Active-duty Airmen of C-130-equipped 537th Airlift Squadron settle in at JBER

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Brian Ferguson
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  As the C-130H Hercules descended, the seemingly never-ending cloud cover broke at 1,200 feet. The dirt and snow runway came into view and the aircraft touched down soon after.

The rear door opened and a blast of cold air entered the bay. The temperature was approximately 20 degrees below zero and seemed to cut right through clothing. It was time to unload.

The mission to Tin City, Alaska, was in support of the radar site there, providing supplies to the individual working at the site. It was performed with an all active-duty crew - a new C-130 squadron on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

"These site visits are our life-blood," said Vance Spaulding, Tin City radar site station chief and mechanic. "The sites cannot operate without the supplies we get on these missions."

The 537th Airlift Squadron was re-activated on JBER in April of 2011. It had been more than 40 years since its deactivation in the early 1970s at Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam. At that time, it was the 537th Tactical Airlift Squadron and they flew the C-7 Caribou.

Now the 537th AS shares the C-130 mission on JBER with the 144th Airlift Squadron, part of the Alaska Air National Guard.

"Our association with the 144th hasn't been without hurdles," said Tech. Sgt. Joshua Walker, instructor loadmaster. "However, they have welcomed us and are happy to have the help we provide on a daily basis. We are both learning much about how each other's organizations operate. We are also working on altering our operations to mirror each others as close as possible."

The 537th AS shares 12 C-130's with the 144th AS, and works side-by-side to support JBER.

"We are completely interchangeable on the aircraft. There are no restrictions on who flies on what missions," Walker said. "When we first stood the squadron up, there was talk about limiting certain missions to the guard or active duty. However, this has been rectified. The mission is exactly the same. That is why such an association works so well. Both units get to benefit from what the other has to offer without any change in the mission."

Site missions, such as this one, are re-supply operations to long range radar locations in Alaska. These sites were set up in the 1950s to aid in detecting aircraft crossing the North Pole. The North Warning System consists of 15 long-range radars and 39 short-range radars. The system forms a 2,983 mile long and 199 mile wide "tripwire" stretching from Alaska, through Canada, to Southern Labrador. Today, the 537th AS and 144th AS supply critical infrastructure to keep the sites operational.

"We depend on these missions for supplies," Spaulding said. "There are no roads, so trucks can't get here to deliver goods. If it comes here, it comes by plane or barge."
Tin City is located at Cape Prince of Wales, which is the westernmost point of the mainland Americas. It is less than 100 miles from Russia.

The C-130s carry government equipment, supplies, emergency equipment and food to the sites. Missions occur every three weeks, depending on the weather.

Spaulding said they look forward to deliveries, especially the fresh fruit and vegetables.
"We live out here, and depend on our re-supply," he said. "We have never been in a situation where we needed to use emergency rations, and I have been here 11 years."
The 537th AS also supports worldwide air land, air drop and aeromedical evacuation missions. Most recently, missions have taken them to South Korea, Japan and throughout the state of Alaska.

"Due to the nature of tactical airlift, our aircraft can be found in any theater throughout the world," said Lt. Col. Robert Wanner, 537th AS chief navigator. "We routinely fly to remote Alaskan radar sites in adverse weather to support the mission."

Wanner said their goal is to continue developing programs and processes during the next several months to ensure the 537th AS meets full operational capability by January of 2013.

Although the flight to Tin City consisted of an all active-duty crew, the 537th AS routinely makes the site visits with their ANG counterparts.

Walker said he can't speak on how the ANG members perceive them, but the active-duty Airmen here see the ANG as a fountain of knowledge.

"There is so much that we can learn from these guys," he said. "Many of our guard counterparts have been flying for well over twenty years. They have more experience flying here in Alaska than we will ever get on active duty."