MedicCook
03-28-2007, 06:26 PM
Air Guard's 109th being deployed
First time as a unit since Vietnam War
GLENVILLE - The state Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing, known for its missions to polar regions, will embark on its first combat deployment as a unit since the Vietnam War.
Personnel have been deployed with other units, but this is the first time in decades that its personnel and aircraft will be sent into combat, said Maj. Mark Armstrong.
``We've been supporting the war on terror since its inception,'' Armstrong said.
He could not say where the troops were being deployed but said they would be in support of Operating Enduring Freedom, the U.S. operation in Afghanistan.
The wing has some 1,295 personnel, but Armstrong could not say how many would be deployed or when they would leave.
An announcement will be made at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Stratton Air Force Base in Glenville.
``We can't say specifics but they will be supporting Operation Enduring Freedom,'' he said.
Established in 1948, the airlift wing is known for being deployed ``from pole to pole'' from Greenland to Antarctica.
The 109th flies the world's only ski-equipped C-130s for landing on the snow and ice and rugged terrain of Antarctica and the Arctic. They shuttle equipment and researchers for the National Science Foundation about 3,500 hours annually in Antarctica and 800 hours in the frozen north. They also fly locally about 2,000 hours in training.
The unit has 14 of the planes, nicknamed ``Hercules'' for the airlifter's melding of strength and durability. The plane's design has changed little since it went into service with the military in 1955.
Most of the 109th's fleet are 1970s-vintage aircraft kept in top condition with an exacting maintenance schedule.
``They're a bunch of dump trucks. They take a beating and keep on ticking,'' said Charlie Del Toro of Amsterdam, a former superintendent of the 109th crew chiefs.
Considered the greatest airlifter of the 20th century by aviation experts, more than 2,200 C-130s have been built and are flown by more than 60 nations in dozens of customized configurations.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=576036&category=&BCCode=&newsdate=3/28/2007
First time as a unit since Vietnam War
GLENVILLE - The state Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing, known for its missions to polar regions, will embark on its first combat deployment as a unit since the Vietnam War.
Personnel have been deployed with other units, but this is the first time in decades that its personnel and aircraft will be sent into combat, said Maj. Mark Armstrong.
``We've been supporting the war on terror since its inception,'' Armstrong said.
He could not say where the troops were being deployed but said they would be in support of Operating Enduring Freedom, the U.S. operation in Afghanistan.
The wing has some 1,295 personnel, but Armstrong could not say how many would be deployed or when they would leave.
An announcement will be made at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Stratton Air Force Base in Glenville.
``We can't say specifics but they will be supporting Operation Enduring Freedom,'' he said.
Established in 1948, the airlift wing is known for being deployed ``from pole to pole'' from Greenland to Antarctica.
The 109th flies the world's only ski-equipped C-130s for landing on the snow and ice and rugged terrain of Antarctica and the Arctic. They shuttle equipment and researchers for the National Science Foundation about 3,500 hours annually in Antarctica and 800 hours in the frozen north. They also fly locally about 2,000 hours in training.
The unit has 14 of the planes, nicknamed ``Hercules'' for the airlifter's melding of strength and durability. The plane's design has changed little since it went into service with the military in 1955.
Most of the 109th's fleet are 1970s-vintage aircraft kept in top condition with an exacting maintenance schedule.
``They're a bunch of dump trucks. They take a beating and keep on ticking,'' said Charlie Del Toro of Amsterdam, a former superintendent of the 109th crew chiefs.
Considered the greatest airlifter of the 20th century by aviation experts, more than 2,200 C-130s have been built and are flown by more than 60 nations in dozens of customized configurations.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=576036&category=&BCCode=&newsdate=3/28/2007