership in the Airlift/Tanker Association is $40 annually or $110 for three years. Full-time student membership is $15 per year. Life membership is $500. Industry Partner membership includes five individual memberships and is $1500 per year. Membership dues include a subscription to Airlift/ Features Tanker Quarterly, and are subject to change. Airlift/Tanker Quarterly is published for the Recipients of the 2015 A/TA use of subscribers, officers, advisors and members of the Airlift/Tanker Association. Academic Scholarships...... 24-25 The appearance of articles or advertisements, including inserts, in Airlift/Tanker Quarterly does not constitute an endorsement by the Airlift/Tanker Association, the , the Department of the Air Force or the Department of Defense, of the viewpoints, products or services mentioned or advertised. Departments ©2015. Articles appearing in this publication may not be reprinted, in any form, without prior written approval from the Airlift/Tanker Air Mobility News & Views...... 20-23 Association. Airlift/Tanker Quarterly is quarterly news cycle- dependent and is distributed as follows: Winter: Industry Partner Spotlight: Million Air...... 26 January / February / March; Spring: April / May / June; Summer: July / August / September; Fall: October / November / December [actual distribution Industry Partner Highlights...... 27 dates vary]. The copy deadline for submitted stories, articles, letters, etc., is as follows: Winter: December Association Contacts...... 28 30th; Spring: March 30th; Summer: June 30th; Fall [Convention Edition]: August 30th. Airlift/Tanker Quarterly accepts advertising for the inside front and back covers for the Winter, Spring and Summer Editions; and for throughout the Fall Convention Edition.

EDITORIAL STAFF: Gen. Arthur Lichte, USAF, Retired Chairman, Board of Officers Mr. Collin R. Bakse Editor and Art Director Mr. Doug Lynch Business Manager Col. Ronald E. Owens, USAF Retired Editorial Advisor Col. Gregory Cook, USAF Retired Editorial Contributor/Public Affairs Coordinator On the Cover: A formation of Fairchild C-119s of the 483rd Troop Carrier Wing enroute to take part in a simulated assault near the front lines in Korea, circa 1950. The rugged, versatile C-119 “Flying Boxcar” was instrumental in Combat Cargo operations. They were PRINTED IN U.S.A. designed for easy loading and large capacity. (Photo courtesy of Air And Space Museum).

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 1 Paying Homage… Off and on for many years the A/TA Board of Directors and the A/TQ have wrestled Chairman’s with the idea of printing the obituaries of prominent air mobility warriors after they take their final flight into the wild blue yon- der. The subject was first brought to the at- COMMENTS tention of Association’s Board of Directors while General Al Hansen was Chairman. I hope your flowers are blooming and good weather is upon you. During those discussions we realized that, We had a very productive winter board meeting at Dyess AFB, . while on the surface it seems like doing so is The chapter and the Abilene civic leaders welcomed us with open the least we can do, in practical terms, how- arms We were able to see up close and personal why the Abilene Tro- ever, it becomes a daunting task. phy is so aptly named for wonderful community support. Thanks to There were a myriad of questions that had to be addressed – Who should we consider everyone at Dyess. prominent? Generals? Officers? Enlisted? As you know by now, our Association’s three main focus areas are: Active, Reserve and/or Guard and Civilians? Supporting Mobility Airmen, Preserving Our Culture, and Strength- Where can this infomation be found in a ening Our Bonds. This year the emphasis will be on Preserving Our timely, accurate manner? How often should Culture and as I sit here writing this little piece in April, I am re- this information appear in the magazine? Gen Arthur J Lichte minded of the distinguished men and women who have gone before How much space should be allocated for the USAF, Ret us and the need to keep their stories alive. information? How do we make sure no one Recently we lost one of the founding fathers of the Airlift Associa- is inadvertantly missed? tion, Brigadier General Mal Hooker. He was one of those people who lived and breathed air As you can tell this well-intentioned and seemingly simple idea is actually rather com- mobility. He loved our Association. With his departure, only four of the founding fathers re- plicated. Those early discussion led to the main with us—Col. Bob Ellington, Col. Jimmy Maturo, Maj Gen Tom Sadler and Lt Col Hank Van Gieson. I’m told they are all planning to join us in Orlando. I am very sure they will be “When your time comes to die, sharing lots of stories from the old days. (Some of them might even be true!) Why do we need to be reminded of their stories and experiences? Without periodic remind- be not like those whose hearts ers, people will quickly forget the tremendous lessons to be learned from those who have gone are filled with fear of death, before us. For example, I asked a few folks in my neighborhood about the Doolittle Tokyo so that when their time comes Raiders. Not many knew much about them and some had never even heard of them. And one of them was a schoolteacher! they weep and pray for a little On 15 April, the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders received the Congressional Gold Medal from more time to live their lives Congress. On the 18th of April, we commemorated the 73rd anniversary since that mission over again in a different way. launched. Only two of those original 80 Airmen survive today. All 80 of them served as role models for our Airmen of today. Sing your death song, and die The Raiders, along with thousands of other supporting military personnel aboard the car- like a hero going home.” rier USS Hornet, were part of a 16-ship taskforce that departed San Francisco Bay in early —Tecumseh April 1942. While streaming toward Japan, the armada was discovered by Japanese patrol boats ahead of the planned departure by the 80 Raiders in 16 B-25, twin-engine bombers. The establisment of a few loosely applied param- discovery forced the Raiders to take off 12 hours earlier and approximately 150 nautical miles eters: Print farewell columns to pay hom- age to A/TA Founding Members, A/TA Hall farther from Japan than planned. The weather conditions were miserable with rain, 20-knot of Fame Inductees, Past and Present A/TA gusting winds and huge waves crashing over the bow of the carrier. Yet, despite knowing they National Board of Officers and Staff and were likely embarking upon a suicide mission, the group of 80 volunteer flyers never wavered. selected others, especially A/TA members, Art Lichte whose lives and actions warrant mention in a journal printed for use by members of the Air Mobility community. All that being said, there are, sadly, two examples of recently departed air mobility warriors who meet the magazines “farewell column” criteria: Brigadier General Malcolm P. Hooker, USAF ret, an A/TA Founding Mem- ber and former Chairman; and, Maj Gen Al- den G. Glauch, USAF ret, a former 21st Air Force commander and stalwart, long-time A/TA member. Their farewell columns ap- pear on pages 4 and 5 respectfully. As the A/TA approaches its 50th Anniversary, these columns will necessarily, unfortunately, in- crease, – as the old saying goes “Time waits for no man…” Collin Bakse, editor

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 2 Secretary’s Notes It’s April (as I write this) and it’s raining in President’s North Carolina, if I could figure out how to get some of this water out to the west coast I’d be a hero, I don’t think my Mobility experience will help much. Reviewing my last note it re- MESSAGE minded me that 2014 was busy, 2015 looks to be the same – busy, but it’s a good busy, busy Spring has sprung and your A/TA Board is off and running working with an planning for this year’s Convention & Symposium in Orlando, organization which Florida. We had a very good hot wash for last year’s Convention & Supports Mobility Symposium and will use the information to make our 2015 Orlando Airmen, Preserves meeting even better for all. the Mobility Cul- ture and Strength- Our last Board meeting was held at Dyess, and what a great meet- ens Mobility Bonds! ing and wonderful host. The board had very productive meetings Thanks for the op- while at Dyess and we certainly appreciate the tours, socials and portunity to serve. much more from the local chapter. Thanks go to SMSgt David Evans, Below is a short up- Chapter President, for his professionalism and dedication and to all date from the Secre- CMSgt Mike Reynolds the volunteers who support Dave and the Chapter. I would also like tary’s perspective. Col Mike Cassidy USAF, Ret to say thanks to Jeffrey Brown for being such a gracious I hope you’ve USAF, Ret host. The has a great team and great chapter. been to our new web site and seen some re- Most of you know that the one of the primary duties of the A/TA President is to administer cent activity. Please take a look and provide feedback – we continue to work with our our awards program and one of those programs is the HOF. We have just completed the 2015 friends at 246Analytics and Starlifter Solu- process, and now we need to look ahead for 2016. Please consider submitting a package for one tions to make it better – http://www2.ata- of the many qualified people. It is a simple process and posted on our web site. We normally link.org/. Please use the feedback button or if send notice in January each year and the cutoff for delivery of packages is April. What a won- you want to provide me direct feedback my derful way to show appreciation to a special person. You have time to consider, chose the right email is [email protected]. Also, we’re person and submit. always looking for web-site content that is Our next board meeting will take place at McConnell AFB, Kansas, 4 and 5 June. I am per- important or of general interest to A/TA – sonally looking forward to visiting McConnell as that was my first assignment after joining please send ideas to myself and Greg Cook at the Air Force. Sure hope I can locate my solid green BDU jacket I left on a seat of a KC-135? [email protected]. As I introduced in my last note we now I would like to ask each of you to sign up a new member and for all enlisted personnel to have two new contracts for A/TA Admin Sup- go to the A/TA web site and learn about the Enlisted Education Grant. Get involved with local port and the Membership/Registration Data chapters, which is a great way to network. And as always, I would like to thank the AMC Staff Management System. The two contracts sup- for their continued support. port the transition year with MIS, Inc. in 2015 In closing I would like to say thanks to all the men and women of our great Air Force; Ac- and the first operational year without MIS tive, Guard and Reserve, for your continued service and dedication to the Air Force and this starting in Jan 2016. There is a lot of work to great nation. be done but MIS, 246Analytics and Starlifter Hope to see you in Orlando. Enjoy spring and summer and, as always, be safe. Solutions are working together to make the transition smooth. As with any change there Mike Reynolds will be issues, so please be patient and make sure you let me know if you see ways we can improve support for the organization. We continue our effort to improve our com- munications using all media formats. In that PLEASE UPDATE regard, if you have local social media input, YOUR INFORMATION or stories you think are suitable for the A/TQ Please, Please, Please please contact Greg Cook (PublicAffairs@ata- Your A/TA National Headquarters realizes that A/TA may not be the first thing on link.org). Regular input from the chapters is your mind when you go PCS, or when you have any type of contact-information change. key to the vitality of the association. But, every time we do a mailing like this A/TQ or renewal reminder letters, we end up with many Below are schedule updates: returns because of outdated information in our database. While part of doing business,a single magazine RETURN can cost us up to $7 – on top of the original postage necessary to send it out PLUS Let me pile on my thanks to The Big the cost to re-send it, if we’re able to track down the member and obtain a correct address. Country chapter and their great support for Obviously, this process very quickly adds up to become a great expense for the Association. Therefore, we would like to implore you to please try to remember when your our Winter Board meeting. information changes, to update your info on the website (http://atalink.org, Our Spring board meeting will be at Mc- and click on the LOGIN tab). It’s easy and quick, and will help Connell AFB, Kansas, on 4 & 5 June, hosted your Association’s finances greatly. Thanks, by the Keeper of the Plains Chapter – please Pam and Bud Traynor let me if you would like to attend (secretary@ Association Administrators atalink.org). It will be a busy board meeting preparing for the upcoming convention in Orlando. On my last note I stated our summer board continued on page 5 >>>

