by Airman 1st Class Ashlin Federick
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
7/1/2013 - DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del -- Air
mobility teams joined forces to develop essential skills that can be
used to extend the global reach of the U.S. Air Force in times of
crisis.
The 3rd Airlift Squadron from Dover Air Force Base paired up with the
621st Contingency Response Wing from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to
conduct semi-prepared runway operations June 17 to 21 at Fort A.P.
Hill, Va.
SPRO is conducted on any runway which is not paved, such as dirt or
crushed stone. SPRO training validates the 621st Contingency Responses
Wing's capability to open, secure and operate airfields in austere
environments. The more prepared the CR forces and aircrews are to
execute the mission, the quicker the user benefits.
"Most of the time a lot of the forward operating bases don't have the
capability to pave everything," Staff Sgt. Ryan Thompson, 3rd AS
evaluator loadmaster said. "This training makes it so we can get our
bigger aircraft and take equipment or personnel closer to the fight."
There are a lot of limitations with SPRO training, such as the dust and
distance. In the aircraft all of the limitations change because it has
to carry less. Taking off is also an issue because normally the SPROs
are conducted on extremely narrow and short runways. The minimum
requirement for landing and taking off for a C-17 is 3500 feet. This
also happens to be the same distance as the assault strip at Fort A.P.
Hill.
"As both a pilot and a landing zone safety officer for this exercise,
every Airman involved had to be at the top of their game," said Maj.
Dave Gaulin, chief of tactics, training and readiness for the 818
Contingency Response Group. "Safely operating a 400,000-pound
Globemaster in the dead of night on a dirt road leaves zero margin for
error."
While conditions like this are everyday business for the 'Mobility
Masters" of the 621st, the exercise offered a welcome change of pace for
the Dover-based Airmen.
"It was a great opportunity to improve our skill sets," said Capt. Dan
Morgan, 436th Airlift Wing Safety Office chief of flight safety. "We get
to do air refueling and normal tactical arrivals a lot. To actually go
into the environment and land on a runway that is so short can add some
stress to the job."
Many contingency operations are conducted under the cover of darkness,
so proficiency with night vision goggles was a key aspect of the SPRO
training.
"The night time training is probably more realistic," said Capt. Zach
Walrond, 3rd AS chief of tactics. "You are going into a field that is
totally blacked out but they are using covert lighting so they can only
see the panels with their goggles on."
In the past, both the CRG and the 3rd AS had to go to California to do
the SPRO training. Doing the training at A.P. Hill saves the CRG about
$80,000 in costs for traveling fees; it also saves Dover AFB about
$500,000 in fuel costs.
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