Artic Responce

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Members from the U.S. Army 17th Combat Service Support Battalion out of Fort Richardson check each other's gear prior to take off for Arctic Response here, August 24. Arctic Response was a joint operation and total force integration exercise where Air Force active-duty and National Guard members aided the Army in deploying to the exercise site. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Joshua Garcia)

Artic Responce

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Members from the 17th Combat Service Support Battalion out of Fort Richardson, wait on board a C-17 Globemaster III prior to take off, August 24, for Arctic Response. Arctic Response was a joint operation and total force integration exercise where Air Force active-duty and National Guard members aided the Army in deploying to the exercise site. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Joshua Garcia)

517th, 249th help support Army's Operation Arctic Response

DONNELLY LANDING ZONE, Alaska -- A 517th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III executes a semi-prepared runway operation landing here Aug.24. Elmendorf's 517th and Kulis Air National Guard's 249th airlift squadrons participated in the Army's Operation Arctic Response Aug. 24 and 26. The airlift squadrons flew two C-17s to help deploy 120 Soldiers and supplies to the remote site. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christopher Gross)

Artic Responce

DONNELLY LANDING ZONE, Alaska -- Members from the 17th Combat Service Support Battalion out of Fort Richardson, walk out of the back of a C-17 Globemaster III after arriving at their location for Arctic Response, August 24. Arctic Response was a joint operation and total force integration exercise where Air Force active-duty and National Guard members aided the Army in deploying to the exercise site. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Joshua Garcia)

517th, 249th help support Army's Operation Arctic Response

DONNELLY LANDING ZONE, Alaska -- Pallets drop out of the back of a C-17 Globemaster III Aug. 24. Elmendorf's 517th and Kulis Air National Guard's 249th airlift squadrons participated in the Army's Operation Arctic Response Aug. 24 and 26. Both squadrons each flew one of their C-17 Globemaster IIIs to help deploy 120 Soldiers and supplies to a designated area in Alaska. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christopher Gross)

C-17 dirt landing on Donnelly August 24

DONNELLY LANDING ZONE, Alaska -- A C-17 Globemaster III from the 517th Airlift Squadron taxi's down Donnelly dirt air strip in preparation to return to Elmendorf Aug. 24, 2009. The aircraft assisted in deploying 120 Soldiers from the 17th Combat Service Support Battalion on Fort Richardson to Donnelly during Arctic Response. Arctic Response is an Army Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. Two C-17s flew to Donnelly and delivered five pallets, two Humvees, a trailer, and a passenger carrier. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Laura Turner)

517th, 249th help support Army's Operation Arctic Response

Published Aug. 26, 2009
By Airman 1st Class Christopher Gross
3rd Wing Public Affairs

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- "We're basically one team one fight regardless of what uniform you're wearing or what patch you have on your shoulder," said Lt. Col. Patrick Weeks, the 517th Airlift Squadron director of operations.

Two active-duty and Alaska Air National Guard C-17 units, the 517th Airlift Squadron and the 249th AS, provided assistance to the U.S. Army Alaska Soldiers Aug. 24 and 26 during Operation Arctic Response. The operation is an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise testing the capabilities of the military to rapidly respond to crisis situations within the state of Alaska.

The exercise lasted from Aug. 17-28 and consisted of various missions designed to challenge USARAK's Soldiers. However, it wasn't until Aug. 24 and 26 that they needed Elmendorf's 517th and 249th support.

As part of the exercise scenario, USARAK was alerted the morning of Aug. 24 of a person in the state intending to harm the local installations. The rapid reaction force from Fort Richardson quickly responded. They contacted Elmendorf requesting air support for their troops and supplies to a location somewhere in Alaska. The 517th and 249th provided assistance and deployed about 120 Soldiers along with five pallets, two Humvees, one trailer and one passenger carrier to a designated area in Alaska.

The 517th and the 249th each flew one of their C-17 Globemaster IIIs to the designated site. They performed a semi-prepared runway operations (SPRO) landing and deployed the Soldiers and their supplies. The forward site was on a rough and rocky surface with the engines running ready to take off as soon as the aircraft were unloaded.

With no forklifts to unload the pallets, the crew performed a combat offload by lowering the ramp just above the ground and unlocking the pallets. Then they revved up the engines and released the brakes letting the pallets slide out the back, and prepared themselves to take off.

"The SPRO-ops is something they're executing in Afghanistan right now, on a frequent basis," said Weeks. "It's not asphalt and it's not concrete. It's dirt, rock and a pretty unique capability the C-17 has."

"Because it's different, there's a lot of training that we're going to get out of it," said Capt. Nate Drewry, the mission commander for the 517th AS and one of the pilots during the exercise. Drewry put together the missions that were flown during the operation, and briefed and answered questions for those who participated.

"This is a pretty unique training opportunity for us," said Maj. Benjamin Nealy, a 249 AS pilot with prior C-130 SPRO experience. "With this exercise we can integrate the active-duty and the guard forces to support the Army."

Weeks said that this was a great opportunity to work joint operations and total force integration.

"We're not just up here doing things on our own, we have the Army here, and we have great resources to train with. We can also seamlessly train with the 249th Airlift Squadron in our own back yard," added Weeks.