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 3 F

Association ROUND-UP

­— In Memoriam — Brig Gen Malcolm P. Hooker, USAF Ret. 1920 - 2015 Founding Member & Past Chairman Airlift/Tanker Association General Malcolm Hooker, age 95, passed a thirty day trip to South Africa as a team Distinguished Service medal and the Legion of away on 19 March 2015 as a result of complica- member visiting many of the major cities to Merit with two oak leaf clusters. tions from a heart attack. coordinate evacuation routes, if such should General Hooker was one of the founding A native of Memphis, , he attended become necessary, from North Africa. Re- members of a group that organized an annual Southwestern (now Rhodes) College and the turning to the states in April of 1945, he be- reunion of Vietnam airlifters starting in 1969 University of Memphis Law came Director of Operations in Las Vegas. The annual reunion grew to be- School. He started flying in the of the Air Transport Com- come the Airlift Association which was char- summer of 1939. Subsequently, mand training base in Green- tered in 1975. He served in leadership positions he received his instructor’s rat- ville, Mississippi. He was within the Airlift Association for several years, ing and became a civilian in- released from active duty in including a stint as Chairman. General Hooker, structor in the Army Air Corps November 1945 and joined along with his fellow founding members, laid a primary training program in Slick Airways as Assistant Di- solid foundation upon which the Airlift/Tank- Pine Bluff, . rector of Operations. er Association was built, becoming a very ac- After Pearl Harbor, he had In September 1948, during tive and highly respected organization whose three choices: stay on as an the Berlin Airlift, he was re- members are providing and supporting vital instructor; go with American called to active duty, and was airlift throughout the world on a daily basis. Airlines, or join the Army Air asked to serve as the Chief of In 1991, General Hooker was elected Presi- Corps Ferry Command and re- the Liaison and Special Proj- dent of the National Defense Transportation ceive a direct commission as a ects office for the Combined Association (NDTA), subsequently restructur- second lieutenant with the op- Airlift Task Force at Rhein- ing the Association and establishing a sound portunity to fly all types of aircraft all over the Main Air Base, Germany. After the airlift, he financial position for future growth. He served world. remained at Rhein-Main and became Director as President for five years and was recognized In March of 1942, he joined the 3rd Ferry of Operations for the 61st Troop Carrier Wing. by the Board and members as follows: Group at Romulus, Michigan. In June of that In May 1952, he was transferred to the 435th year, the Ferry Command changed its’ name Troop Carrier Wing at Miami International The idol of those who can’t stand idle to the Air Transport Command with two di- Airport, Florida and was Commander of the Whose deeds are more visions – the Ferry Division for the movement 456th Troop Carrier Group flying C-119 air- eloquent than words of aircraft, and the Transport Division for the craft. A Renaissance man movement of people and things. Because of General Hooker served at staff level positions A Wizard his experience, he was made Director of Air in all echelons of command including two Whose vast understanding does Training and in the next two years he flew 28 years at Headquarters as not include different types of aircraft on many missions to Assistant Director of Operations and training, That of a lost cause...” various destinations all over the world. and four years at Headquarters, USAF where In April of 1943, he married Margaret he became Deputy Chief of Transport Forces He was Chairman of the Board for two years “Bunny” Wulbern. She was an aircraft pi- Division of the Directorate of Operations. This and continued to serve on the Board until lot whom he had met at Oxford, Mississippi division monitored airlift forces worldwide. He 2000 when he was named Chairman Emeri- while on a cross country training flight in was also the Deputy Director of Tactical Airlift tus. NDTA is recognized worldwide as the pre- 1940. She was also from Pine Bluff and their at TAC Headquarters. mier transportation organization. friendship grew while he was an instructor He attended Air Command and Staff School While living in Alexandria, Virginia, he was there. She made the choice to accept his pro- and the Air War College, separately at Maxwell a member of the Alexandria Rotary Club, the posal for marriage rather than join the Wom- AFB in Montgomery, Alabama. He was also sta- Sticky Fingers Investment Club, the Westmin- en’s Air Service Pilots Program. tioned three years each in Germany and Japan, ster Presbyterian Church and belonged to Belle In May of 1944, he was transferred to Accra, and 16 months in Vietnam (2 separate tours). Haven Country Club. British West Africa and saw service as Chief Pi- In 1968, he was assigned as Commander of a In 2010, several years after his wife’s death, lot and Director of Operations for the Central C-130 Wing at Langley AFB and was promoted he relocated permanently to Vero Beach, Flor- African Division of the Air Transport Com- to Brigadier General. He retired in 1975 from ida (having purchased a condo there in 1977) mand. Their area of responsibility was from duty as Vice Commander of the Military Traffic and was a member of the First Presbyterian Dakar on the west coast of Africa to Karachi, Management Command, a joint Army/Navy/ Church and the Vero Beach Rotary. Pakistan and all of southern Africa. Air Force command in Arlington, Virginia. His General Hooker is survived by his two One of the most memorable events was twenty-three decorations include the Air Force daughters, Jean Hooker and Cathy Moser, a son Malcolm Jr., six grandchildren and nine “I knew Mal Hooker for years and years. He was a consummategreat-grandchildren. gentleman, and his leadership was very instrumental in the early days of the Association.” —Bob Ellington, Fellow Founding Member and Past Chairman

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 20152014 4 F

­— In Memoriam — Secretary’s Notes continued from page 3 Maj Gen Alden G. Glauch, USAF Ret. meeting would be held in conjunction with the Mobility Rodeo at McChord AFB, 1919 - 2015 Washington, however, unfortunately, Ro- Mobility Warrior & Airlift/Tanker Association Member deo 2015 was cancelled. I’m still finalizing Alden Glenwood Glauch, born 14 Novem- again joined Military Airlift Command in the details but it looks like we’ll meet at ber 1919, died 16 April 2015, was a Major August 1965 as director of current opera- McGuire AFB, New Jersey, during the week General in the Air Force who tions, Twenty-, Travis Air of 12 Aug – please watch for more updates. served as commander, Twenty- Force Base, California. Since this year we’re focusing on Pre- (Military Airlift Command) at McGuire Air From March 1968 to March 1969 he serving the Mobility Culture allow me to Force Base, New Jersey. served as director of opera- offer the first — Glauch was born in 1919 tions for the 834th Air Di- “Preserve the Mobility Culture Pop Quiz” in Traverse City, MI, where vision in the Republic of 1) What two major is Bill he graduated from Traverse Vietnam. He returned to Tunner famous for leading? City High School in 1937. McGuire AFB, New Jersey, This one’s easy! He attended Texas Western in April 1969 as assistant 2) Bonus – What was Bill Tunner’s College in El Paso, Texas deputy chief of staff, opera- nickname? and the University of Mary- tions and later was deputy 3) What important airdrop tech- land, where he majored in chief of staff, operations, nology was first developed to aeronautical engineering. Twenty-first Air Force. He support combat resupply at During World War II he again went to Rhein-Main An Loc Veitnam? You Herk heroes entered active military ser- Air Base, Germany, as com- should know the answer to this one. vice in December 1942 and mander, 435th Military Feel free to send your answers to secre- graduated from aviation ca- Airlift Support Wing in [email protected]. det pilot training with a commission as a April 1970. In April 1971 Glauch became Remember, invite someone you know second lieutenant and his pilot wings in assistant deputy chief of staff, operations, (Guard, Reserve, Active, Retired, Civic November 1943. Glauch then served as a Military Airlift Command, Scott Air Base, Leader, aircrew, maintenance, port, sup- fighter pilot in North Africa and subse- Illinois, and in July 1972 was named dep- port, etc.) to join this great organization quently with the 64th Troop Carrier Group uty chief of staff, operations. He became and get involved with your local chapter. in Italy, France and the China-Burma The- commander of Twenty-first Air Force, with Thanks for all you do, every day!! ater of Operations. He was released from headquarters at McGuire Air Force Base, Mike Cassidy active duty in July 1945 and was a member New Jersey, in May 1975. of the Inactive Reserve. His military decorations and awards in- Post Script – A Fun Mobility Moment Glauch returned to active duty in Febru- clude the Distinguished Service Medal, the Last week I was at my local FedEx Office ary 1949 and was assigned to the 53rd Troop Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf cluster, Dis- Center, scanning, printing and copying Carrier Squadron at Rhein-Main Air Base, tinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service the contracts I mention above to provide Germany in March 1949, as a pilot and par- Medal, Air Medal with three oak leaf clus- the Administration and Technical support ticipated in the Berlin Airlift. In September ters, Air Force Commendation Medal with as we transition from MIS, Inc this year. 1949 he was assigned as commander of the two oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation I filled out the paperwork to ship the 2nd Air Postal Squadron, U. S. Air Forces in Medal, Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem hard copy of the contract to Starlifter So- Europe. In May 1952 he went to Westover with oak leaf cluster and the Armed Forces lutions and dropped it off with the clerk Air Force Base, Massachusetts, as aerial port Honor Medal, First Class Order, from the Re- behind the counter. He looked at the com- control officer and later was assigned to the public of Vietnam. He is a command pilot pany name, looked at me and asked, “Star- 20th Air Transport Squadron at McGuire with more than 8,000 flying hours. In 1977 lifter, like the C-141? That’s not a question Air Force Base, New Jersey, in April 1955 received the Order of the Sword. He was pro- I expected in Durham, NC. I replied, “yep, and became squadron commander. In July moted to the grade of major general effective where were you stationed” – it turns out 1956 he was appointed deputy commander, 20 June 1973 with date of rank 1 July 1970. Matt was a hydraulic specialist at Mc- 1611th Air Transport Group, also at Mc- He retired on 1 February 1981. Chord from ’91-’97 – not only were we Guire AFB. Glauch attended the Air Com- Glauch is survived by his wife of 74 years, both “Starlizard guys” but we overlapped mand and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Rhea E. (Forton) Glauch, sons, Alden W. a little when I was in the 8MAS. Base, Alabama, from September 1958 to and Margaret Glauch and of Kissimmee, FL, I left him my A/TA Secretary business card July 1959. He next went to Thule Air Base, Grant Emerson of St. Petersburg, FL, daugh- and encouraged him to join the Association. Greenland, as commander, 55th Air Rescue ter, Cheri L. Glauch and fiancé, Dan Bell of I asked him, and he did admit he still misses Squadron. The Villages, FL. working on the airplane, but not all the de- From March 1960 to August 1965, The family received relatives and friends ployments. It really is a small Mobility world! Glauch was assigned to Headquarters U. S. at a visitation held on Tuesday, 21 April Air Force, Washington, D.C., in the Office 2015. Burial with Military Honors was held Future Convention Locations of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, at the Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, 2015: Marriott World Center, Orlando as chief, MATS and Services Branch and FL on Wednesday, 22 April 2015 at 11:30 later in the Office of the Deputy Chief a.m. Memorial contributions may be made 2016: Opryland Hotel, Nashville of Staff for Research and Development to Trinity Lutheran Church 1002 S. Maple Note: Convention Start Dates as chief, Airlift and Services Branch. He St., Traverse City, MI 49864. historically have ended up 31 October “…So go and fly free with the angels, As they sing so tenderly plus or minus a week or so. While nothing is “guaranteed,” that And please be sure to tell them, To take good care of you for me…” bracket is a reasonable aim point. —Anonymus

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 5 Eagle Chapter

2015 Winter Social — A Joint Event by the Dover Chapters of the Air Force Association and Airlift/Tanker Association David Grant, Eagle Chapter President “Supporting Mobility Airmen”…“Preserving Our Culture”…“Strengthening Our Bonds”… which theme to use for a Winter Social dur- for the AN-124 and IL-76 aircraft in sup- success is measured by allowing the cus- ing the frigid Mid-Atlantic winter? Faced porting CRAF has dropped drastically in re- tomer to be free to focus on other aspects with the challenge to make the Eagle Chap- cent years, other government users around of their business while a team of logisticians ter more locally focused, we choose to focus the Potomac have increased their use of executes their movement needs. on “Strengthening Our Bonds” and sought Volga-Dnepr’s capabilities. Supporting the customer’s logistics needs a speaker from our expansive list of indus- Traveling the world in the ubiquitous IL76 is a full time job at the Volga-Dnepr Unique try partners. Sequestration had hit the Eagle or semi-normal AN124 would be the mili- Air Cargo headquarters in Houston, Texas Chapter hard in both membership and in- tary airlift equivalent of the phrase, “Hid- and the Director, Colon Miller, shows how terest, so, this plan was chosen to set the Ea- ing in plain sight.” No one sees the airplane a retired SNCO is an essential part of this gle Chapter apart from other organizations, multi-faceted operation. Like many retired especially when the industry partner, Volga- Mobility Airmen, Colon’s story is unique Dnepr Unique Air Cargo, stepped up to visit and motivating to our current junior enlisted and speak with our members. force. Colon is an amazing asset to the global We first started this journey at the 2014 airfreight industry and his skills were honed annual convention with a general discus- inside AMC. During his time speaking with sion at the Volga-Dnepr booth between my- the Airmen of Dover AFB, Colon showed how self and the Director of Government & De- never saying “no” to any opportunity during fense Programs for Volga-Dnepr Unique Air your career can open up doors later in life. Cargo, Colon Miller. This discussion then Colon was called to run the commercial re- continued back at Dover AFB with the Vice quirements division of TACC/XOPC, as the president of the Galaxy Chapter, Air Force Commercial Cell Chief for CRAF. In this are- Association. A few after work meetings at the Mr. Colon Miller, Director of Government & na he was tasked to help write and implement KingPin Cafe with myself, SSgt James Joyce Defense Programs for Volga-Dnepr Unique the first contracts for IL76 and AN124 aircraft (treasurer), MSgt Lori Tascione (Secretary), Air Cargo showed the A/TA and AFA mem- in the CRAF sub-contracting fleet. After re- Mr. John Murphy (AFA Chapter President, bers attending how a civilian version of tiring from the USAF, Colon worked for the retired Major, USAF), Captain Dan Whalen Dover AFB, and Air Mobility Command, Army at US Forces Command (FORSCOM), (AFA Chapter Vice President) allowed us to operates during a Winter Social held jointly until he was asked to start the American divi- have a plan to present to Col Grismer, the by the Eagle Chapter of the A/TA and the sion for the largest operator of AN124 aircraft 436AW/CC and Chief Cadell, our Command Galaxy Chapter of the AF at the Air Mobility in Houston, Texas, as their Director of Gov- Chief. The industry partner who was to be Command Museum at Dover AFB, Delaware. ernment & Defense Programs. our guest speaker is also a retired Air Force (Eagle Chapter Photo by David Grant). Volga-Dnepr Unique Air Cargo showed Master Sergeant and KC-135 Instructor- as an out-of-the-normal arrival; add in the the A/TA and AFA members attending how Evaluator Boom Operator. He is also the Di- on-board crane for both aircraft and you a civilian version of Dover AFB, and Air Mo- rector of Government & Defense Programs now have a very self-sufficient aircraft and bility Command, operates. We were able to for Volga-Dnepr Unique Air Cargo based in aircrew. This is vital to operational success glean a few ideas for how our operation is Houston, Texas. This combination made for when there is a need to keep a low profile, performed in the civilian aviation commu- an interesting history lesson, a global per- while bringing in a few tons of equipment nity, while being educated in some amaz- spective for the Airmen of Dover AFB, and and vehicles. Combine a very experienced ing mission-capable rates and airlift perfor- an outstanding evening presentation. technical crew which stays on the airplane mance. But, the real question is, what was it When the IL76 and AN124 joined the (bunks are provided) and the airframes are like to host a retired military member, cur- CRAF as a sub-contractor providing over- kept turning and burning with a targeted rently a Director for the American branch of sized and outsized airlift, the unique ca- 500 hours a month of flying time, before a Russian airline flying Russian & Ukraine pabilities of an internal crane and high the need for a maintenance checkup is per- airplanes? One word: Awesome. Colon Mill- reliability rate meant mission’s completed formed. These stout beasts of military bur- er is an outstanding presenter, and when he on-time, instead of sometimes. As the world’s den are now generating revenue around the toured and talked with the Airmen of the largest operator of the AN-124-100 aircraft globe, in an operational format similar to Fuels Flight, Air Traffic Control, and Aerial Volga-Dnepr is the leading commercial how C-46s, C-47s, and C-54s were used after Port, he exemplified the professionalism a charter carrier for outsize cargo. This class- the end of World War II. retired Senior Non-Commissioned Officer leading performance allowed USTRANS- So how similar is the operation to AMC? In brings to a civilian company. COM to move more than 500 a the Houston office, the world is represented Going forward, our two chapters are plan- month into and Afghanistan. WARN- by a map with a full time staff keeping tabs ning events to fulfill the three visions of the ING: the following fact may be hard to and completing all required documentation A/TA and AFA: Support Our Mobility Airmen, stomach: the AN124 showed a 96-98% re- for every flight into and out of America, and Preserve Our Culture, Strengthening Our liability rate, while our own C5 was strug- assists in many other countries around the Bonds and Support, Advocate, Educate from gling in the high 60% range. An interesting globe. As Volga-Dnepr is a “one-stop-shop” the AFA. After this first event, we can mark off side note is that the total military/govern- for their customers in all aspects of moving Strengthening Our Bonds and Support; only ment contract is only 5% of their total sales cargo, being able to see the “big picture” is four more visions to go before the end of the of over $5 billion dollars. While the need crucial to their success. And Volga-Dnepr’s year and we start all over again.

