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  • Published
  • By Lt. Shawn M. Walleck
  • 911 AW/PA
PITTSBURGH IAP ARS --  Recently aircraft maintainers, operations personnel and aerial porters returned home after completing a 120-day Air Expeditionary Force rotation in support of contingency operations overseas.

Personnel returned home in three different waves spanning almost one week. The first wave arrived via rotator to BWI airport in Baltimore May 15 and then got picked up by one of the unit's C-130s for the last leg of their trip. The second and largest wave arrived May 19 and included more than 80 aircraft maintainers and operations personnel, along with four of the unit's aircraft, which also made the trip overseas for the deployment. The third and final wave arrived in similar fashion as the first. This wave was comprised of 30 aerial porters and arrived late in the evening at BWI May 20, and then flew home the next day via one of the unit's C-130s.

Every homecoming was met with a ramp full of family and friends who waited in anticipation for their Airmen to return. Once off the plane hugs, kisses, smiles and tears were the commodities traded when Airmen reunited with their loved ones.
Now that they are home, Reservists will begin their reconstitution down time and start the reintegration process with friends, family and employers. "Working 12 hour days, six days a week for 120 days in a desert climate under stressful, sometimes hostile conditions can take a toll on a person, which is why being given the time to reintegrate is so important," said Col. Gordon H. Elwell, Jr., 911th Airlift Wing commander.

The tempo was high for deployed unit members and during the 120 days personnel flew 1,084 sorties, hauled 3,017.46 tons of cargo and transported 12,649 passengers by flying an average of 556 hours per month. The Wing's 32nd APS personnel airlifted 20,000 short tons of cargo on 5,800 missions with a 99 percent on-time rate. They also performed over 580 engine running on/off loads reducing aircraft ground times for those missions by 67 percent and moved more than 113,000 passengers.

"Our Airmen did some 'heavy lifting' over there and I am proud of each and every one of them. They continually perform under any circumstance and deliver exceptional results. The stats they logged are most impressive and everyone came home mishap free. I am humbled by their efforts, grateful for their dedication and thankful for their service to the Reserve, our Wing and our country...truly a job well done," concluded Colonel Elwell.