Wright-Patt Reservists return from deployment

by Lt. Col. Cynthia Harris
445th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

6/9/2014 - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Members of 445th Airlift Wing, family and friends gathered at the Dayton International Airport May 3 to welcome home four Airmen from the 87th Aerial Port Squadron. The Airmen returned from an eight-month deployment at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan.

While serving at the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, these aerial porters, along with 28 others from the 87th APS, facilitated the movement of more than 180,000 passengers, 17,000 short tons of baggage, nearly 14,000 short tons of cargo. They also supported 3,400 aircraft missions.

From 2001 to the present, 445th wing members have deployed to various regions around the globe to include Bagram Airfield, Kandahar Airfield and Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan; Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar; Camps Bucca and Victory, Iraq; and other Areas of Responsibility (AOR) in Southwest Asia.

According to Staff Sgt. Dennis Kimble, 445th Airlift Wing Logistics Readiness Squadron, logistics planner, the wing deployed nearly 3,100 Airmen between 2001 and 2014. The average length of those deployments was 185 days.

Throughout the last several years, Airmen who deployed from the 445th Airlift Wing consisted of security forces, aerial porters, personnelists, civil engineers, maintainers, medical personnel and others in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn and other missions.

Deployments have been a part of the everyday life for many in the unit. And while sacrifices are made when the reservist is away from home and their civilian employment, supporting America's war efforts is well worth the sacrifice.

"Having recently returned from a deployment to Afghanistan, I have a true appreciation for the sacrifice the men and women of the 445th made while deployed. During my deployment, I was extremely impressed in the quality of people in our U.S. and coalition country military organizations. I was proud to serve with the soldier, sailors, Airmen, Marines, civilians and contractors," said Col. Michael Major, 445th Airlift Wing vice commander.

The commander of the 445th expressed his gratitude to the unit's Airmen who have supported the nation's war efforts for more than a decade.

"I'm extremely proud that the men and women of the 445th have directly supported war efforts around the world for the last 13 years. They have worked side-by-side with their active-duty counter-parts to care for our wounded and bring them home, and provide security, transport and numerous support functions to the warfighter," said Col. Jeffrey McGalliard, 445th Airlift Wing commander.

The wing currently has more than 30 members deployed.