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 6 A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 7 2014 A/TA Year End Financial Report Col (ret) John J. Murphy, Jr., A/TA Treasurer

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION 12-31-14 STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES 12-31-14

UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS ASSETS Unrestricted revenues, gains and other support Corporate Memberships...... $88,980 Cash...... $1, 507,73 4 Individual Memberships...... $92,872 Convention Exhibits...... $328,205 Investments - US Treasury...... $50,000 Convention Registrations...... $582,595 Magazine Advertising...... $66,513 Investment - CSX Stock...... $43,476 Dividends...... $790 Unrealized Gain on Securities...... $8,952 Inventory - Logo Items...... $11,569 Interest...... $63 Logo Sales, Net...... -$605 Property and equipment...... $2,803 Total Unrestricted Revenues, etc...... $1,168,364

Total Assets...... $1,615,582 Net Assets Released from Restrictions Restrictions Satisfied by Payments...... $5,571 Total Unrestricted Revenues, Etc...... $1,173,936 LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS EXPENSES: Liabilities Program Services...... $1,273,977 Management and General...... $202,664 Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses...... $0 Total Expenses...... $1,476,641

Total Liabilities...... $0 Increase in Unrestricted Net Assets...... ($302,706)

TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED NET ASSETS NET ASSETS ATA Events...... $4,536 Unrestricted...... $607,4 43 Award Donation...... $500 Scholarship Fund...... $535 Temporarily restricted (Reserves)...... $1,000,000 Net Assets Released from Restrictions Temporarily restricted (Memorial)...... $8,139 Restrictions Satisfied by Payments...... ($5,571) Change in Temporarily Restricted Net Assets...... $0 Total net assets...... $1,615,582 Decrease in Net Assets...... (($302,706)

Total Liabilities and Net Assets...... $1,615,582 NET ASSETS AT BEGINNING OF YEAR...... $1,918,288

NET ASSETS AT END OF QUARTER...... $1,615,582

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 8 You The Airlift/Tanker Association’s 2014 financial statements are pub- lished in the Spring Edition of the Airlift/Tanker Quarterly as required + by our By-Laws. The statement of Financial Position and Statement of Activities are prepared by a Cer- tified Public Accountant as part of our annual financial audit and 2014 income tax submission. The Association’s financial status remains strong as we move into 2014. However, as you can see, we experi- enced our third straight loss in 2014 with a 16% decrease in our net = assets. This is an unacceptable trend and one we are trying hard to reverse or at least “slow down.” We are examining the Association’s business model and are working to bring our expenses in line with our projected revenues. We are cautiously optimistic that our 2015 projections will be more in line with reality than those in the past A Great Deal three years and that we’ll level off from our downward spiral. for the STATEMENT OF FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES 12-31-14

FUNCTIONAL EXPENSE PROGRAM SERVICES MANAGEMENT FUND RASING TOTAL Association! Awards $15,100 $0 $15,100 Scholarships & EEG $76,300 $0 $76,300 Now Anyone Can Bank Service Fees $25,965 $0 $25,965 Convention $1,015,636 $0 $1,015,636 Support A/TA While ATA Events $4,099 $0 $4,099 Shopping Online! Depreciation $1,869 $0 $1,869 AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for Donations $6,100 $0 $6,100 you to support The Airlift/Tanker Association every Insurance Premiums $0 $2,550 $2,550 time you shop, at no cost to you, using your current Magazine $93,179 $0 $93,179 Amazon account. When you shop at smile.amazon. com, you’ll find the exact same prices and selection as Administration $0 $149,792 $149,792 Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will Postage & Reproduction $1,045 $0 $1,045 donate a portion of the purchase price to A/TA. Secretary $0 $47,193 $47,193 Simply go to the new A/TA website, atalink.org, and scroll to the bottom of the home page to find Memorial Expense $0 $0 $0 the AmazonSmile box. You will be prompted to Board Operating Expenses $34,684 $0 $34,684 indicate which organization you wish to donate Treasurer $0 $3,129 $3,129 to and the setup is easy to link it to your current Amazon account. To shop at AmazonSmile simply $1,273,977 $202,664 $1,476,641 go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device and shop as usual. Happy shopping and thanks for supporting The Airlift/Tanker Association!

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 9 Cover The Amazingly Versatile STORY Fairchild C-119 “Flying Boxcar”

The C-119’s design roots reach back to 1941 and the XC-82 Packet. Following approval of the design and a mock- up in 1942, a USAAF contract for a single prototype was awarded and the designation XC-82 allocated. The XC-82 was first flown on 10 September 1944, at Fairchild Aviation Company’s Hagerstown, Maryland plant. The XC-82 was the first American aircraft designed during World War II specifically for a fast, mobile, cargo-carrying function. It entered production as the C-82A, a twin-boomed transport powered by two Pratt and Whitney R-2800-85 air cooled engines rated at 2,100 horsepower each. The C-82 was used in the Berlin Airlift during 1948, but was not as well publicized as the more numerous C-47s and C-54s. While the Packet provided valuable service to the Air Force’s and Military Air Transport Service for nearly nine years, its design had some limitations, and these were addressed in the new C-119 transport. In 1947, the 137th production model C-82A was extensively modified into the XC-82B. The plane’s cockpit was moved into the nose of the airplane from its previous location over the cargo compartment. This resulted in much more usable cargo space and allowed for larger loads. The XC-82B also featured more powerful engines (Pratt & Whitney R-4360s), a widened fuselage, and a strengthened structure. The first XC-82B prototype flew in 1947, and deliveries began in December 1949 as the C-119B. When production of the C-119, nicknamed the “Flying Boxcar,” ended in 1955, 1,151 planes had been built, half of which were still in service in 1969. The C-119 proved to be a highly effective and versatile addition to the Air Force aircraft inventory —

A formation of Fairchild C-119s of the 483rd Troop Carrier Wing enroute to take part in a simulated assault near the front lines in Korea, circa 1950. The rugged, versatile C-119 “Flying Boxcar” was instrumental in Combat Cargo operations. They were designed for easy loading and large capacity. (Photo courtesy of Air And Space Museum).

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 10 The C-119 was a redesign of an earlier Fairchild transport design, Airlift provided quick response in both offensive and defensive the C-82 Packet, which was built for the between 1945 and 1948. circumstances. After the Inchon landing, Combat Cargo supplied The C-82 Packet was used during the Berlin Airlift but did not re- the 8th Army by air after it rapidly outpaced its ground supply. This ceive the noteriety of the C-47s and C-54s that provided the bulk of allowed the Army to continue pursuing and pressuring the North lift during the endeavor. Berlin had Koreans. only 2 airports at the outset of the The C-119’s first combat mission airlift, Tempelhof and Gatow. Soon, included a cooperative airdrop it became obvious that a third air- with C-47s on 20 October 1950, port was needed. Heavy equipment when 2,860 Army paratroops and was needed to build the new airport 300 tons of supplies were dropped at Tegel, in the French Sector, but at Sunchon during the drive to there were no aircraft large enough Pyongyang in . Gen- to carry bulky items like bulldozers. eral MacArthur planned to employ So, heavy equipment was cut into the airborne troops of the 187th smaller pieces, loaded onto one of Airborne Regiment in a drop north 5 Fairchild C-82 Packet aircraft, of P’yongyang in an attempt to cut flown into Berlin, and welded back off North Korean officials and en- together again! emy troops, and to rescue American The changes that led to the C-82 prisoners of war who it was assumed being redesignated as the C-119 would be evacuated northward were extensive. First, the cockpit when the fall of the North Korean was moved into the nose of the capital seemed imminent. MacAr- airplane from its previous location thur set the airdrop for the morning over the cargo compartment. This of 20 October 1950. US Paratroopers of the 187th Regimental Combat Team drop be- resulted in much more usable cargo The regiment loaded into 113 hind enemy lines in Korea. Envelopment of Communist troops space and larger loads. The C-119 planes, C-119s and C-47s of the through use of air drops was a successfully used tactic by the also featured more powerful en- 314th and 21st Troop Carrier Squad- 315th Air Division (Combat Cargo) during the . After gines, Pratt & Whitney R-4360s, a rons based in Japan. This flight car- the 187th had occupied the territory, C-119s supplied them with widened fuselage, and a strength- ried about 2,800 men. The planes food, fuel, ammunition, vehicles, and artillery weapons by air- ened structure. The first C-119 pro- were crowded – a typical C-119 car- drops. (USAF Photo, 21 June 1952). totype (actually called the XC-82B) ried 46 men in 2 sticks of 23 men flew in 1947, and deliveries began in December 1949 as the C-119B. each, 15 monorail bundles, and 4 door bundles. Each man had a The C-119B saw extensive action in Korea and Vietnam, and many main parachute, a .45-caliber pistol, and a carbine or M1 rifle. Af- were provided to other nations as part of the Military Assistance Pro- ter the troop drop came that of the heavy equipment – equipment gram, including Belgium, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Italy, Nationalist organic to an airborne infantry regiment, including jeeps, 90-mm. China, and South Vietnam. The type was also used by the Royal towed antitank guns, 105-mm. howitzers, and a mobile radio trans- Canadian Air Force, and by the US mission set equivalent in weight to Marine Corps under the designa- a 2 1/2-ton truck. Seven 105-mm. tions R4Q-1 and R4Q-2. howitzers of the 674th Field Artil- lery Battalion and 1,125 rounds of “Flying Boxcars” Over Korea ammunition were in the drop. Six The C-119 saw extensive action of the howitzers were recovered in during the Korean War as a troop usable condition. This was the first and equipment transport. In July time heavy equipment had been 1950, four C-119s were sent to Far dropped in combat, and it was the East Air Forces (FEAF) for service first time C-119’S had been used in tests. Two months later, the C-119 a combat parachute operation. deployed with the 314th Troop During the first Chinese offensive Carrier Group and served in Korea in November 1950, aerial resupply throughout the war. often meant the difference between At the beginning of the Korean survival and destruction. Combat War, the value of large-scale com- Cargo conducted the largest air- bat zone airlift had yet to be tested. drops in history up to that time in As the war went on, Air Force trans- support of retreating UN ground ports gave ground commanders forces. During the second Chinese new flexibility, proving the crucial Flying in close formation with other transport planes near Chun- offensive in the spring of 1951, importance of USAF airlift. gju, South Korea, a C-119 Flying Boxcar of the US Far East Air Combat Cargo again supported UN In August 1950 the situation im- Force’s Combat Cargo Command drops tons of rations and gaso- troops on the ground, delivering an proved considerably with the ar- line to UN troops waiting on a snow-covered battlefield a few average of 1,100 tons of supplies (in- rival of additional airlift units and hundred feet below. (USAF Photo, Circa 1952). cluding about 600 tons of artillery Maj. Gen. William H. Tunner, who shells) daily during peak periods. had recent experience running the successful Berlin Airlift. Tunner The C-119’s greatest feat during the Korean War, however, was a created Combat Cargo Command to perform all intra-theater airlift mission to aid the retreat of United States Marine Corps and Army duties, including landing and dropping supplies, troop transport, troops from Chosin in December 1950. dropping paratroopers, psychological operations, medical evacua- In November 1950, as the US Army’s Tenth (X) Corps and 1st tion and air rescue. Marine Division pushed north to the Yalu River in Korea, their

