First mission to Afghanistan Published May 15, 2008 By Mary H. Allen 445th Airlift Wing WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio -- The 445th Airlift Wing aircrew left Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to fly its first C-5 mission to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, May 6, 2008. The plane left here to pick-up four armored vehicles at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., stopping at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, before delivering the vehicles to Bagram Air Field. "The flight into Bagram went pretty smoothly," Lt. Col. James Couzins said, 445th Operations Support Squadron C-5 Pilot. "We were on the ground less than three hours and never left the aircraft." "We can carry more vehicles in one flight than any other aircraft," Colonel Couzins said. The C-5 is the largest aircraft in the Air Force inventory. Bagram Air Field is home to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing and is comprised of about 3,500 Airmen. The wing's primary mission is to support the Global War on Terror by providing aerial support for U.S. and Coalition forces on the ground. The 455th AEW opened a new runway at Bagram Airfield in 2006. The runway is 2000 feet longer and 11 inches thicker than the previous runway allowing access for the large C-5 Galaxy. The first C-5 landed on the new runway in 2007. Referencing this historical event, Col. Jon Sutterfield the commander of the 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Group said, "One of the big advantages of bringing the C-5 here is bypassing the main AOR (U.S. Central Command area of responsibility) hubs to get cargo to the warfighter faster." The aircrew returned home May 14 completing the mission without any problems due to the teamwork of the maintainers, loadmasters, engineers, and pilots of the 445th Airlift Wing.