SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. - Nearly 150 members of the 126th Air Refueling Wing supported operations in the Pacific during a deployment to Guam from Nov. 15 to Dec. 17. The 126th ARW deployed to support the 5th Bomber Unit, currently deployed to Anderson Air Force Base, Guam from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.
The aircrews averaged 10 sorties per day and offloaded approximately 1 million gallons of fuel to fighters and bombers. Crews participated in exercises Jungle Lightning and Blue Lightning.
Guam is located nearly 6,000 miles off the coast of California and is a strategic location for operations in Southeast Asia.
“It gets us closer to any possible threat within the Pacific Theater of Operations” said Col Mauk, vice commander of the 126th Air Refueling Wing.
Strategic locations like Guam allow the Air Force to maintain a presence globally and deter aggressive actions from non-ally countries.
Col. Jeffery Jacobson, commander of the 126th Operations Group was the detachment commander for the 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron.
Every mission was successful thanks to the squadron’s highly skilled airmen.
“Members of the 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron worked hard in challenging conditions to achieve a 100 percent mission execution rate,” said Jacobson. “Everyone worked flawlessly as a team.”
Many members were in Guam for a two-week rotation as part of their annual training. Deploying in support of operations in Guam provides real-world training and allows members to perform their jobs in unfamiliar locations. It also gives airmen the chance to see how other units perform duties and collaborate to determine the most efficient way to perform a task and complete the mission.
“It’s nice to have a fresh set of eyes on other people’s programs to see a little better way of doing things back home,” said Staff Sgt. Brian Brogan, vehicle control operations for the 506th Expeditionary
Air Refueling Wing. “It showed me how to better my overall performance.”
Brogan also works in VCO at his home station where he is assigned with the 126th Logistics Readiness Squadron.
Members of the maintenance group made full use of their time in Guam. Senior Airman Amelia Mayo, a hydraulics specialist from the 126th Maintenance Group spent time training with other shops allowing her to better understand their roles within the maintenance group. Because of the mild temperatures in Guam, planes typically have fewer hydraulic problems but that didn’t stop Mayo from advancing her knowledge in aircraft maintenance and operation.
“Getting the extra training in launching and recovering aircraft was the most beneficial training I got,” said Mayo. “You have to step out of your comfort zone and help the other shops when you can.”
Mayo explained that it is important to be proficient in your duties.
“You might be the only person on your shift,” said Mayo.
She suggests when there is something you are unfamiliar with to pull out the training manual and learn about it.
| Date Taken: | 01.25.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 01.25.2016 14:30 |
| Story ID: | 186977 |
| Location: | SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, IL, US |
| Web Views: | 86 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Guardsmen support operations in the Pacific while deployed to Guam, by TSgt Andrew Kleiser, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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