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 11 commanders believed the war would soon be over. the most remarkable achievements in American military history – Eating that year’s Thanksgiving meal along a tiny mountain road the resupply and evacuation of the X Corps. in the northern portion of Korea, the troops were determined to be The Bridge at Koto-Ri On 29 November, 12 C-119s from the 314th Troop Carrier Group began delivering supplies to the surrounded units. Gen. William H. Tunner of Combat Cargo Command offered to fly the entire Ma- rine division and most of the small vehicles out from Hagaru-ri, a small town at the southern tip of the reservoir. Maj. Gen. Oliver Smith, commander of the 1st Marine Division appreciated the offer. “Thanks,” he said, “I’ll need the whole fighting division to get every- body out ... But you take the sick, frost bitten and wounded.” C-47 crews flew out 4,689 casualties from Hagaru-ri in six days. Among the casualties were many Chinese regulars with frozen hands and feet who had crawled into the Marine perimeter to surrender and seek respite from the freezing temperatures. With the wounded safe- ly removed, General Smith could now fight his way down the narrow path, and he would be taking his heavy equipment with him. The procession of 10,000 Marines and 1,000 vehicles took 38 hours to maneuver their way down the 11-mile mountain path from Hagaru-ri to Koto-Ri. Four miles outside of Koto-Ri, they reached a dead end. The Chinese had destroyed a bridge traversing a 1,500 foot A U.S. Army truck and trailer back up to the gaping jaws of a C-119 gorge in the Funchilin Pass. There was no way around the 16-foot “Flying Boxcar” to be loaded for evacuation from Yonpo Airfield, gap. It was at this point that General Smith made an unusual request during the most concentrated air evacuation of the Korean War by to Combat Cargo Command that eight sections of Treadway Bridge planes of the U.S. Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command. In and plywood planking be dropped to his forces. If the bridge was the background, smoke rises from burning supplies and buildings blown out – General Smith would build one. which were destroyed before the field was left to advancing com- The Treadway Bridge sections were each 16 feet long and weighed munist troops. (Photo courtesy of the Air And Space Museum). 2,900 pounds. A practice run before the actual drop, using 24-foot parachutes, destroyed a bridge section, burying it 6 feet into the home by Christmas. Little did they know this tiny section of moun- tain road would soon become infamous. In many locations, bridges spanning deep drop-offs cut across the precariously narrow road. Heading up the route, enemy opposition had been light and morale was high. All that changed on the night of 26 November, when 120,000 Chi- nese regular troops attacked the X Corps. The following night, two

This blown bridge near Koto-Ri, Korea, blocked the only way out for U.S. forces withdrawing from Chosin Reservoir. Air Force C-119s dropped portable bridge sections to span the chasm, allowing men and equipment to reach safety. (U.S. Air Force photo) ground. With no time for further testing, larger 48-foot chutes were brought in for the drop. On 7 December, eight planes from the 314th TCG, loaded with one bridge section each, took off from Yonpo and flew toward Koto- Colonel Richard W. Henderson, pilot and 314th Group Commander, Ri. The planes decreased altitude to 800 feet in the mountain terrain signals from the pilot seat to 1st Lt Jack B. Robbins, co-pilot, and and dropped the sections onto an unmarked drop zone. One sec- TSgt Otis D. Graham, aerial engineer, as this C-119, named “LeAu- tion was destroyed on impact and one fell into enemy hands. Six of dra,” was preparing for takeoff from Ashiya Air Base, Japan, to the the sections, however, landed intact on the drop zone. Needing only Korean peninsula. (USAF Courtesy Photo , Circa 1952). Chinese divisions attacked the 1st Marines and cut off their supply route to the south. The encircled units called upon Combat Cargo Command to airdrop ammunition and supplies needed to fight their way out from the Chosin Reservoir area. The stage was set for one of

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 12 four sections to complete the bridge, the Marines were in business. drums on enemy troops. On the morning of 8 December, thanks to the only airdropped Some C-119 units complained that the aircraft was not as robust bridge in history, the Marines broke out of Koto-Ri and were soon as some older cargo aircraft types. In fact, the stability of the aircraft out of harm’s way. “There can be no doubt,” General Smith acknowl- had been rated as poor, and the C-119 had continual problems with edged, “that the supplies received by this method proved to be the engines, propellers, and violent stall characteristics. Additionally, us- margin necessary to sustain adequately the operations of the divi- ers had noted engine mount, control lock, and landing gear failures. sion during this period.” Most distressing was the accident rate of the C-119, which was up to Once the isolated units fought their way out of the enemy trap, four times higher than other transport types in the Air Force inven- the problem of evacuating the X Corps from the Port at Hungnam tory. On 29 March 1951, the right engine on two different C-119s remained. With the enemy closing in, and insufficient time for fell off while the planes were in flight. Later, in response to a rash evacuation by sea alone, air transports of cracked propellers, FEAF immediately were called upon to assist with the task. For grounded the aircraft and recommended three days, from 14 to 17 December, the complete reconditioning. In February 314th TCG was engaged in these evacua- 1953, WADC engineers redesigned the tion operations. It dispatched a total of 176 propeller regulators, which seemed to re- C-119’s. Flying through marginal weather, solve the problem. After that, most of the the pilots landed at an airfield just barely effort expended on the C-119 program was suitable for C-119 operations. in relation to the H model, of which only Throughout the mission, troop carrier one was built. units evacuated more than 4,000 patients In 1951 Henry J. Kaiser was awarded a and more than 2,000 tons of cargo. The contract to assemble additional C-119s at 314th TCG brought in the replacements, the Kaiser-Frazer automotive factory lo- weapons, ammunition, water, food and cated in the former B-24 Liberator plant at medical supplies needed to sustain friendly Willow Run Airport in Belleville, Michi- units near Chosin for 13 days and allowed gan. Initially, the Kaiser-built C-119F them to fight their way out of the trap. By would differ from the the end of December, all of the X Corps by the use of Wright R-3350-85 Cyclone had been evacuated from its foray into the engines in place of Fairchild’s use of the Northern sections of Korea. Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engine. For its actions during the campaign, the The Wright engine was a proven design 314th TCG earned a Distinguished Unit Ci- used previously on the B-29, and though tation – the first such combat award earned it lacked the R-4360’s superchargers it by any Air Force unit in the Korean War. proved to be virtually identical in perfor- Following the recapture of Seoul, Com- The original caption for this photo, taken 30 No- mance, and possibly superior at higher munist forces retreated northward. Opera- vember 1950, Reads: “Air Force Resupply Embattled altitudes. Kaiser would build 71 C-119s at tion COURAGEOUS was designed to trap Marines. Ammunition and supplies for the embat- Willow Run in 1952 and 1953 (s/n 51-8098 large Chinese and North Korean forces in tled First Marine Division in the Chosen Reservoir to 51-8168) before converting the factory the area between the Han and Imjin Riv- Area in North Korea blossom from a C-119 Flying for a planned production of the Chase ers north of Seoul, opposite I Corps. The Boxcar of the FEAF Combat Cargo Command. Al- C-123 that would never occur. operation featured a parachute drop by the most 110 tons of supplies vital to ground troops The Kaiser sub-contract was frowned 187th Airborne RCT onto the south bank facing the communist drive were dropped by com- upon by Fairchild, and efforts were made of the Imjin River near Munsan-ni, twenty bat cargo planes yesterday, most of them to the through political channels to stop Kaiser’s miles north of the current front line, and Marines and Seventh Division in the Chosen Res- production, which may have proven suc- a rapid advance by an armored task force. ervoir Area. This is the only photograph the U.S. cessful. Following Kaiser’s termination Both the airborne drop, which used over Air Force photographer was able to make before of C-119 production the contract for the a hundred C-119 Flying Boxcar transport 23-degree-below-zero weather froze the sutter on C-123 was instead awarded to Fairchild. aircraft, and the armored movement were his camera.” (USAF Photo). Most Kaiser-built C-119 aircraft would successfully executed. eventually be turned over to the South Vietnamese Air Force. The drop took place on 22 March 1951, and Task Force Growdon The final tally for Combat Cargo during the Korean War was (made up of armored elements from the U.S. 24th Infantry Division’s impressive. With an average of 140 operational transports, it flew 6th Medium Tank Battalion, borrowed from IX Corps, and infan- 210,343 missions, brought in 391,763 tons of materiel, airdropped try elements from the U.S. 3d Infantry Division) linked up with the 18,000 tons of supplies, and carried 2,605,591 passengers. USAF paratroopers on the twenty-third. The 187th faced only weak resis- Combat Cargo Command illustrated both the critical importance of tance, and the armored task force faced primarily minefields rather a unified theater airlift command and the combat flexibility airlift than active defenses. However, once again Communist forces with- provided to commanders on the ground. drew more rapidly than the UN forces could advance to trap them. In addition to airlifting supplies, the C-119s performed other tasks. C-119s Support Humanitarian Operations For example, during Operation SNOWBALL in the fall of 1951, the Like all mobility aircraft, the C-119 was called upon to help deliv- 315th Air Division used the aircraft to drop napalm-filled 55-gallon er aide during humanitarian crises around the world. For example, in April of 1953 four C-119s transported medical supplies to Turkey continues on page 16 >>>

Background Photo: Combat Cargo, Korea – The original caption of the Korean War-era photo reads: “Flying in tight formation, these U.S. Air Force C-119 “Flying Boxcars” of the 403rd Troop Carrier Wing (Combat Cargo) spill forth paratroopers of the 187th Regimental Combat Team near Taegu, Korea. Taking off before dawn each day during recent maneuvers, the C-119s and C-46s of the 315th Troop Carrier Wing dropped nearly 4,000 men, as well as equipment of the 187th, at designated drop zones in Korea.” (Photo courtesy of the Air and Space Museum).

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 13 A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 14 A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 15 continued from page 13 food from Ashiya AB, Japan, to Dacca in early September. to provide earthquake relief; in August of 1953 twenty C-119s flew The Military Air Transport Service also lent support to Operation 270,000 pounds of relief supplies to earthquake-stricken Greece; in Mercy. Two C–124s, probably from the 1600th Air Transport Group, February of 1954 a USAFE C-119 airdropped thirteen tons of food airlifted 27 tons of medical supplies to Dacca from Westover AFB, and supplies to the German island of Juist, in the East Frisian Islands; Massachusetts. Double crews facilitated the long mission, which in May 1954 three USAFE C-119 aircraft ailifted 21,000 pounds of routed through North Africa. food to earthsquake victims at Larisa, Greece; and, in August and Operation Mercy ended about 20 September. By providing exten- September of 1954 air force mobility aircraft, including 18 C-119s, sive humanitarian aid to flood victims in India and East Pakistan, 10 C-124s and a C-54 airlifted more than 150 tons of relief cargo into the United States expressed goodwill. Airlift made this expression India and Pakistan. practical and prompt. The C-119 would go on to see extensive service in French Indo- china, beginning in 1953 with aircraft secretly loaned by the CIA to French forces for troop support during the First Indochina War.

The Story of “Earthquake McGoon” In early 1954, French leaders in Vietnam, embroiled in the First Indochina War, selected the Dien Bien Phu site to prevent the flow of supplies between Hanoi and Laos. The French had ap- proximately 130 aircraft available in northern Vietnam to provide close air support and interdiction, consisting of fighters, fighter- bombers, B-26 medium bombers, and C-119 transports equipped for napalm bombing. These aircraft were generally flown in French markings by Ameri- can CIA pilots, often accompanied by French officers and support staff. The C-119 was to play a major role during the siege at Dien Bien Phu, where they flew into increasingly heavy fire while dropping Between early August and early September 1954, cargo planes, supplies to the besieged French forces. including 18 C-119s delivered relief cargo, including medical sup- The only two American pilot casualties of the siege at Dien Bien plies, blankets, sheets, food, clothing, helicopters and 80 medical Phu were James B. “Earthquake McGoon” McGovern, Jr. and Wallace personnel to India and Pakistan, following major flooding. (USAF A. “Wally” Buford. Photo). McGovern, born on 4 February 1922 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, had That operation, named Operation Mercy, became necessary after enlisted in the Air Corps in May of 1942. He heavy summer monsoon rains had flooded the Brahmaputra and served in China in 1944 as part of the 14th Air Force’s 118th Tactical Ganges River valleys in northeastern India and East Pakistan. Flood- waters inundated 36,000 square miles of land inhabited by nearly 10 million people. The flood caused a food shortage by cutting roads and railways and created a cholera threat by polluting water sup- plies. After the governments of India and Pakistan requested U.S. assistance to deliver relief supplies to the flood victims, the Air Force organized an airlift called Operation Mercy. Between early August and early September, cargo planes delivered relief cargo, including medical supplies, blankets, sheets, food, cloth- ing, helicopters and 80 medical personnel to India and Pakistan. Six wings representing three commands lent aircraft for the operation. Most of the C–119s belonged to three wings of USAFE. The 60th Troop Carrier Group, assigned to the 60th Troop Carrier Wing, flew four C–119 Flying Boxcars to airlift more than 8.5 tons of medical supplies, sheets, blankets, and food from International Red Cross stockpiles in Geneva, Switzerland, to Dacca, East Pakistan. The planes originated from Rhein-Main AB, West Germany, and flew via Greece, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, and India. From Neubiberg AB in West Germany came six more C–119s of the The only two American pilot casualties of the siege at Dien Bien 317th Troop Carrier Wing. They delivered Red Cross supplies from Phu were James B. “Earthquake McGoon” McGovern, Jr. (pictured Geneva to Karachi, West Pakistan; Dacca; and New Delhi, India. The above) and Wallace A. “Wally” Buford. McGovern and Buford were 465th Troop Carrier Wing at ToulRosiere AB in France used four C– the first two Americans to die in combat in Vietnam. (USAF Photo). 119s to carry 21 tons of Red Cross supplies from Geneva to Karachi Reconnaissance Squadron, . During this time, he and New Delhi. These planes flew via Italy, Cyprus, and Saudi Arabia was credited with shooting down four Japanese Zero fighters, and in flights spanning 6,000 miles. destroying another five on the ground. The nickname “Earthquake Wings of the Far East Air Forces’ 315th Air Division also partici- McGoon” was given to McGovern in World War II because he shared pated in Operation Mercy. The 374th Troop Carrier Wing, based at the first four letters of his last name with his namesake character in Tachikawa AB in Japan, flew eight C–124 Globemaster IIs and one the Li’l Abner comic strip, plus he was a big man – at 6 feet and 260 C–54 to airlift two H–19 helicopters; 95 tons of medical supplies, pounds he was considered large for a fighter pilot. The 118th was blankets, and clothing; and 80 Army medics from the 37th Medical known for its “Black Lightning” markings on its P-51s that have been Preventive Medicine Company in South Korea to Dacca. The planes carried forward to the tail markings of the C-130s that they fly today flew via Clark AB in the Philippines and Calcutta, India. Four C–119s as the 118th Airlift Squadron. from the 483d Troop Carrier Wing airlifted medical supplies and On 7 May, the CIA C-119 that McGovern was flying was hit twice by

