445th Airlift Control Flight quietly deactivates

  • Published
  • By Stacy Vaughn
  • 445th Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  There was no fanfare or well wishers present when the lights went off for the last time Sept. 30 at the 445th Airlift Control Flight. The ALCF arrived just as quietly over five years ago as part of a realignment from Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.  As a result of the ALCF restructure across Air Force Reserve Command, the 445th Airlift Wing is one of four reserve bases losing the ALCF while other reserve units absorb the manning and mission requirements and the remaining ALCFs will have more personnel and capabilities to meet future requirements.

Maj. Todd Baker, 445th ALCF operations officer, said they've been preparing for the final day for the last year. "When the 445th ALCF was activated in 2004, we had 14 people assigned to the unit. Our last two weeks here, it was down to four people," Maj. Baker said.

The mission of the flight was to deploy to austere airfields and set up the command and control structure for Air Mobility Command. The unit typically deployed with aerial port, maintenance, security forces, medical, and any other mission support requirements that might be required to make the mission happen. Once the ALCF was deployed and added the other members of their team, they changed their name to Contingency Response Element.

Those assigned to ALCF, which was a direct reporting unit to the 445th Operations Group, have been used in different operations to include humanitarian relief, exercises, and contingencies. Since 2004, the ALCF has participated in many deployment exercises, augmented the command post at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, as well as being the lead TALCE in exercise Golden Medic 2005 at Volk Field, Wis., where they did joint operations with the Marine Corps and the Army.  During the unit's year long deactivation, its members continued to deploy in support of other ALCF missions and Air Force Reserve Command exercises.

"We didn't just totally shut down right away. We were able to complete one more mission before we closed our doors. Our mission was to transfer most of our equipment to the 512th ALCF at Dover Air Force Base, Del., where part of our mission was being absorbed. For the transfer to Dover, we inventoried and packed up our equipment, built our own pallets and coordinated the airlift.  I think it is fitting that a unit whose mission was to deploy and help others deploy was able to roll itself up and move its own equipment one last time," Major Baker said.

Those who were assigned to the 445th ALCF were absorbed into another position in the wing, retired or transferred to another base.

"It has been said before, but this is the best job in the Air Force. Working in the unit gave me the opportunity to meet and work with a lot of great people and learn all aspects of the Air Mobility mission."