New airframe, squadron on Kandahar Airfield

Published Aug. 6, 2011
By 1st Lt. Abigail Wise
451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- The 451st Expeditionary Operations Group welcomed their newest unit, the 702nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, here at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, July 31.

The 702 EAS is a tactical transport squadron, made up of Army and Air Force Guard flying C-27J Spartans to provide support to forward operating bases. Their first ever combat mission took place early Aug. 4, and they had received their second aircraft hours earlier.

"This unit has made huge strides to get trained while away from family, and heading out for this deployment shortly after. I'm very proud of the work they've done to make all this possible," said Lt. Col. Robert Schuett, who will assume command of the squadron Aug. 9.

The 702nd mission is a joint venture between Air Force and Army, with both Army and Air Force crews flying missions together.

"The primary mission is to support the coalition forces on the ground. The missions come from the Army, and will be flown by both Air Force and Army pilots and Air Force and Army loadmasters," said Michael Kemple, 451st Maintenance Group joint aircraft cargo maintenance manager.

The C-27, originally purchased by the Army to replace the C-23 Sherpa in 2008, was aligned under Air Force's Air Mobility Command in 2010 and opened a technical training school at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

"This aircraft is somewhere between the C-23 Sherpa and the C-130 Hercules. It is small enough for FOBs with short runways, but a longer flying capability to reach the farther-away FOBs," said Kemple.

U.S. Army Sgt. Jason Fixico, 702 EAS loadmaster deployed out of Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Okla., has been with the program since November of 2009, and has enjoyed every minute of it.

"I was a loadmaster on the C-23 Sherpa, but this has been a really great experience. Working with the Air Force guys was different at first. We went through the training together and we all love working together now. It helps having each other there to translate acronyms and things like that. It has been a great two years," said Fixico.

During a training session, Airmen and Soldiers to include Fixico, worked together practicing loading cargo into the C-27.

"I was a little bit nervous with the first load, everyone watching to see how we do with this new cargo formation," said Senior Airman Theophilus Okrah, 451st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron ramp services.

The new addition will be a transparent one for ramp services, who load all types of airframes here at Kandahar AF.

"It's an exciting ramp, so many different aircraft; we rely on the different services' knowledge and our ability to be flexible," said Okrah, a Ghana native who joined the Air Force in 2009.

Okrah has enjoyed his time working with the Army, and says there already is a great working relationship.

"We work with the Army ramp guys a lot already, we help each other out on the ramp and this will be no different," said Okrah who is deployed out of Dover Air Force Base, Del.

A maintenance team arrived early to prepare for the incoming unit, with help from the Army.

"The Army has been instrumental in establishing the infrastructure for this new squadron," said Col. Lindsey Whitehead, 702 EAS Liaison Officer to the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade.

"This really is an entirely joint mission, and done with entirely Guard crews, who are ecstatic over this opportunity," he said.