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 16 ground fire, first in the port engine, then in the horizontal stabilizer, engines and had a slightly different armament and avionics setup. while parachuting a howitzer to the besieged French garrison. He man- Fifty-two C-119 transports were converted into gunships between aged to fly 75 miles, but just short of a landing strip in Laos, a wingtip 1968 and 1969. of his Flying Boxcar clipped a tree. Moments before impact, McGovern was heard to say over his radio, “Looks like this is it, son.” McGovern, The AC-119G ‘Shadow’ his co-pilot Wallace Buford, and two French crewmen were killed. Two In mid-1968, the Fairchild-Hiller Corporation converted twenty- others were thrown clear; one later died of his injuries. six C-119Gs into side-firing gunships armed with four six-barrel McGovern and Buford were the first two Americans to die in com- 7.62mm SUU-11A/1A Gatling Miniguns (installed in the aft port bat in Vietnam. The day after the crash, the garrison at Dien Bien section of the fuselage) and flare launchers. A maximum of 50,000 Phu surrendered, ending the 57-day siege. No effort were made to rounds of 7.62mm ammunition could be carried for day missions recover McGovern or Buford’s remains at the time. and 35,000 rounds for night missions. Like the AC-47D, the pilot In the 24 May 1954, edition of Life magazine, an article called “The End for Earthquake” ran, detailing the pilot’s shoot-down, and displaying photographs that would become all to common in the years of conflict that would follow. McGovern’s skeletal remains were discovered in an unmarked grave in northern Laos in 2002. They were identified in September 2006 by laboratory experts at the U.S. military’s Joint POW/MIA Ac- counting Command. He was interred in Arlington National Cem- etery on 24 May 2007. On 24 February 2005, James McGovern and Wallace Buford were posthumously awarded (along with six other surviving pilots) the Legion of Honour with the rank of knight (che- valier) by the President of France Jacques Chirac for their actions in supplying Dien Bien Phu during the 57-day siege.

C-119 Gunships in Vietnam It was in Vietnam that the “lowly” troop-carrying C-119 took on various tactical, offensive roles which its designers never could have foreseen. The “Dragon’s Breath.” Photographers using time lapse exposure During the mid-1960s, two highly successful gunship programs, techniques could really capture the concentration of firepower Project Gunship I & II, were initiated by the USAF. Although the from an AC-119 gunship as it pours out its “dragon’s breath” on AC-47D performed very well as a gunship during Project Gunship enemy positions in Vietnam. As the aircraft banks left over the tar- I, the Air Force needed a larger aircraft capable of carrying a greater get area, tracer bullets and the aircraft’s rotating beacon create a weapons load, while also having a longer range. For its next pro- phenomena known as the “Cone of Fire,” a very awesome and dis- gram, Project Gunship II, the Air Force converted several C-130A turbing site! (USAF Photo). transports into gunships, designated AC-130A, to supplement the AC-47D fleet. fired the guns and the left side window of the cockpit had a mount- By the late-1960s, the Air Force needed a replacement for the ed gunsight. Later aircraft incorporated General Electric MXU-470 successful, but aging, AC-47D “Spooky.” In 1968, Project Gunship Minigun modules, an AVQ-8 20kW Xenon light, a Night Observa- III was initiated using the Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar transport tion Device (NOD), a LAU-74A automatic flare launcher and 1.5 mil- lion candlepower illuminator (with 24 and 60 flares for night mis- sions), fire control computers, and APR-25 & APR-26 radar warning receiver/ECM gear. The first AC-119G “Shadow” operational sortie was flown on 5 January 1969 and by 7 February 1969, the full complement of AC- 119G aircraft had arrived in Vietnam and were initially located at Tan Son Nhut, Phan Rang and Nha Trang air bases. These aircraft were operated by the 17th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) of the 14th Special Operations Wing (SOW). The “Shadow” performed all of its missions in a satisfactory manner.

The AC-119K ‘Stinger’ The AC-119K “Stinger” was an improved version of the AC-119G “Shadow” and was built during the second phase of the Gunship III program. Twenty-six C-119Gs were converted into AC-119K side- firing gunships. They were first brought to C-119K standard, which A USAF C-119K “Stinger” opens fire on an enemy position in the incorporated two under-wing J85-GE-17 turbojet engines (allow- Vietnam jungle below. C-119s were converted into gunships during ing for a greater takeoff weight than the G-model), then brought to the Vietnam War due to overwhelming demands placed on C-130s. AC-119G standard. Next came additional equipment needed for the (USAF Photo). truck-hunting role; two 20mm M61A1 cannons, a forward-looking AN/APN-147 Doppler radar, a AN/AAD-4 Forward-Looking Infrared as the airframe platform. Because of the urgent need for gunships Radar (FLIR) system, and an AN/APQ-136 search radar. in Vietnam, the Air Force decided to create two models of the AC- The first AC-119K gunship arrived in Vietnam at the end of 1969. 119. The first, designated AC-119G “Shadow”, involved a relatively The “Stingers” formed the 18th SOS of the 14th SOW and were easy and quick conversion from a C-119G transport aircraft. The initially based at Phan Rang Air Base with two detachments oper- other model, designated AC-119K “Stinger”, incorporated two jet ated at Da Nang and Phu Cat air bases. Because of the AC-119K’s

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 17 advanced sensors and increased armament, this gunship’s mission only five AC-119 Gunship IIIs were lost to all causes. was more oriented toward armed reconnaissance and “truck kill- Continued advancements in technology have been made as a di- ing” than the AC-119G. rect result of successful programs like Project Gunship I, II & III. Living up to its name, the “Stinger” was extremely effective as a Many of these advancements have been incorporated into the US- truck killer, but had to be careful to avoid areas of heavy antiaircraft AF’s current fleet of ultra-modern AC-130U “Spooky II” gunships. artillery (AAA) concentrations. The aircraft’s relatively slow speed and predictable attack pattern made it vulnerable to AAA. In areas Haulin’ Freight and Snaggin’ Capsules where there was no enemy AAA, these gunships attacked from an From 1951 to 1962, C-119C, F and G models served with U.S. Air altitude of 5,500 feet above ground level (AGL), and in areas with Forces in Europe (USAFE) and Far East Air Forces (FEAF) as the first- AAA present, 7,000 feet AGL was used. The normal working altitude line Combat Cargo units, and did yeoman work as freight haulers for close air support of troops in contact (with the enemy) was 3,500 with the 60th Troop Carrier Wing, the 317th Troop Carrier Wing feet AGL, this enabled the AC-119K to shoot accurately with both the and the 465th Troop Carrier Wing in Europe, based first in Germany 20mm cannon and 7.62mm Miniguns and be relatively safe from and then in France with roughly 150 aircraft operating anywhere small arms fire. from Greenland to India. A similar number of aircraft served in the While the AC-119G “Shadow” was successful, it was only a slight Pacific and the Far East. In 1958, the 317th absorbed the 465th, and transitioned to the C-130s, but the units of the former 60th Troop Carrier Wing, the 10th, 11th and 12th Troop Carrier Squadrons, con- tinued to fly C-119s until 1962, the last non-Air Force Reserve and non- operational units to fly the “Boxcars.” In the mid-1950s the US Air Force Tactial Air Command acquired a number of airplanes optimized for airborne and assault operations, including the C-82, C-119, C-123, and, above all, the C-130 Hercules, built to TAC requirements at a time when its design could benefit from the lessons of the Korean War. The USAF had C-119 Flying Boxcars in service from 1955 to 1973. The C-119s saw service with the 456th Troop Carrier Wing which

The first successful mission use of mid-air recovery was on 19 Au- gust 1960, when a C-119 recovered film from the Corona mission code-named Discoverer 14. This was the first successful recovery of film from an orbiting satellite and the first aerial recovery of an object returning from Earth orbit. (USAF Photo). was attached to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) from 25 April 1955-26 May 1956. The C-119s performed aerial recovery of high altitude balloon-borne instrument packages. C-119s from the 6593rd Test Squadron based at , Hawaii performed An AC-119K “Stinger,” which featured the addition of two 20- several aerial recoveries of film-return capsules during the early years mm cannon, improved avionics, and two underwing-mounted J- of the Corona spy satellite program. 85-GE-17 turbojet engines, demonstrates the awesome power gen- The C-119 was the first aircraft to make a midair recovery of a capsule erated by the addition of nearly 6,000 lbs. of thrust. (USAF Photo). returning from orbit on 19 August 1960. It caught the Discoverer XIV improvement over the AC-47D “Spooky.” The Air Force thought bet- satellite at 8,000 feet altitude 360 miles southwest of Honolulu. The ter of the AC-119K, with its increased performance and heavier ar- specially converted Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar made history as it ap- mament. Both AC-119 models proved invaluable and suffered few proached the Discoverer XIV reentry capsule descending by parachute losses. The AC-119G and 119K continued to serve in extremely small over the Pacific Ocean. The C-119 snagged the parachute and made the numbers with the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) until the de first midair recovery of a film return capsule! The day before, the Dis- facto reunification of the country in 1975. During the Vietnam War, coverer had been launched into orbit. The satellite carried a camera,

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 18 which took the first intelligence photos of the Soviet Union from space and verified General Bernard Adolph Schriever’s – widely regarded as A/TA Membership Application Form the father and architect of the Air Force space and ballistic missile pro- grams – vision of the Air Forces future beyond earth’s atmosphere. (Also used for Membership Renewal, Change of Address and A/TQ Subscription Only) Check all that apply: End of an Era ❏ New Member ❏ Active ❏ ARC ❏ Mil Retired By late 1960, the the C-119J was being phased out of the active ❏ Gov’t Civilian ❏ Subscription Only force, and replaced by the much larger and faster C-121 “Constella- tion.” While the C-130E model’s performance was an improvement Grade Rank Service SSN* Last-4 upon that of both the C-119 and C-123, the aircraft it was designed to replace, its 18- to 23-ton payload could not compete with the car- Name: go-carrying capability of aging C-97, C-121, and C-124 aircraft. First MI Last Sfx Prior to 1970, the Air National Guard still operated 359 Korean War era F-84 fighters, and the Air Force Reserve operated 332 Korean Nickname War vintage C-119 cargo airplanes. After nearly 30 years of service, Spouse First Last the Air Force phased out its last AC-119 in 1973 and two years later, the Air National Guard retired its last C-119 transport. Please put a check mark by the elements of your mailing address The last military use of the C-119 by the United States ended in and comm that you prefer we use. Default will be home address and 1974 when a single squadron of Navy Reserve C-119s based at Naval office phone/email. Air Facility Detroit/Selfridge Air National Guard Base near Detroit, Home Address: Michigan, and two squadrons based at Naval Air Station Los Alami- ❏ Street Address tos, California replaced their C-119s with newer aircraft. Many C-119s were provided to other nations as part of the Military City ST ZIP+4 Assistance Program, including Belgium, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Italy, ❏ Phone ❏ Email Jordan, Taiwan, and (as previously mentioned) South Vietnam. The type was also used by the Royal Canadian Air Force. In the latter years of the 60s and into the early years of the 70s, as Office Address: the Fairchild C-119 was finding it’s way out of the US military inven- ❏ Org Name tories and into storage, the airframe was eyed for use as an aerial tank- Job/Duty Title er for firefighting purposes. By March 1970, various C-119 airframe models received Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) for retardant ❏ Street Address tanks and the addition of a jet pod located on top of the fuselage. The City ST ZIP+4 Westinghouse J34 turbojet engine added 3,500 pounds of center line thrust to the airplane’s capabilities. The J34, while being a jet engine, ❏ Phone ❏ Email ran very well on 100LL AvGas. Hawkins & Powers Aviation, an aerial Would you like a Membership Card: firefighting company located in Greybull, Wyoming, and Aero Union Corporation of Chico, California, were the initial users of this aircraft, ❏ Yes ❏ No (saves time/postage) with Hemet Valley Flying Service, Hemet, California, eventually pick- Membership Types and Dues Schedule: ing up Aero Union’s fleet of the C-119s. Soldiering throughout the 70s and into the 80s, the C-119 airframe would see permanent grounding ❏ Subscription Only...... $40.00 as an aerial firefighter by 1987 due to structural issues. ❏ Annual Full Membership...... $40.00 The number of C-119 aircraft still airworthy is unknown. As of 2006, over twenty C-119’s were registered under civilian markings ❏ 3-Year Membership...... $110.00 in the U.S. and two aircraft were flying in Alaska. Hawkins & Pow- ❏ Full-time Student Membership...... $15.00† ers Aviation were operators of a C-119G and C-119L, as well as the lone flying C-82, until they ceased operation in 2005 and these air- ❏ Life Membership...... $500.00 craft were made available for sale. Several C-119’s currently parked or on static display in museum collections are also reported to be ■ Industry Partnership (contact [email protected])...... $1500.00‡ flyable, though their actual condition remains in doubt. It is likely †ROTC/H.S./College ‡Not this form – for info only. that several C-119’s still remain in operation in Southeast Asia. The 2004 film,Flight of the Phoenix employed a C-119 instead of the C-82 Payment: Packet featured in the novel and original 1966 film. The studio had ❏ VISA/Mastercard been offered the Hawkins & Power’s flyable C-82, but the director fa- vored the more graceful lines of the C-119 for this version. A C-119G Card # CUT ALONG DOTTED LINE – MAIL ADDRESS TO ON FORM owned by Hawkins & Powers Aviation Inc. and registered as N15501 Expiration ✃ was flown to Africa by a crew from Hawkins & Powers with the ad- dition of a single jet mounted on the upper surface, which was then ❏ Check (No Cash / No AMEX) Join Today! removed for filming. Three other ex USMC C-119Fs were also used Make check payable to: For faster service use for the various wreck scenes. Airlift/Tanker Association www.atalink.org to join on-line. This article features only a very small sampling of the many vari- 9312 Convento Terrace ants and missions of the venerable, amazingly versatile Fairchild Fairfax, VA 22031 C-119 Flying Boxcar. The aircraft served the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy Phone: 703- 385-2802 • Fax: 703-385-2803 and U.S. Marine Corps, as well as many other air forces around the Email: [email protected] world, extemely well, for over 3 decades. The C-119 has earned a *SSN Last-4 is used exclusively by the database to ensure your data and payment info place of honor in the annuals of air mobility. is recorded correctly by the registrar. It will not be listed or used for any other purpose.

