KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Deployments, hurricanes, and training exercises were just a few events that kept the Reserve Citizen Airmen of the 403rd Wing busy in 2018.
“Wing members have worked hard all year and have accomplished so much,” said Col. Jennie R. Johnson, 403rd Wing commander. “Whatever the task, the professionalism of this unit never ceases to impress.”
Here are some of the wing’s top stories that showcased the excellence, achievements and readiness of the wing in supporting the Air Force Reserve mission.
Wing members deploy to Southwest Asia
The year kicked off with the wing, family members and friends bidding farewell to approximately 150 Airmen who deployed to Southwest Asia in Support of Operations Freedom’s Sentinel and Inherent Resolve in January and welcoming them back in May. The Airmen, along with several of the wing’s C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, were assigned to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing based at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Aircrew from the 815th Airlift Squadron, maintainers from the 803rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and support personnel from the 403rd Wing provided airlift, airdrop and aeromedical evacuation support to operations throughout the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility. Deployed aircrews flew 303 combat and 465 combat support sorties, delivered 5,140 passengers, 51 distinguished visitors, 245 patients, and nearly 3,000 tons of cargo. The unit even made Air Force history in May when they executed a two-ship formation airdrop with the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, an active duty squadron at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, providing supplies to a Resolute Support Expeditionary Advisory Package in Afghanistan. It was the first time two separate units in two countries came together for a single combat airdrop mission. Later in the year, the wing deployed about another 150 members to Southwest Asia.
Another active hurricane season
Another active storm season kept 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron crews busy. The Hurricane Hunters flew more than 655 hours and 83 missions into 12 named storms over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The squadron kicked off the Atlantic season flying into Tropical Storm Alberto, which formed May 25 and made landfall in northern Florida. The unit also flew Beryl, Chris, Gordon, Kirk and the season’s most destructive storms, Hurricanes Florence and Michael, which caused significant damage to the southeastern United States. In September, the 53 WRS successfully evacuated aircraft from Keesler AFB and operated from Ellington Field, Texas, as Tropical Storm Gordon threatened the Keesler area. While this year’s Atlantic hurricane season wasn’t as active as 2017, the hurricane season in the eastern Pacific Ocean was a record setter with 22 named storms. The squadron deployed to Hawaii three times to fly Hurricane Hector, Lane and Olivia.
Atmospheric rivers, research support
In addition to the primary mission supporting the National Hurricane Center, the Hurricane Hunters partnered with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and NOAA in January and February for another project. They performed weather reconnaissance flights on atmospheric rivers over the Pacific Ocean to refine precipitation forecast models for the West Coast. A total of 256 dropsondes were released and 92 flight hours logged during the six atmospheric rivers missions.
The 53rd WRS also deployed oceanographic buoys for the Naval Oceanographic Office in April and June. The buoys were deployed over a wide area in the North Atlantic, Pacific, and Bay of Bengal providing critical oceanographic data to the Navy via satellite. In June, 53rd WRS members deployed to Sri Lanka in support of Monsoon Intraseasonal Oscillations Bay of Bengal, or MISO BoB, a research project to study the island’s atmosphere and predict monsoon patterns. The mission was a joint, inter-agency project with the Sri Lankan government and the University of Notre Dame.
Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
Wing members participated in a number of exercises and joint efforts throughout the year.
The 815th AS participated in Emerald Warrior 2018, a special operations joint training event Feb. 26 to March 9 involving units within the U.S. Special Operations Command and Air Force Special Operations Command. The tactical airlift squadron provided C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in support of day and night training missions to include high-altitude low-opening and high-altitude high-opening jumps. Conventional and special operations forces from the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps participated in training scenarios alongside North Atlantic Treaty Organization partner forces during the two-week exercise.
Members of the 41st Aerial Port Squadron and other Air Force, Army and Navy units teamed up for a joint training scenario called GRIP III Breaking Barriers Jan. 5-7 here and at the Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center – Battlefield Airman Center, Miss. Members of 1108th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group, Gulfport CRTC, provided Blackhawk helicopters to ferry personnel from Keesler to the CRTC, simulating transportation of personnel from one forward operating base to another. While at the CRTC, reservists from 41st APS worked alongside Air National Guardsmen from the 186th APS, Key Field Air National Guard Base, Miss., on how to load and offload various vehicles on a C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft from the 709th Airlift Squadron, Dover Air Force Base, Del. The 41st APS conducted another training event March 4, GRIP IV Wheelhouse. This particular training was an engine-running operation where a C-130H Hercules aircraft from the 357th Airlift Squadron, 908th Airlift Wing, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., landed, dropped its ramp and put the engine in idle or reverse while cargo was being loaded onto the aircraft.
The 36th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron also took part in several exercises throughout the year, one of which was Patriot Warrior Aug. 8-22. The AFRC exercise provided the 36th AES an opportunity to train with joint and international partners in airlift, aeromedical evacuation and mobility support operations at the 934th Air Reserve Station, Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station, Minn. Airmen from the 403rd Logistics Readiness Squadron also provided transportation support for the exercise from Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. The exercise was one of four exercises happening under exercise Global Medic, an Army specific exercise involving joint partners with the goal of ensuring reservists from all branches can conduct responsibilities in support of the reserve missions in all operational situations.
In November, the wing conducted a readiness assessment, which tested reservists’ ability to survive and operate in a deployed environment. Airmen donned their mission oriented protective posture gear to help protect them from simulated chemical and biological attacks and trained in chemical warfare detection and in applying self-aid and buddy care. The exercise included a two-ship formation to simulate the 815th AS airdropping supplies to troops in the field. The 815th AS also provided airlift for the 36th AES, which staged themselves at Camp Shelby to practice handing off wounded troops to medical personnel as part of a simulated medical evacuation.
Leadership changes
There were several leadership changes this year due to retirements and personnel moves. These were just some of the changes.
Chief Master Sgt. Amanda Stift became the wing’s new command chief in November. Her predecessor, Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Barnby, retired in May.
Lt. Col. Rodney E. McCraine assumed command of the 403rd Wing Mission Support Group in September. The previous commander, Col. Chad Segura, is now the Reserve Advisor for the Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council, SAF Military and Reserve Affairs, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.
Col. Carl Spear assumed command of the 403rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron in February. Col. John Buterbaugh, the previous commander, took the helm as the AFRC command surgeon general this summer.
Col. Tom Hansen, 36th AES commander, retired in June. Lt. Col. Deborah Deja assumes command of the squadron in January.
These are just a few highlights from 2018, and according to the wing commander, next year will be just as busy with a full schedule of training events. She said wing members will be ready for whatever 2019 brings.