89 AS C-17 crew augments active duty crew while deployed

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – A KC-135 Stratotanker from the 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md., refuels a C-17 Globemaster III over Southwest Asia. The C-17 is being flown by members of the 89th Airlift Squadron currently augmenting an active duty crew while deployed with the 385th Air Expeditionary Group, Detachment 1. (Courtesy photo)

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89 AS C-17 crew augments active duty crew while deployed

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – A KC-135 Stratotanker from the 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md., refuels a C-17 Globemaster III over Southwest Asia. The C-17 is being flown by members of the 89th Airlift Squadron currently augmenting an active duty crew while deployed with the 385th Air Expeditionary Group, Detachment 1. (Courtesy photo)

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89 AS C-17 crew augments active duty crew while deployed

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio - Support equipment for Exercise Eager Lion 2013, a multi-national exercise in Jordan, is loaded into the cargo area of a C-17 Globemaster III June 10. The equipment will be flown by members of the 89th Airlift Squadron currently deployed with the 385th Air Expeditionary Group, Detachment 1. (Courtesy photo)

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89 AS C-17 crew augments active duty crew while deployed

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Master Sgt. Charles Fritz and Tech. Sgt. John Kaufman, 89th Airlift Squadron loadmasters, load and inspect an Army buffalo mine resistant ambush protected vehicle prior to transport via a C-17 Globemaster III during a stopover at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The reservists are currently part of a four-man C-17 crew from the 89 AS augmenting an active duty C-17 crew while deployed to Southwest Asia. (Courtesy photo)

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89 AS C-17 crew augments active duty crew while deployed

Published June 26, 2013
By Stacy Vaughn
445th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- For the first time since its conversion to the C-17 Globemaster III, the 89th Airlift Squadron deployed a four-man C-17 crew to Southwest Asia May 11 to augment an active duty C-17 crew at a deployed location. Both crews are currently assigned to the 385th Air Expeditionary Group, Detachment 1.

While deployed, the crew has flown more than 150 combat hours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and various other multi-lateral and multi-national operations and support exercises. They have transported more than 100,000 passengers and 800,000 pounds of cargo. The crew also delivered 150,000 pounds of meals ready to eat (MRE) in support of humanitarian relief efforts.

The crewmembers recently delivered support equipment in support of Exercise Eager Lion 2013, a multi-national military training exercise held annually in the country of Jordan featuring 19 nations and more than 8,000 troops. This year's exercise was held June 9-20.

"The C-17 experience and dedication of my copilot and two senior loadmasters has resulted in our deployed leadership placing great trust in us to fly some of their most demanding and complicated missions," Maj. Dustin Johnson, 89 AS aircraft commander, said.

Johnson said there were a couple instances when they were air refueled by the 434th Air Refueling Wing based out of Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind., while flying missions over Southwest Asia.

"Having a tanker from Grissom air refuel us over Southwest Asia has been a great experience because they provide much of the 89th AS aerial refueling training support back home as well as operationally in the AOR," Johnson said.

The major said the tanker was composed of an all-reserve crew augmenting the active duty forces just like his crew.

"This deployment has been a great experience. We have remained together as a crew for the duration of it and look forward to coming home later this summer," Johnson added.