Westover C-5s Participate in Historic Surge

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WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. --  Six C-5 transport jets from Westover Air Reserve Base's 439th Airlift Wing are participating in an Air Force-wide surge of C-5s this week.

The surge of the nation's largest military aircraft more than doubles their day-to-day workload. The exercise showcases the ability of active duty, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard units to provide rapid strategic airlift in response to large-scale crises and contingencies, according to officials at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

The surge takes place October 17 - 21. It brings together 18 active-duty and 23 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command crews and 41 total force C-5 Galaxy aircraft to fly cargo in support of combatant commanders across the globe, according to Maj. Sandy Thompson, Air Force Transportation Command's lead planner.

"The 41 daily missions will more than double the 18 we normally execute on a typical day," Thompson said. "To put in a historical context, the best C-5 daily achievement since 2007 was 33 C-5s flown."

The Air Force Reserve provides 45 percent of the nation's strategic airlift.

In previous surges, the aircrews were activated. This time, the crews are all-volunteer, said Lt. Col. Ian Coogan, acting operations group commander.

"Westover is a valuable partner within the airlift fleet," said Col. Steven Vautrain, 439th AW commander. "Our crews and jets regularly fly missions alongside active-duty crews. These surge missions will take our crews overseas to provide our warfighters the resources they need -- quickly."

The C-5 surge demonstrates the unique outsize airlift capability of the C-5, which has been a workhorse in the airlift fleet since its joining the Air Force inventory in 1970. There are 111 C-5s in the Air Force. Besides the 16 assigned to Westover, the aircraft are assigned to units in California, Texas, West Virginia, Delaware, Tennessee, and New York State.

In total, six total force units will provide aircraft and crews for the surge, illustrating what officials at Scott AFB describe as a "seamless integration of active-duty and reserve component forces."

"This surge is possible because we have a joint forces team that works every day to ensure rapid global mobility for America," said TRANSCOM's Marine Corps Maj. Sidney Welch, leader of the joint planning team for the surge. "We have total force crews, planners of all services at TRANSCOM and AFTRANS, and experts providing command and control."

According to planners, an operational assessment team will evaluate the results of the surge and develop a set of "lessons learned" to help determine ways to more effectively and efficiently support rapid global mobility in response to crisis and contingency situations. They add that regardless of the results, the surge will provide a valuable opportunity to exercise and evaluate the global mobility enterprise.

"We have a responsibility to ensure the readiness of our mobility forces are able to respond rapidly across the world," said Lt. Gen. Mark Ramsay, commander of the 18th Air Force, responsible for directing AFTRANS' day-to-day operations. "This surge not only exercises that responsibility, but demonstrates our readiness even in times of intense demand on our capacity."

The surge wraps up Oct. 21.