Pope C-130s Supply Beans and Bullets to Terror War, By Donna Miles

Pope C-130s Supply Beans and Bullets to Terror War, By Donna Miles

(EXCERPT) American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 26, 2004 -- They like to think of themselves as the
"18- wheeler trucks" that supply the front lines in the war on terror.

C-130 Hercules aircraft crews from the 2nd and 41st Airlift Squadrons
at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., deliver food, ammunition and troops
throughout Southwest Asia. Unlike larger C-5 Galaxy and C-17
Globemaster III transport aircraft that provide long-haul support to
logistical hubs, C-130 crews perform the tactical portion of the
airlift mission — often landing on rough dirt airstrips or airdropping
troops and equipment into hostile areas.

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"We can land anywhere," said Capt. Andy McGee, assistant director of
operations and a C-130 pilot for the 2nd Airlift Squadron. "All we
need is 3,000 feet (of runway)."

Airmen from the two squadrons work together as what McGee calls a
"super squadron" to fly thousands of sorties throughout the theater.
"We're putting the beans and bullets there to support the war on
terror," said Master Sgt. Willie Wellbrock, tactics loadmaster and
superintendent for the 2nd Airlift Squadron. In addition, the crews
evacuate wounded troops from the battle zone.

A low-altitude combat drop over Afghanistan in September 2001 marked a
variety of "firsts" for the airmen: the first time since the Vietnam
War that Pope's C- 130s have conducted an airdrop at low altitude
during combat, and the first combat drop of a container delivery
system using night-vision goggles.

Since their introduction into the Air Force inventory four decades
ago, the turboprop C-130s have earned their stripes on a full range of
peacetime as wartime missions. What makes them so versatile is their
ability to haul a wide variety of oversized cargo and to deliver their
cargo into remote areas lacking fixed airport facilities.

"The vast majority of airlift in Iraq is C-130s," said McGee. "I guess
you could call us the American Eagle airline of the theater."

Wellbrock said the C-130 crews in Southwest Asia conduct missions
exactly as they train: flying in at a low level and spending minimal
time "in the box" before taking off again to avoid becoming a target.

Even before Sept. 11, 2001, C-130 crews from the 2nd and 41st Airlift
Squadrons were operating in Southwest Asia to provide logistical
support for Operation Southern Watch, which enforced the no-fly zone
over southern Iraq.

But McGee said the terrorist attacks made a big impact on the workload
and the crews themselves. Sorties in the region no longer felt like
"milk runs."

"After 9/11, we all felt that we had a true mission to go do," he
said. "Everything we did became much more focused."

The operational tempo picked up dramatically, with crews sometimes
pulling 18- to 20-hour workdays to fulfill mission requirements that
continue around the clock, seven days a week.

McGee said this pace has sharpened the crews' skills while giving
younger airmen far more experience than might be expected so early in
their careers. "You'd be surprised how many loadmasters we have who
have flown more than 100 combat missions and still aren't yet old
enough to drink a beer," he said.

"Since 9/11, kids come in and mature so quickly," said Wellbrock.
"They learn very early on that what we do is all about teamwork, with
everybody relying on everybody else."

Wellbrock said crews keep motivated by seeing firsthand the
contribution they're making and by getting the opportunity to apply
their skills to support the war on terror. "It's rewarding to go do
what we're trained to do," agreed McGee. "It validates everything
we've been trained for."

Related Sites: Pope Air Force Base, N.C. [

http://public.pope.amc.af.mil/ C-130 Hercules [

http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=92 C-5 Galaxy [

http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=84 C-17 Globemaster
III [

http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=86 spacer type=

vertical size=5

200404264b.jpg Airman 1st Class Chris Green, a crew chief with the 2nd
Airlift Squadron from Pope Air Force Base, N.C., deployed to Southwest
Asia, prepares the hydraulic jack to lift a C-130 aircraft to replace
a flat tire April 1, 2003. The aircraft is flying missions in
Operation Iraqi Freedom. Photo by Staff Sgt. Quinton T. Burris, USAF

200404264b_hr.jpg High resolution photo

200404264c.jpg Loadmasters from the 41st Airlift Squadron, 43rd
Operations Group Pope Air Force Base, N.C., prepare for a low-altitude
combat airdrop over Afghanistan on Sept. 1, 2001, in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom. Photo, By Senior Airman Bethann Hunt, USAF

200404264c_hr.jpg High resolution photo

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---------------------------
Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com