WRIGHT-PATTERSON, AFB, OHIO -- Just two months since the C-141 retirement, reservists embarked on the first C-5 mission from here July 19 to Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
Along with aircraft commander Maj. Mike Baker, members of the 89th Airlift Wing battled through the never-ending heat and flew tail number 00-461 to Dover Air Force Base, Del., where 25 pallets, weighing nearly 35,000 pounds, were loaded onto the aircraft.
With temperatures rising to well over 95 degrees, the crew pressed on allowing nothing to distract them from the mission.
"The heat is part of it," said Senior Master Sgt. Eric Prater, NCOIC for the mission. "You're on a timeline and you need to get it done. But the heat doesn't make it easier."
Yet the heat wasn't the only obstacle this crew faced. Things don't always go as planned, and changes to the mission, especially on a C-5, will occur. Due to a mechanical error during the flight to Dover, the crew of 20 anxiously waited as maintenance crews worked diligently to fix the problem.
If something goes wrong it's our job to find the safest way to get to the destination, said Tech. Sgt. Tammy Goble, flight engineer. Sergeant Goble, formerly of the 356th, said she was very happy to see Wright-Patterson crews performing real-world missions so soon into an aircraft conversion. More importantly, she was excited to see the aircraft make its long journey to Germany safely.
While the entire mission took just over four days to complete, its importance to the overall mission was felt more heavily during the flight back as four fallen heroes were returned home aboard the aircraft. Three American and one El Salvadorian servicemembers, with flag-draped caskets, were honored for their sacrifice in a ceremony once returned to Dover AFB.
"Seeing their caskets, it's a reminder that this aircraft has an important mission to carry out," said Master Sgt. Jeremy Turner, primary flight engineer instructor. "Many say that's the most precious cargo up front."
In addition, the C-5 brought back nearly 65,000 pounds of cargo from Ramstein, including a C-5 engine.
In an ironic twist, a thunderous storm moved in prior to takeoff from Dover, which delayed the return not just of the aircrew, but also about 50 Wright-Patt reservists returning home from their annual tour.
Members of the 445th Logistics Readiness Squadron and Communications Flight were onboard the aircraft ready to return home after augmenting active duty units at Ramstein for two weeks.
Yet despite the minor setbacks, the crew remained very optimistic about future C-5 missions. "It's a different mission than that of the C-141," Sergeant Turner said. "The cargo that we can hold far outweighs any problems we might have."
"While the challenges and mission of the C-5 are slightly different than that of the C-141, the professionalism, experience, and dedication of 445th aircrews, maintenance and support personnel have made it a nearly seamless transition," Major Baker said.
But moving forward and making future flights less stressful now lies in the hands of the 89th.
"On the first mission you just want to work out all the bumps," said Sergeant Prater, who is in upgrade training for instructor loadmaster. "The first couple missions we're just trying to see what else we can change to make the mission better. We'll take what we learned from this trip back to the office and fix the small things."
Sergeant Prater predicts that once the wing adjusts to the small things, the C-5s will be running missions like the C-141s by October.
There was little room for excitement left at 4 a.m. when the C-5 made it back to Wright-Patt and the mission was accomplished. But as the tired crew departed the aircraft, many took time to reflect back on the adversity they faced, and how re-entering real-world missions would once again allow the entire Air Force to respect the scarlet and gray tails from Wright-Patterson AFB.