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 19 Air Mobility NEWSNEWS && VIEWSVIEWS Nepal Earthquake Relief – Active-Duty and Guard Keeps Effort Moving by Trisha Gallaway called upon to make sure the first 437th heavy concrete cutting equipment, chain- Public Affairs AW mission in support of Nepal got off the saws, search cameras and sonar to locate In response to the 7.8 magnitude ground. victims, as well as specialized communica- earthquake which struck central Nepal The 15th AS “immediately generated two tions and generators. 25 April 2015, the at crews,” said Bentley, “one of which flew to Following the loading of the team’s Joint Base Charleston, S.C., began prepar- [] Calif., to trans- equipment, Capt. Brandon Gillet, 15th Air- ing for the pos- port an inter- lift Squadron C-17 pilot and the aircraft sibility of pro- agency disaster commander for the mission, flew the cargo viding support response team and personnel back to JB Charleston, where to Nepal. for further he then handed the mission off to an air- “Soon after movement.” crew from the 16th AS. the call for re- Upon landing The second leg of the mission to Nepal lief came, sever- at March ARB departed JB Charleston 27 April 2015 with al members led 26 April 2015, Capt. Zachary White, 16th AS and mission by Maj. Scott Inspector Chris aircraft commander at the helm. Motley, 15th Read, a Los An- “Captain White and his crew are flying Airlift Squad- geles County directly to Germany where an Air National ron assistant Fire Depart- Guard crew will take over and continue the director of op- ment spokes- mission of providing critical aid to Nepal,” erations, began man said, “A said Farrell. changing their U.S. Air Force personnel load relief supplies for victims of 57-member The Guard aircrew flying the last leg of weekend plans the Nepal earthquake into a USAF C-17 Globemaster III team of L.A. the mission was assigned to the 164th Air- to coordinate from Joint Base Charleston, S.C., at March Air Force Base, County Fire lift Wing at the Tennessee Air National and execute a California, on 26 April 2015. The U.S. Agency of Interna- Department Guard in Memphis, TN. very important tional Development relief cargo included eight pallets, firefighters, six “Our first C-17 airlift mission to sup- humanitarian 59 Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel and search dogs port the victims of the Nepal earthquake mission for Ne- five search and rescue dogs. (USAF Photo by Airman 1st and two semi- is a total force effort,” said Col. John pal,” said Lt. Class Taylor Queen). trucks worth of Lamontagne, 437th AW commander. Col. Cassius Bentley, 15th AS commander. equipment were loaded onto the C-17.” “Our crews from the 15th and 16th Airlift Not long after, the According to a news release put out by Squadrons, combined with a crew from began preparations as well. the California Office of Emergency Servic- the National Guard, worked to quickly “We placed aircrews into alert status, es, this special team is known as the Urban deliver the supplies to the other side of ready to launch as soon as we could verify Search and Rescue Task Force 2 or CA-TF2. the planet. While many may view this that the airfield in Kathmandu, Nepal could They are one of eight teams that make up as a very tall order, the truth is it almost receive aid flights,” said Lt. Col. Patrick Far- the California Urban Search and Rescue always happens like this – with a combi- rell, 16th AS commander. Program. These teams, when called upon, nation of folks from the active duty, Re- Coincidently, both squadrons would be travel with specialized equipment, such as serve, and the National Guard.”

Travis C-5M Flies Into Aviation Record Books by Airman 1st Class Amber Carter sion exemplifies both the great teamwork to an altitude of approximately 37,000 feet Public Affairs required by the whole team to keep Travis’ before we ran out of performance.” In the early morning hours of 3 April aircraft flying and the fabulous strategic Among the records achieved were alti- 2015, a C-5M Super Galaxy aircrew from mobility capabilities the C-5M brings our tude in horizontal flight at 37,000 feet, al- , California, put the combatant commanders around the world,” titude with payload of 265,000 pounds and aircraft’s capabilities to the test. said Col. Joel Jackson, 60th AMW com- time it takes to climb at 27.5 minutes. The eight-person crew, with members mander. “Thanks to everyone who contrib- The Super Galaxy has now unofficially of the 60th Air Mobility Wing’s 22nd uted to this powerful showcase of Travis’ claimed a total of 86 world aeronautical Airlift Squadron and the 349th AMW’s culture of excellence.” records, surpassing the B-1B Lancer at 83 312th Airlift Squadron, accomplished The C-5M was loaded with pallets, fuel records. their goal of establishing standards in 45 and the aircrew for a total of 731,220 All records will be certified by the Na- previously unset categories. The aircrew pounds, including the weight of the plane. tional Aeronautic Association, the nation’s claimed records in the Class C-1.T jet “We took on approximately 265,000 oldest aviation organization. Formal certifi- category for altitude in horizontal flight, pounds of cargo and our goal was to climb cations of the C-5M records were expected altitude with payload, time-to-climb, as fast as we could at 3,000, 6,000 and 9,000 to take several weeks. time-to-climb with payload and greatest meters,” said Maj. Jon Flowers, 22nd Airlift “We’re honored to play a role in this his- payload to 9,000 meters. Squadron chief of standardization and eval- toric demonstration,” said Col. Matthew “The successful completion of this mis- uation and pilot for the flight. “We got up Burger, 349th AMW commander.

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 20 Rodeo 2015 Canceled Australians and Americans BOOK REVIEW from Air Mobility Command Public Affairs Work Together to Deliver This year’s Air Mobility Command Rodeo by A/TA Member Murdoch Moore readiness competition has been canceled. the Mission AIR COMMANDOS AGAINST JAPAN General Darren McDew, AMC com- by Airman 1st Class Megan Friedl Allied Special Operations mander, decided to cancel the competition Public Affairs in World War II Burma Airmen recently scheduled for August at McChord Field, William T. Y’Blood worked hand-in-hand with the Royal Aus- Washington, largely because of the high 2008 current operations tempo for mobility Air- tralian Air Force from the 36th Squadron, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland men, and budget constraints. , , to deliver support The British lost Burma in 1942 badly. “During these challenging times, we equipment for Australian troops operating Their army had been out-maneuvered, need to be good stewards of our very lim- in the Middle East. out-fought and out-thought! No one east ited funds and our Airmen’s time,” McDew of Suez sought a Burma reentry. But west said. “It’s unfortunate, but given the circum- of Suez, Prime Minister Winston Churchill stances, this is the right decision. We’re look- sought to redeem honor and empire and ing forward to the possibilities of tailoring President Franklin Roosevelt sought to re- future Rodeo events, to ensure we’re getting open the Burma Road to embattled China. the most training and international partner- Prime Minister and President combined to ship building value from this event.” pressure the UK/US Combined Chiefs of It is not the first time Rodeo has been can- Staff to battle for Burma. celed for budgetary or operational tempo rea- Still recovering, ex-Singapore now In- sons. In both 1988 and 2013, Rodeo was can- dia based, Far East Command sought to celled due to budgetary shortfalls, and 2003 sidestep the issue by agreeing to raid AND was canceled because of worldwide commit- 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron mem- THEN invade Burma. Their chosen instru- ments for the Global War on Terror and hu- bers push a pallet of cargo onto the Royal ment, LTC Orin Wingate, a British regular manitarian efforts. The last Rodeo event was Australian Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster as skilled in irregular warfare. War by a long held at McChord Field in July 2011. a RAAF 36th Squadron loadmaster keeps it range behind-the-lines “walkabout” was Rodeo competitions are held to train and in place at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois on his idea. Wingate’s basic needs: hard men, improve the abilities of U.S. and international 16 April. The RAAF made a cargo pick up boots, and air support. The Royal Air Force partners’ air mobility operations skills while from Scott to deliver the essential cargo to was not keen on the last item. President building international relationships. the Middle East. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Roosevelt stepped in and ordered Army Air Airman 1st Class Megan Friedl). Force Chief of Staff “Hap” Arnold to pro- Wins vide the air support. Prior to the Australians arriving, the Arnold’s chosen instrument was, just re- $250,000 Prize for 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron re- turned from North Africa, LTC Philip Co- ceived the tasking from the 618th Air Op- Innovative Cost-Savings chran. A combat experienced fighter pilot. erations Center (TACC) a week in advance Cochran declined leadership of the start-up The 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air of their arrival and immediately got to work 1st Air Commando Group. The four star Base, Germany, won the first-place prize of manifesting and inspecting the cargo. “reemphasized” the offer. While seeking a $250,000 in the Innovation Madness tour- RAAF Flight Lt. Nick Tickner, 36th more active combat role Cochran, perhaps nament for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Squadron C-17 pilot, said, “The equip- now seeing himself defending Hoover Dam Air Forces in Africa. ment that we’re taking always makes a in a time-expired P-40, suddenly reversed Among the ideas that netted the 86th big contribution to the operations out and welcomed the assignment. One year lat- the top prize is the adjustment of local na- in the Middle East. Whatever equip- er he would have under his direct command tionals’ schedules to avoid weekend and ment that we need is usually a very fighter, bomber, transport, glider, liaison holiday work, which has resulted in an an- high priority.” and helicopter squadrons (the last being the nual savings of more than $700,000, US- Staff Sgt. Mark Tully, 375th LRS Air world’s first). Not bad for a flyer who looked AFE-AFAFRICA said. Another innovation is Transportation Journeyman, said, “This more college kid than colonel! the repair of aircraft communication cords was the smoothest process I’ve seen. We Some of their accomplishments: The in-house rather than outside the Air Force came together as a joint force and man- longest “round-robin” fighter mission logistics network, which saves more than aged to keep the mission going.” of WW2. A tail dragger liaison squadron $120,000 per year. The 375th LRS ensured that the equip- back-seat medevacing 1,110 casualties in Ramstein officials also developed a way to ment was ready to be used down range one month. The glider delivery of mini- train some medical personnel on base, saving and were able to load the cargo as soon dozers which turned a jungle LZ into a a at least $140,000 per year in travel expenses. as the Australian C-17 landed. C-47 capable airfield in one day – this done Ramstein has no plans yet on how the Corporal Keely McDonald, RAAF 36 behind Japanese lines! prize money will be spent, Brig. Gen. Patrick Squadron C-17 Flight Attendant, said, Such “guts to try” attitude carried over to X. Mordente, commander of the 86th, said. “We work together so often that we seem other Air Commando groups in other places “What I can promise you is that money to work well as a team, which helps us and wars. Their ANY PLACE, ANY TIME, will be reinvested back into this wing, back with other operations as well. I think our ANYWHERE moniker, coming from a sea- into our airmen and their families,” he said. bond is pretty strong.” soned British commando colonel offered a Judges in the contest examined cost-saving Tickner also affirms the coalition and combat airlift, is now carried by the USAF’s changes that wings throughout USAFE-AF- said, “We have a close-knit working re- 1st Special Operations Wing. The 1st SOW’s AFRICA implemented in the past two years. lationship with the U.S. and a great in- every day below-the-tree-tops flying would This is the first year USAFE-AFAFRICA teroperability capability between our make the “boy colonel” proud. has held the contest. two countries.”

