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Wright-Patt wing overcomes obstacles, flies first C-5 mission

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Martin Moleski
  • 445th Airlift Wing
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Just two months after the 445th Airlift Wing retired its last C-141, Air Force reservists embarked on the first C-5 mission from here July 19 to Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

Aircraft commander Maj. Mike Baker and crew from the 89th Airlift Squadron flew tail No. 00-461 to Dover AFB, Del., where 25 pallets, weighing nearly 35,000 pounds, were loaded onto the aircraft.

With the temperature topping 95 degrees, the reservists pressed on allowing nothing to distract them from the mission.

"The heat is part of it," said Senior Master Sgt. Eric Prater, who is in upgrade training for instructor loadmaster and NCO in charge of the mission. "You're on a timeline, and you need to get it done. But the heat doesn't make it easier."

Discomfort wasn't the only obstacle facing the Air Force Reserve Command crew. Things don't always go as planned. Changes to the mission, especially on a C-5, do occur.

Due to a mechanical error during the flight to Dover, the crew of 20 anxiously waited as maintenance crews worked diligently to fix the problem.

If something goes wrong, it's the crew's job to find the safest way to get to the destination, said Tech. Sgt. Tammy Goble, flight engineer and former member of the wing's 356th AS.

Sergeant Goble said she was happy to see Wright-Patterson crews performing real-world missions so soon into their aircraft conversion. More importantly, she was excited to see the aircraft make its long journey to and from Germany safely.

While the entire mission took a little more than four days to complete, its importance took a solemn turn since four fallen heroes were returned home aboard the aircraft. Three Americans and an El Salvadorian, in flag-draped caskets, were honored for their sacrifice in a ceremony upon arriving at Dover AFB.

"Seeing their caskets, it's a reminder that this aircraft has an important mission to carry out," said Master Sgt. Jeremy Turner, primary flight engineer instructor. "Many say that's the most precious cargo."

In addition, the C-5 delivered nearly 65,000 pounds of cargo from Ramstein, including a C-5 engine.

Before the aircraft returned to Wright-Patterson, a thunderous storm moved in and delayed the takeoff from Dover. The delay affected not only the crew but also about 50 Wright-Patt reservists returning home from their annual tour in Europe.

Members of the 445th Logistics Readiness Squadron and the 445th Communications Flight were onboard the aircraft ready to return home after augmenting active-duty units at Ramstein for two weeks.

Despite these minor setbacks, the crew remained optimistic about future C-5 missions.

"It's a different mission than that of the C-141," Sergeant Turner said. "The cargo that we can hold far outweighs any problems we might have."

"While the challenges and mission of the C-5 are slightly different than those of the C-141, the professionalism, experience and dedication of 445th aircrews, maintenance and support personnel have made it a nearly seamless transition," added Major Baker.

Sergeant Prater said the missions will go smoother with time.

"The first couple missions we're just trying to see what else we can change to make the mission better," he said. "We'll take what we learned from this trip back to the office and fix the small things."

Sergeant Prater predicts that once the wing adjusts to the "small things," its C-5s will be running missions like the C-141s by October. (AFRC News Service)