815th and 345th prep for upcoming deployment

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens
  • 403rd Wing Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. --  For the first time since they began training side-by-side in August, the 815th and 345th Airlift Squadrons will deploy together in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia.

Earlier this year, Citizen Airmen from the 815th AS "Flying Jennies" began training for the 120-day deployment alongside their active-duty counterparts in the 345th AS "Golden Eagles."

Lt. Col. Denson Tutwiler, 815th AS commander, said about a third of the 403rd Wing's deploying members will be from the 345th AS, while the remaining personnel will be from the 815th. He stressed, however, that both squadrons train as one cohesive unit.

"We don't see ourselves as two separate squadrons; we train as one," said Colonel Tutwiler. "The integration is seamless."

The squadrons, along with maintainers from the 403rd Maintenance Group, will be one piece of the larger deployment puzzle when they link up with the active-duty 41st AS from Littlerock Air Force Base, Ark. Having already embraced the spirit of cooperation, the Jennies and Eagles will continue to set the standard for total force integration downrange.

"The interaction between the 815th and 345th has been outstanding," said Lt. Col. Craig Williams, 345th AS commander. "And that is not just the politically correct answer, it's a fact of life and how we operate day to day."

Flying the C-130J-30 model aircraft, these squadrons have been training for airlift operations they could perform while in theater.

"Our training involves tactical missions such as assault landings on unimproved (rough) airfields and threat avoidance to evade small arms fire," said Maj. Rick Crist, 815th AS pilot. "That's typically the type of flight training we do for what we would encounter in the (AOR)."

Tech. Sgt. Ricky Jackson, 345th loadmaster, said members of the unit have practiced all the airdrop and air/land delivery and recovery procedures normally performed while deployed.
"We train consistently throughout the year," said Sergeant Jackson. "Right now we're completing all the just-in-time training most people do just before deployment."

Colonel Williams said that some of their flight training was modified to prepare squadron members for the environment they will encounter in their deployed location.

"In the last six months, we sent local trainers to Utah, Arizona, and Nevada to train in areas with terrain similar to where we will be operating," said Colonel Williams.

The Flying Jennies already have several deployments under their belt. Most recently, they returned from another 120-day deployment in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We work well together," said Colonel Tutwiler. "This (upcoming) deployment will provide us with some great experience."