911 AW conducts exercise to ensure readiness

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Joseph Bridge
  • 911th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, Penn. --  Personnel at Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station conducted a flight generation exercise that consisted of air drops of equipment and an aero medical flight during the November Unit Training Assembly to simulate real world mission capabilities of the 911th Airlift Wing.

The exercise consisted of five C-130 Hercules aircraft taking off simultaneously that resulted in two heavy equipment air drops, one Container Delivery System air drop, and a two hour round trip aero medical flight.

While the aircrews get most of the attention, the maintenance group has the individuals turning wrenches behind the scenes to make sure that every plane is in mission ready shape at a moment's notice.

Maintenance must be able to launch a plane within a 72 hour window. Exercises, like the generation exercise, ensure maintenance is up to the task of being fully mission capable, while also giving valuable learning tools to participants.

"The experience that is gained from such an exercise in regards to training and readiness is invaluable to our aircrews that serve at the 911th," said Master Sgt. Brent L. Stanko a loadmaster with the 758th Airlift Squadron. "These exercises translate into missions that go on around the globe nearly every day."

Missions similar to the exercise held at the 911th have been in the news lately with operations being conducted over the skies of Iraq by air dropping supplies to besieged Yazidi minorities trapped by Islamic State fighters.

The practice that the 911th aircrews receive during flight generation and National Disaster Medical Service exercises try to reflect real world scenarios that can put aircraft in not so perfect conditions. Due to the type of aircraft that are based at the 911th, one of the most versatile aircraft in the inventory of the U.S. Air Force, the C-130, also known as "the work horse of the Air Force."

"These aircraft are one of the biggest parts of air dropping supplies on the tactical side of the airlift mission because they can go virtually anywhere," said Senior Airman Codey B. Wentz, a loadmaster also with the 758th.

Thousands of missions have been flown by aircrews of the 911th in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom over the last decade as well contingency operations around the globe, whether it is troop movements, supply drops, or medical evacuation flights, the aircrews have proven a steadfast resolve in completing whatever mission is given to them.

"The aircraft and crews can really get down and dirty when we are called upon to do the job," said Wentz.