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Active-duty airlift squadron associates with Reserve wing

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens
  • 403rd Wing Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  The 345th Airlift Squadron was officially re-activated here Aug. 6 as an active associate C-130 unit.

The Regular Air Force unit works with reservists in Air Force Reserve Command's 403rd Wing and its 815th AS and 403rd Maintenance Group as part of the Air Force's total force integration initiative. The TFI initiative not only provides active-duty and reserve Airmen with the opportunity to work and train together, but also helps reduce operational costs to the taxpayers.

The 345th AS is the first C-130J active associate unit in the Air Force, and the third active associate unit to activate under its parent wing, the 19th Airlift Wing from Little Rock AFB, Ark.

Within the next few months, the 345th AS will integrate 112 aircraft maintenance, operations and support people with the 403rd WG's Citizen Airmen.

"The active-duty operations personnel have been great to work with," said Lt. Col. Denson Tutwiler, 815th AS commander. "They understand the Citizen Airman. Some of them have backgrounds in strategic airlift, so they have worked with reservists in the past."

The 345th AS's new commander, Lt. Col. Craig Williams, echoed the importance of the working relationship between Citizen Airmen and active-duty personnel.

"Establishing and maintaining an excellent working relationship is paramount," he said. "There are some areas where we both need to learn and understand the culture in which we work. Once that is accomplished, all things are possible, just like in any other unit."

Chief Master Sgt. Vincent Armata, 403rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron superintendent, stressed the importance of seamlessly integrating the active-duty and Reserve Airmen.

"The bottom line with total force integration is to train together and ensure that the deployment package is manned with people who have the right skill sets to accomplish the mission," he said.

Master Sgt. Mark Palmer, 345th AS tactical flight chief, echoed the chief's position on working together.

"We're as deeply integrated as you can get. There is no split," Sergeant Palmer said. "You walk into any section down here and you're going to see active duty and reservists all working together doing the same job."

Colonel Williams said associating with the 403rd Wing reservists would help his people become proficient on the C-130J transport plane.

"The 345th personnel as a whole do not have extensive background on the C-130J, with a few exceptions," said Colonel Williams. "We have maintainers from a variety of backgrounds, like F-15 and F-16, and we also have C-5 and C-17 loadmasters here and inbound. They need to learn the J-model now, something they can readily pick up from the 403rd due to their experience on this airframe."

Colonel Tutwiler said the Air Force has come to realize that it can more efficiently use aircraft by integrating active- duty Airmen with Guard and Reserve units.

"Adding active-duty personnel will allow the 403rd Wing to create more maintenance shifts and launch more aircraft," he said. "This truly is a case where the sum of the parts is greater than the whole."