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 21 WWII Veteran Reunites With Former Aircraft KC-46A Pegasus Hangar by 2nd Lt. Shelley Gregory once more, the moods of those involved Construction Underway Public Affairs matched the sunny environment out- by Airman 1st Class Christopher Thornbury Reunions between old friends are side. He and his family spent time in and Public Affairs typically full of joy, laughter and shared around the plane recalling their favorite The construction of three new hangars is memories – especially when more than memories of his time in the service. underway, preparing for the arrival of the 50 years have passed between meetings. He began his career as a cadet in the KC-46A Pegasus, qt McConnell Air Force For World War II veteran, Lt. Col. Army Air Corps in 1942 at Mather Field, Base, Kansas. Alston “Al” Daniels, the reunion with California. After graduating from Ba- The hangars will have the capability of the aircraft he piloted for nearly 2,000 sic Flight Training in February 1944, storing six KC-46As for the 22nd Aircraft hours, was no different. On 7 April 2015, he entered Advanced Flight Training in Maintenance Squadron and the 931st Air Daniels gleefully walked up the steps to Stockton, California. Later, he earned his Refueling Group to perform routine main- a Douglas C-47D Skytrain cockpit for the commission and was sent to Troop Car- tenance. first time since 1962. rier Transition Training in Alliance, Ne- “We laid a new foundation system to sup- “I never expected an opportunity like braska, where he first flew the C-47. port the new buildings and then foundation this,” Daniels said. In November 1944, Daniels arrived in walls on top of those footings,” said Neal Now a resident of Cheney, Washing- Sienna, Italy to support the combat mis- Ridgeway, senior project manager. “Now we ton, Daniels mentioned to his family one sion in WWII. He was assigned with the are in the process of running underground 8th Troop Carrier Squadron, which ac- utilities, electric lines and sanitary lines.” tively supported Italian troops operating Construction workers are working six behind German lines. Daniels also flew days a week pouring concrete, welding and gasoline in 55-gallon drums to General raising steel. The steel beams are scheduled Patton’s Third Army when their tanks ran to be raised within the next week and will hold the roof on Hangar 1126. “Hangar 1124 is the most critical be- cause it will have one side dedicated to fuel systems repair and one side for cor- rosion control, taking care of paint and repairing all of the surfaces on the new aircraft,” said Ridgeway. Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Alston Daniels It is a big project to complete consider- stands proudly outside of a C-47D Skytrain ing the size and the features the buildings on static display at Fairchild AFB, Wash- will offer. ington, 7 April 2015. Daniels flew the C-47 “The hangars being built are a lot larger during World War II and calls it his favor- Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Alston Dan- than the previous hangars were to accom- ite plane of the 10 he flew throughout his iels salutes out of the window of a C-47D modate the larger aircraft,” said Master Sgt. career. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alex Skytrain on static display. Daniels flew Danny Rutland, KC-46A Program Integra- Montes). the C-47 during World War II and logged tion Office maintenance representative. night while playing cards that he would nearly 2,000 hours in the aircraft. (U.S. Air “The major difference is that these han- like to visit his old plane. His son-in-law, Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alex Montes). gars have a corrosion facility being built retired Air Force Col. Michael Billings, dry while in hot pursuit of the Germans that will have the capability to paint a full during the Battle of the Bulge. aircraft. We have never had that capability At the conclusion of WWII, Daniels here at McConnell before.” was assigned to Templehof Airdrome in Hangar 1124 and 1125 are scheduled for Germany as a member of the European completion by the end of the year, followed Transport Service and returned to the by the arrival of the first KC-46s in 2016. United States in 1946. Hangar 1126 is slated to be finished in 2017. Of the 10 planes Daniels flew through- “We were all given a mission to get out his career, the C-47 was his favorite. these hangars built and everyone is work- It is the one in which he had the most ing toward getting that done,” said Ridge- memorable experiences. way. “You couldn’t get buildings of this “In nearly 2,000 hours, I lost one en- size done in time without the cooperation Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Alston Dan- gine and flew the old bird, on and off, of all the people involved. We are very iels beams as he sits in the cockpit of a C- from the time I got my wings until I was lucky to have a good diverse team, a team 47D Skytrain for the first time since 1962. grounded,” said Daniels. with a lot of experience with these types Daniels flew the C-47 during World War The C-47, affectionately called the of structures. We call on that experience II and had the chance to visit the aircraft “Gooney bird,” is one of eight aircraft on every day.” while it is on static display. (U.S. Air Force static display at ’s McConnell Air Force Base is the first photo/Staff Sgt. Alex Montes). Heritage Airpark. It was stationed at Fair- main operating base for the KC-46A with a former com- child during the 1940s and 1950s for air- the first aircraft scheduled to arrive in fiscal mander at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash- lift and training. year 2016. The new tankers will offer great- ington, contacted the wing historian, Jim “It was great to get back in the cock- er refueling capacity, increased capabilities O’Connell, and made arrangements for pit and look around,” Daniels said. “I was for cargo and and the aging aircraft to be reopened allow- very careful and very lucky as a pilot, will provide support to the ing Daniels an afternoon to recollect. and to Airmen today, I say continue to do Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps as well as al- When Daniels sat in the pilot’s seat your duty and obey orders.” lied nation coalition force aircraft.

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 22 Just What the ‘Tanker Doc’ Ordered by Airman 1st Class Tara Fadenrecht 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs For more than 40 years, KC-135 Stratotankers have been flying over the sunflower state, and just like any other crew member, they need their “check-ups” too. Keeping these 60 year-old planes up-to-date and safe to fly takes more than a simple check-up, it takes a team of tanker “docs” ensur- ing each aircraft undergoes proper treatment. Every two years, or 1,800 flight hours, each KC-135 assigned to Mc- Connell Air Force Base, Kansas, must go through an in-depth inspec- tion, also known as a periodic inspection. On average, 21 inspections are completed a year by crew chiefs and jet engine back shop Airmen from the 22nd Maintenance Squad- ron working three shifts around the clock. The first step in the inspection pro- cess is to remove all the aircraft pan- els on the aircraft once it arrives in the hangar. The maintenance team of about 100 Air- men work together for about two days to accomplish this Senior Airman Robert Viera, 22nd Maintenance task, said Senior Squadron aerospace maintenance journeyman, Airman Seth Rex, disassembles a damaged troop seat on a KC-135 22nd Maintenance Stratotanker during a periodic inspection, 13 Squadron inspec- April 2015, at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. tions section ap- During these inspections, maintenance crews prentice. thoroughly examine the entire aircraft and Once all pan- make any necessary repairs. (U.S. Air Force pho- els have been re- to by A1C Tara Fadenrecht) moved, the team inspects every inch of the aircraft, inside and out, leaving no nut or bolt unchecked. “We get in the nitty-gritty small spaces,” said Rex. “We lube all the points that need to be lubed, and we look for cracks and any other kind of damage.” The maintenance crews repair many of the discrepancies that are found during the thorough inspection, but sometimes special atten- tion is required. When a problem cannot be fixed within this section, the job is delegated to a shop that works in a specific area of expertise, such as sheet metal, hydraulics or electro-environmental. Staff Sgt. Keith Barney, 22nd MXS aerospace propulsion craftsman, works side-by-side with the inspection section crew chiefs, but his focus is on the aircraft engines. “We make sure the engine is operating at the parameters it’s sup- posed to operate at from the lowest power setting to the highest pow- er setting,” said Barney. “Anything we find that’s broken or doesn’t meet the inspection criteria, we fix or replace it, or do whatever we have to do to get it back where it’s supposed to be.” Usually within two weeks, maintenance teams have meticulously inspected and made repairs to an entire aircraft, which is then ready to be launched for a test flight. “The pilots come out, run their ground test and do their look- over,” said Rex. “We fix whatever problems they may have and get ready to send [the aircraft] off.” As the KC-135 lifts off the ground, the maintenance crews sit back to watch their hard work pay off and anticipate the call from the air- crew verifying it’s a “code one” aircraft, meaning it’s good to go.

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 23 The Executive Management Center of Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings Announce the Recipients of the 2015 Airlift/Tanker Association Academic Scholarships They are: 3Receiving the $10,000.00 Brig Gen Tom Mikolajcik Scholarship: Ms Emily Weekes, Col Francis McGouldrick Silver Wings Chapter, Ohio State University Receiving an $8,000.00 Sholarship: Cadet Emily Steele, AAS Capt Dale Mabry Arnold Air Society Squadron, University of Florida Receiving a $7,000.00 Scholarship: Cadet Jeremy Lazzuri, AAS Steven M. Scherp Arnold Air Society Squadron, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (Prescott) Receiving a $6,000.00 Scholarship: Cadet Nick Volpe, Thunderbird Arnold Air Society Squadron, Oklahoma State University Receiving a $5,000.00 Scholarship: Cadet Kason Pifer, Col Galileo Bossio Arnold Air Society Squadron, Washington State University Receiving a $4,000.00 Scholarship: Cadet Nicholas C. Elemes, Gen Curtis E. Lemay Arnold Air Society Squadron, Ohio State University Selection followed a two month evaluation of dozens of nomination packages that included airpower related essays, detachment commander recommendation letters and assessments of financial need. The Board of Trustees and the Executive Directors of Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings thank the entire Airlift/Tanker Association Team for their steadfast support and commitment to the young airmen and civilian airpower advocates found in Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings. The following two Recipient eassays were selected for publication in A/TQ —

Aeromedical Evacuation: Our Country’s Wingman by Emily Weekes A call comes in: an airman has been struck by an IED and help Throughout the early 1900s several Americans attempted to cre- is needed immediately. The surrounding area is not safe and enter- ate aircraft specifically designed to transport injured patients, and ing the region means putting your life at risk, but within an hour, an the first airplane to do so successfully was the Curtiss JN-4 (Reiter). aeromedical evacuation team is on the way. The team, consisting of a Nowadays it is more common to use larger airplanes that are also combination of active duty airmen, reservists, and guard members, is used to transport cargo, like the C-17 and C-130, but early attempts only concerned with saving the life of the wounded airman. The C-17 to create an air ambulance helped draw attention to the importance lands, the medical team rushes to retrieve the airman, and then de- of air transportation (Guerdan). parts. En route to a secondary location where proper treatment can be Aeromedical evacuation gained precedence with the military administered, the medical team ensures that the patient remains stable during World War II, when roughly 1.5 million injured personnel and as comfortable as possible. Vitals are taken and flight nurses and were transported by air to higher treatment facilities. By Vietnam, medical technicians closely monitor the patient. The aircraft descends, air transportation had greatly improved and more lives were being lands, and the precious cargo is unloaded. Another life saved by one saved, thanks to enhanced responsiveness and more capable equip- of the United States Air ment. Approximately Force’s Aeromedical 4.5 percent of injured Evacuation teams. “The core mission of AE is to transport injured warriors moved to oth- The Aeromedi- er treatment centers cal Evacuation (AE) patients, both military and civilian, to locations via aeromedical evacu- system is unique to ation during World the United States Air where proper treatment can be given. The success War II died (Reiter). By Force. The core mis- the Vietnam War, this sion of AE is to trans- of such a mission heavily relies on both airborne number was less than port injured patients, 1 percent (Reiter). both military and and ground forces and communication is key.” A great example of civilian, to locations the importance of the where proper treatment can be given (Guerdan). The success of Aeromedical Evacuation system is found in Afghanistan and Iraq. such a mission heavily relies on both airborne and ground forces More than 150,000 patients were transported via Air Force AE during and communication is key (Williams). The airborne force typically the War on Terror and as a result, the chances of surviving an injury consists of two or three flight nurses and three or more medical received in combat increased to 98 percent (Svan). As technology has technicians, along with two pilots, one or more loadmasters, and improved, so has the efficiency of medical air travel. During the Viet- occasionally a flight engineer. The medical crew is responsible for nam War it could take more than a month for an injured warrior to caring for the patient en route and the aircraft crewmembers are get to a place where they could receive adequate treatment. Now it responsible for safely navigating from point A to point B (Guerdan). takes as little as three days (Miles). The ground force ensures that the patient receives the proper care The Air Force Wingman Concept is known throughout the world once the aircraft arrives. and our Air Force will never leave a man or woman behind. The Aero- Aeromedical evacuation dates back to the 1870s, when the Franco- medical Evacuation system of the is a perfect Prussian War was going on and the French military used balloons to example of this concept in action. Our soldiers, sailors, airmen and transport injured patients for the first time. marines know that an AE team is on call every second of every day to

A/TQA/TQ • • Airlift/Tanker Airlift/Tanker Quarterly Quarterly • • Winter Spring 2015 24 help protect them so they can protect others. that can give them the proper care. Challenges constantly arise Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We during the transportation of patients but these men and women Do. These are the core values of the United State Air Force and are trained for such situations. They are flexible and know that they perfectly exemplify the Aeromedical Evacuation team. their one goal is to safely get their patient to the next level treat- Men and women working in AE work everyday to get wounded ment center and they do not fail. The Aeromedical Evacuation or those in need, the help they require. They work efficiently system is a vital part to the Air Mobility Command and to the and effectively to save lives and do the right thing no matter Air Force as a whole. This nation, our nation, can rest assured that what the risks. They willingly put their own lives in danger to in the face of harm or disaster AE will be there. They are our coun- help a fallen Airman, a fellow brother or sister, get to a facility try’s wingman.

