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CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Half of the members of the 130th Airlift Wing, who left for a deployment earlier this summer, returned to McLaughlin Air National Guard Base from their tour of duty in Southwest Asia today.
While deployed on a short tour, these Airmen supported Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve through critical airlift, airdrop, maintenance and medical support to combatant commanders.
“It’s a great day when we get to welcome home our men and women who have been supporting the fight overseas and congratulate them on their mission success,” said Col. Johnny Ryan, 130th Airlift Wing commander. “I look forward to greeting the rest of our deployers once they return and celebrating the accomplishments of the West Virginia Air National Guard with their families, friends and community members. We’re very proud of the work they’ve done.”
While overseas, these men and women worked long days flying missions in the C-130 Hercules to deliver supplies, equipment, food or even personnel to locations throughout the area of responsibility. Maintenance personnel worked in extreme temperatures all hours of the day to ensure not only the planes from the 130th AW, but also other C-130’s deployed there, were in mission capable condition. Additionally, operations and other support personnel attached to the 130th AW integrated with their partners overseas to provide seamless support to the needs of the deployed location.
Staff Sgt. Jennifer Simms, a Maintenance Management Production Craftsman with the 130th Medical Group, stated she learned a lot during the rotation.
“It was a very high operations-tempo style deployment, which I wasn't used to,” she said. “More than anything, the camaraderie was great, and when times got tough, everyone came together and played their part in [Operation] Inherent Resolve.”
The 130th AW will welcome home the rest of its deployed members in the coming months. This deployment marks the 16th year that the 130th has supported operations in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.12.2017 16:22 |
| Story ID: | 247948 |
| Location: | CHARLESTON, WV, US |
| Web Views: | 77 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 130th Airlift Wing welcomes many returning members from OIR deployment, by Maj. Holli Nelson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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