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Connecticut deploys C-21 maintainers for the first time

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Josh Mead
  • Public Affairs, 103rd Airlift Wing
BRADLEY ANG BASE, East Granby, Conn. --  Members of the 103rd Airlift Wing of the Connecticut Air National Guard lined up on the ramp and boarded a C-9 bound for Southwest Asia to support the unit's first ever C-21 overseas deployment July 18.

"The active duty are strapped fairly well with ops tempo on the C-21 side," said Lt. Col. Brian Burger, commander of the 118th Airlift Squadron. "So, we volunteered ... (to) relieve the active duty for four months this summer."

The C-21 unit based in Fargo, N.D., has been deployed for two months, and the 103AW will take the last two months.

The unit's aircraft maintenance squadron and the 118th Airlift Squadron were asked to support the overseas C-21 mission with either 30 or 60-day rotations.

"It's not a very long deployment - get the mission done and come home and get back to normal," said Tech. Sgt. Jason Rivard, an aircraft electrician with the 103rd Maintenance Group.

The deployment may be shorter than others, but it is no less important. Lt. Col. Jerry McDonald, commander of the 103rd Maintenance Group, said this deployment will be the first C-21 mission to be supported by blue-suit maintainers in addition to regular contracted maintenance.

"When the decision was made to assign C-21s to Guard units, there was skepticism as to whether or not this airframe could be effectively maintained by blue-suit maintenance versus the contract maintenance already used by active-duty C-21 units," said McDonald. "We've proven that we can effectively provide maintenance at home station and now have the opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities in a deployed location.

"We've sent a mix of experienced maintainers and first-time deployers, and I have complete confidence that Yankee Maintenance will be viewed as being of the highest quality, essential to mission accomplishment," McDonald said.

While essentially the same mission that the unit performs at home, the maintenance will be performed in less robust facilities and the location will provide certain other logistical and supply problems.

"In addition, maintaining a healthy fleet will be a challenge due to the environment," McDonald said. "Higher temperatures, constant exposure to sand and a higher operations tempo for the aircraft will all pose challenges for our group."

On top of the challenges presented by the job itself, there is an additional challenge of being separated from loved ones.

"It's exciting to go, you get to miss and appreciate what you have. It keeps you with a good perspective on your life," said Staff Sgt. Jonathon Shepard, a fuels systems mechanic for the 103rd Maintenance Group.

Burger said he is proud of the unit. "There really is no war-time tasking for us right now. And everyone that is going over, both in this first rotation and for the second, are all volunteers."