The Benefits of Tactical Data Links by Jeremy Lazurri As mankind shifts from the Industrial Age to the Information Age, would be, all while listening to other transmissions as well (Gonzales, the rules of how to succeed, and even survive, change. Each new age 2005). In stark contrast, pilots with tactical data links have a screen brings with it a different way to think in order to remain at the top of they can look at to evaluate all the players on a battlefield, providing the food chain. The Information Age puts a premium on using tech- almost instantaneous situational awareness and saving time that can nology to gather information to detect any relevant patterns that ex- be used to make better decisions in the heat of the moment. The ben- ist. A lot of money has been spent in the pursuit of making this hap- efits tactical data links brings to the Air Force are quite substantial. pen in an effort to reduce the fog of war. But it is not just information The pilot’s accuracy is drastically increased when it comes to drop- we are after. According to David Alberts in his work Power to the Edge: ping ordnance. Soldiers on the ground can take an image of their Command, Control in the Information Age, “Being able to bring avail- location and annotate the streets and buildings. Then it moves to the able information to bear involves more than collecting needed in- cockpit, at which time the weapon systems operator in the backseat formation. It also means being able to make information available to looks at that annotated picture, contacts the soldiers and discusses everyone who needs it, in a form that they can use it, in a secure and where they will deliver ordnance, by looking at the picture and liter- timely manner.” ally looking out of his This suggests that cockpit (Tactical Data warfare in the 21st “Being able to bring available information to bear Links, 2010). Changes century requires in weather, threats, or battlefield players involves more than collecting needed information. targets can now be fed to be networked to straight to the pilot via each other to fa- It also means being able to make information the tactical data link, cilitate the flow of and pilots can even ex- information shar- available to everyone who needs it, in a form that change their own po- ing to increase col- sition and what they laboration (Alberts, they can use it, in a secure and timely manner.” have detected to im- 2003). prove mutual support One of the best-documented examples of this was with the U.S. and targeting (Petersante, 2003). As pilots are able to gain situational Army’s Division Capstone Exercise—Phase I (DCX-1). This exercise awareness so much faster, they gain extra time to make better deci- consisted of two brigade combat teams with close air support (CAS) sions and work together with their teammates in the air to be more provided by F-16s, all networked to a degree never before done. Ac- effective. This is a force multiplier to the networked team as they are cording to The Implementation of Network-centric Warfare (2005), the able to achieve more with less. airplanes were all connected with tactical data links, enabling them This is highly desirable with sequestration requiring effectiveness to to exchange real-time targeting information and receive a current for- be the same with fewer resources. According to Gonzalez (2005), based ward trace of the Blue Forces on the ground situation. The result of on the results of 12,000 training sorties in tactical air-to-air combat, the this networking was more than an order-of-magnitude improvement tactical data links led to a 2.5 times improvement in the kill ratio over in the ability of ground and air forces to work together through more an enemy who was using only voice communications. Special Forces effective sharing of information. As a direct result, the networked joint Teams adroitly coordinated and laser designated targets for Joint Direct force employing combined arms maneuver during DCX-1 decisively Attack Munitions from F-14, F-15E, B-1, and B-2 airframes during Op- defeated an experienced, well-trained OPFOR (The Implementation eration ENDURING FREEDOM with devastating results and accuracy of Network-centric Warfare, 2005). Given the advantage of shar- (USAWC Guide to National Security Issues, 2008). ing information among battlefield participants, the Air Force has The role that information plays in the battlefield will only increase worked hard to implement changes to make this possible. from here on out. The Air Force is continually using tactical data links To network the battlefield, the Air Force implemented tactical data and seeking to find ways to increase their use in all aspects of opera- links into the fleet. This paper will not go into the technological tions. As this paper has shown, the benefits prove that pilots have an specifications of how it works but will explain what it is: think of increased sense of awareness on the battlefield that not only increase it as Wi-Fi for airplanes to securely send and receive all manner of their air-to-air capabilities but also make them far more accurate when information. Tactical data links provide for a high level of aware- it comes to dropping bombs on the ground. Carl von Clausewitz talks ness on the battlefield allowing the commander to achieve all man- of the fog of war as uncertainty of information (Clausewitz, 2008). ner of objectives, from strategic to tactical. Before tactical data links While tactical data links certainly do not lift this fog entirely, they existed, pilots had to gain an awareness of the battlefield through bring a measurable increase to the clarity of what is happening, allow- voice transmission. This was a slow process that was mentally tax- ing our forces to be more flexible, which only seeks to increase mission ing and potentially error-prone, as the pilot continually listened to effectiveness. As the Air Force further assimilates this technology into descriptions of the enemies’ air tracks, mentally converted the de- its fighting forces, the battlefield advantage it gains will make it un- scription into a velocity and location and predicted where the enemy stoppable against technologically inferior enemies.

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • SpringWinter 2015 2015 25 INDUSTRY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

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A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 26 A/TA INDUSTRY PARTNERS Industry Partner (as of 4 May 2015) HIGHLIGHTS Air Refueling Systems Advisory Group International GEICO (ARSAG) Advantages of Industry Partner Membership Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Airborne Global Solutions, Inc. Airlift/Tanker Association Industry Partners receive the following Hilton Software LLC benefits in exchange for their commitment: Airbus Group, Inc. • Reduced exhibit fees ($400 less per 10×10 exhibit space) Altus Military Affairs Committee Honeywell • Preferred booth locations (opportunity to select specific ARINC Aerospace Intercomp Company booth location) • Five free annual individual memberships Armed Services Mutual Benefit Association Jacobs Technology • Company listing on A/TA website (with link to com- Atlas Air Worldwide Jeppesen pany description)

Barling Bay, LLC • All Industry Partners listed with company logo and de- JLG Industries, Inc. scription in convention issue of A/TA Quarterly maga- Boeing Company, The zine (largest circulation issue of the magazine) L-3 Communications Integrated Systems Group • Invitation to A/TA Convention Chairman’s Luncheon Booz Allen Hamilton LifePort, Inc., (additional invites for purchase of four or more exhibit A Sikorsky Aerospace Services Company spaces) Bose Corporation • A/TA Quarterly magazine highlights one or more Indus- Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Corporation CAE try Partners in a feature article in each non-convention magazine Louis Berger Capewell Systems, LLC Our Industry Partner membership fees are among the lowest corporate membership fees in the defense industry – $1700 annual McClellan Jet Services Chromalloy membership fee. We give preferential treatment to our Industry Partners for a very simple reason: Industry Partners generate over Cobham Million Air – an Aviation Services Company 75% of A/TA’s exhibit fees annually. A/TA’s Vice President for Indus- try, Bob Dawson, is committed to making sure each Industry Partner Consolidated Air Support Systems (CASS), LLC National Air Cargo receives value for their commitment to A/TA.

David Clark Company Incorporated Northrop Grumman Corporation

DRS Technologies, Inc. Parker Aerospace

Eaton Aerospace Port City Air

Elbit Systems of America Pratt & Whitney Military Engines

Engility Corporation Rockwell Collins

Essex Industries Rolls-Royce Esterline CMC Electronics Satcom Direct Communications Fidelity Technologies Corporation Stephenville Airport (IATA: YJT; ICAO: CYJT) First Command Financial Services, Inc. USAA Flightcom Corporation UTC Aerospace Systems FlightSafety International Volga-Dnepr Airlines ForeFlight Zodiac Arresting Systems America Gander International Airport Authority ZOLL Medical Corporation GE Aviation A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 27 Association & Chapter

A/TQ, Editor/Art Director Peachtree CONTACTSCONTACTS Chair Communications Committee Col Jon A Hawley USAF Ret Contacts listed current as of 4 May. Collin R Bakse [email protected] Please contact Bud Traynor and Collin Bakse to make corrections and/or changes, [email protected]; [email protected] Pikes Peak or to suggest additional contact information for this page. A/TQ Advertising/Business Mgr Razorback Maj Douglas B Lynch USAF Ret Capt Joseph Barriere BOARD OF OFFICERS Col Cary M Walgamott USAF Ret [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Chairman, A/TA A/TQ Public Affairs | Social Media Red River Gen Arthur J Lichte USAF Ret CMSgt James W Wilton USAF Ret Col Gregory P Cook USAF Ret Capt Jason Sikorski [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] President Finance Committee Rheinland-Pfalz CMSgt Michael C Reynolds USAF Ret Col Jack D Patterson USAF Ret CHAPTER CONTACTS Maj Geoffrey R Ulrich [email protected] [email protected] Alamo [email protected] Sr Vice President Historian Maj Eric Volk Rheinland-Pfalz-Papa Lt Gen Vern M Findley II USAF Ret Ellery Wallwork [email protected] [email protected] Lt Col Brent G Deen USAF Ret [email protected] Big Country VP, Programs [email protected] Heritage Committee Chairman MSgt Kirsten L Ellsworth Col Miles C Wiley III USAF Ret Rio Col Ronald E Owens USAF Ret [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Capt Nicholas D Pride VP, Industry Affairs Capital [email protected] Legal Advisor Col Robert E Dawson USAF Ret Lt Col David Sears Maj Gen Richard D Roth USAF Ret Ryukyu [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Capt David Gribbin Secretary Cheyenne [email protected] Nominating Committee Denali Col Michael D Cassidy USAF Ret Sam Fox [email protected] Chairman Diamond Head Gen Walter Kross USAF Ret Lt Col Nathan R Dennes Capt Rush Taylor Treasurer [email protected] [email protected] Col John J Murphy Jr USAF Ret [email protected] Nominating Committee [email protected] Eagle See Seventeen Vice-Chairman TSgt David J Grant CMSgt Michael M Welch USAF Ret Association Administrator / CMSgt Mark A Smith USAF Ret [email protected] Membership & Convention Registrar [email protected] [email protected] East Anglia SoCal Col Dennis W Traynor III USAF Ret Young Leader Reps [email protected] Capt Steve C Briones SSgt Brian Caskie Maj Wesley N Spurlock [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] BOARD OF ADVISORS Special Operations Capt Thomas E Parker Flight Test Board Chairman [email protected] TSgt Justin R Thompson Tarheel Maj Gen Richard C Marr USAF Ret [email protected] TSgt Adam B Scripture [email protected] AMC/CCX Maj John R Groth Golden Bear [email protected] Board [email protected] SMSgt Erick J Fierro Team Robins Maj Gen John D Becker USAF Ret [email protected] [email protected] AFRC Liaison Maj Faith Eudy Brig Gen Brian E Dominguez Goldwater [email protected] Col Ted E Carter Jr USAF Ret [email protected] Great Lakes [email protected] The Shogun AMC Liaison SMSgt Erik M Wolford Gen Duane H Cassidy USAF Ret 2d Lt Melody D Beidler Maj Gen Scott M Hanson [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Hafa Adai Col George E Dockery II USAF Ret Tidewater ANG Liaison TSgt Jacob Westad [email protected] [email protected] Lt Col Joel Eppley Maj Gen David T Kelly [email protected] Col Robert F Ellington USAF Ret [email protected] Halvorsen [email protected] MSgt Michael Ferneding Tip of the Sword CONVENTION & SYMPOSIUM Gen Ronald R Fogleman USAF Ret [email protected] TSgt Bryan E Bennett Jr [email protected] Annual A/TA Awards [email protected] Col Barbara L Jacob USAF Ret Huyser Col Philip A Iannuzzi Jr USAF Ret [email protected] Maj Kevin E White Tommy B. McGuire [email protected] Banquet Seating [email protected] TSgt Daniel R Leedy Col Walter L Isenhour Col Robert G Ford USAF Ret Inland Northwest [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Capt Andrea May Tony Jannus Col Barbara L Jacob USAF Ret CRUD [email protected] Maj Ryan Covahey [email protected] Maj Peter M Mastroianni USAF Ret Keeper of the Plains [email protected] CMSgt Michael R Kerver USAF Ret [email protected] SMSgt Donald E Breitkreutz Jr Warriors of the North [email protected] Golf [email protected] Lt Col Jonathan M Castellanos Gen Duncan J McNabb USAF Ret Horton, Col David B USAF (Ret) (Dave) Kitty Hawk [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] MSgt Jonathan C Sorcic Wright Col Paul E McVickar USAF Ret Master of Ceremonies [email protected] Lt Col Frank A Delsing LtGen Christopher A Kelly USAF Ret [email protected] Low Country [email protected] Maj Gen Robert B Patterson Sr USAF Ret [email protected] Lt Col Charles B Polomsky [email protected] Rooms [email protected] Col Miles C Wiley III USAF Ret CMSgt David M Pelletier USAF Ret [email protected] Lt Gen Tunner/Berlin Airlift [email protected] Col Thomas Hansen USAF Ret Symposium Chairman [email protected] MSgt Eric E J Riker USAF Ret Lt Col Jeffrey B Bigelow USAF Ret [email protected] [email protected] Luftbrücke Maxwell Gen Charles T Robertson Jr USAF Ret Heritage/Transportation [email protected] Maj Joshua C Watkins USAF Ret Contacts listed current as of Col Ronald E Owens USAF Ret 4 May 2015. CMSgt Mark A Smith USAF Ret [email protected] [email protected] Please contact Bud Traynor and Collin Bakse [email protected] Program Management Support Pacific Northwest to make corrections and/or changes, CMSgt David E Spector USAF Ret Col Dennis L Murphy USAF Ret Capt Adrian R Gonzales or to suggest additional [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] contact information for this page.

A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 28 A/TQ • Airlift/Tanker Quarterly • Spring 2015 29 AIRLIFT/TANKER QUARTERLY Volume 23 • Number 2 • Spring 2015

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