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C-17s, KC-135s train to airlift wounded to U.S.

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jasmine Reif
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  When transporting wounded military members out of the combat zone, every second counts. Stopping to refuel during medical air evacuations takes time that some patients don't have. 

In response, the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron worked together to create a plan to keep all C-17 aircraft commanders certified to air refuel, which enables them to make direct flights to the United States. 

During the planning process, commanders of both the 816th EAS and 340th EARS wanted to ensure the air refueling recertification wouldn't put additional stress on mission requirements. 

Previous rotations tried to do opportune training when both the tanker and the C-17 had finished all operational missions, but the success rate was only about 1 in 25. Now, the training is incorporated into mission planning. 

"We plan our flights ahead of time and as a result our missions aren't impacted," Colonel Anderson said. "The current plan is effective and it's also 'free' training, because it doesn't require any additional resources such as a training sortie." 

"We don't need to take on fuel to become certified. We just need sustained contacts with the tanker, with the autopilot both on and off," said Lt. Col. William Anderson, 816th EAS commander. "We don't take any fuel during the recertification because the tankers need it for their operational mission requirements." 

Crews on future deployments will be able to use the concept of operations generated by the 816th EAS and the 340th EARS to keep current on air refueling. 

"We have currency for eight of our aircraft commanders so far," said Lt. Col. William Anderson, 816th EAS commander. "Without working together, all of our aircraft commanders would have been non-current for air refueling by the end of February." 

In the event of an urgent mission, he stressed that proficiency is key because air refueling is not like "riding a bicycle" in that skills diminish over time. 

If junior aircraft commanders don't get to air refuel for four months, it takes a lot of training time to get them back to an acceptable level of proficiency, said Colonel Anderson. 

The 340th EARS has also reported that it is helpful for their proficiency since the C-17 is one of their more difficult receivers to refuel. 

"With recertification, we remain a worldwide strategic asset. Air refueling is a core competency and allows us to respond to any mission, anywhere, at anytime," he said. 

That capability recently saved the life of a Marine who had been badly burned in an explosion in Fallujah, Iraq. 

A C-17 crew with the 816th EAS was notified they would have to make a combat landing into Balad AB, Iraq, pick up the Marine, and fly non-stop 7,500 miles to Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas. 

As the C-17 crew flew over England, it was air refueled by a tanker, which allowed them to fly directly to Texas. The Marine arrived there only 30 hours from the time he was injured.