Rep. Conor Lamb tours 911th Airlift Wing two-bay C-17 Globemaster III hangar

Chief Master Sgt. Benjamin Waxenfelter, the 911th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron superintendent (left of Lamb), briefs U.S. State Rep. Conor Lamb, Pennsylvania's 17th District, about the capabilities the two-bay C-17 Globemaster III hangar provides to the maintenance squadron at the Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania, April. 26, 2021. The two bay hangar provides a location to conduct routine, annual, and depot level maintenance 365 days a year to support flying operations. (Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Richard Kaulfers)

Rep. Conor Lamb tours 911th Airlift Wing C-17 Globemaster III

U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, of Pennsylvania's 17th district, walks up the forward staircase of a C-17 Globemaster III while on a congressional visit at the Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, April 26, 2021. Congressional visits to military bases like the 911th Airlift Wing allow congressmen like Lamb to learn about the servicemembers, as well as the Department of Defense capabilities in the districts the congress represents. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Richard Kaulfers)

Rep. Conor Lamb tours 911th Airlift Wing's C-17 Globemaster III two-bay hangar

Air Force Maj. Joe Walters, 911th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander (right), briefs U.S State Rep. Conor Lamb, Pennsylvania's 17th district, regarding the capabilities of the Airmen assigned to the C-17 Globemaster III maintenance squadron, the duties they perform, and how the squadron performs their mission inside the newest two-bay hangar at the Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, April 26, 2021. Airmen assigned to the maintenance squadron can perform sophisticated level maintenance without interference from weather conditions 365 days a year in support of the C-17 Globemaster III flying mission. (Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Richard Kaulfers)

Conor Lamb visits 911th AW, learns more about new mission

Published May 1, 2021
By Staff. Sgt. Richard Kaulfers

PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, Pa. --

Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania's 17th District visited the Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania, April 26, 2021 to view the latest additions to the base and learn about the new 911th Airlift Wing’s new mission with the C-17 Globemaster III.

The visit marked Lamb's first tour on the base since the official conversion to the C-17 mission in February 2021. Lamb was sworn into congress on January 5, 2021 about a month before the C-17 conversion was finalized.

During the tour, he took the opportunity to talk with several Reserve Citizen Airmen, asking them questions about their responsibilities and work-life balance as reservists.

Lamb is a Marine Corps veteran and also served as a Marine Corps Reserve officer.

While touring inside the cargo bay of a C-17, several flight medics from the 911th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron provided details about the latest capabilities they gained after converting from the C-130 Hercules platform to the C-17, highlighting range and more cargo space for patient care as a few added benefits.

Before departing the base, Lamb stopped by the aircraft metals fabrication shop to see how their latest state-of-the-art 3D printing operation was used to assist in the COVID-19 response operations. He also learned how the production facility is used to support the C-17 mission.

911th Airlift Wing Commander, Col. John Robinson, and along with several squadron leaders briefed Lamb about what the base provides the community in relation to jobs and its economic impact.

Robinson, a career C-17 pilot himself, emphasized to Lamb the confidence he has in his Airmen to get the mission done.

“I want to highlight that we would not be able to do what we do without the leadership teams and commanders,” said Robinson. “They get on the Airmen’s level every day to get the mission done.”

Congressional visits allow leaders like Lamb to gain a first-hand understanding of how the military and military communities in their district play a role for the Department of Defense's national defense posture.