A Quiet Ramp, A Loud Legacy: Connecticut Airmen conclude high-tempo deployment in East Africa Published Dec. 3, 2025 By Staff Sgt. Christian Silvera 406th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti - The heat settled over the flightline as the sun dipped toward the horizon, casting a deep orange glow across the open ramp and reflecting off the water beyond the perimeter fence. Dust drifted lazily across the ramp, stirred by the last slow rotation of the C-130H’s propellers as they wound down after another long day of flying. For a moment, everything felt suspended–the noise, the pace, the constant movement that defined the past months. It may have looked like the end of a routine mission to anyone else, but to the Airmen who flew, fixed, loaded and protected the C-130s day after day across East Africa, this final shutdown carried more weight than any pallet they’d ever delivered. It was the quiet punctuation at the end of a deployment defined by grit, precision and undeniable impact. A Rotation Defined by Tempo Airmen from the Connecticut Air National Guard’s 103rd Airlift Wing took on the challenge and provided critical airlift for the region as the sole C-130 squadron on the continent. During their time as the 75th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, they executed one of its busiest deployments in recent history. The squadron flew 1,103 flight hours, the most in at least three years, executed 467 sorties, conducted three combat airdrops, the first in nearly two years and the only unit to do more than one in a single rotation, and maintained a 90 percent fully mission-capable rate. They moved 1,519 tons of cargo, completed 2,136 maintenance actions, supported five aeromedical evacuation patients and executed seven distinguished visitor airlifts, in addition to sustaining a 24/7 alert posture for personnel recovery, casualty evacuation, medical evacuation and East Africa Response Force taskings. Operating with only four C-130Hs and a lean team, the squadron touched every corner of tactical airlift: low-level routes, night ops, unimproved airstrips, combat offloads and full-spectrum personnel and cargo airdrop. But behind the statistics was a story of constant adaptation. Challenges Without a Checklist Flying in East Africa meant unpredictable airfields, shifting requirements and missions that didn’t always come with “book answers.” “Our time here was about more than simply executing the mission,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Christopher Smorol, 75th EAS commander. “It was about solving problems in real-time as a team.” Maintenance felt that reality daily. Supply couldn’t always keep pace with demand, so maintainers relied on experience and creativity. “Our team adapted and improvised to keep every aircraft mission-ready,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Avery Fried, 75th EAS production superintendent. “That’s what made this deployment possible.” Their performance was unprecedented. The squadron accumulated more flying hours in three months than their home station produces in a year–accomplished with half the aircraft while running a round-the-clock alert line. The Airmen Behind the Mission While aircraft and cargo were moving constantly, the intel shop worked quietly in the background, shaping every mission before it ever left the ground. “We were always tracking threat updates, airfield conditions and regional shifts,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Kaylie Guerrera, 75th EAS intelligence analyst. “Our assessments determined when and where aircrews could land safely. Things changed fast out here, sometimes in the middle of a mission.” One night illustrated that reality clearly. A route that had been assessed as safe hours earlier suddenly presented new risks. The intel team had minutes, not hours, to push updated guidance to aircrew preparing to launch. “It was chaotic, but we got it done,” Guerrera said. “Seeing how intel, ops and maintenance came together in those moments showed me how important teamwork really is.” Working in a small shop meant wearing multiple hats, briefing crews, tracking threats and updating the common operating picture, but it also meant seeing the impact of their work firsthand. Leading Through the Mission For Smorol, the story of this rotation wasn’t about a single mission, it was about a mindset. “It’s hard to point to just one moment,” he said. “What defined our time here was seeing Airmen at every level take initiative, solve problems and create lasting impact, not just inside the squadron, but across the Group and with our joint partners.” He noted how easily the unseen sacrifices could be overlooked back home: the long duty days, unpredictable taskings and demanding conditions. But every pallet delivered, every forward base reached and every patient moved came from that quiet devotion to the mission. Mission Complete As the final aircraft wound down on the ramp, the deployment’s weight settled in, not just in what the 75th accomplished, but in how they accomplished it. “My hope is that years from now, our Airmen remember more than just the stress and hard days,” Smorol said. “I hope they remember how those experiences shaped them, how they strengthened each other, and how they left the 75th better than when we arrived.”