Total Force 'surge' to flex C-5 fleet

C-5B cargo airlifters from the 439th Airlift Wing, Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., like this one off-loading cargo in Djibouti, will be among 12 Air Force Reserve Command C-5s and 14 aircrews taking part in an historic "surge" of military airlifters Oct. 17-21. The exercise will test the ability of U.S. Transportation Command and its air component, Air Forces Transportation, to rapidly provide strategic airlift in response to large-scale crises and contingencies using the C-5 Galaxy. (U.S. Navy file photo/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Timothy Wilson)

Heavy lift for a heavy lifter

CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti (July 14, 2011) - Marines from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464, stationed at Camp Lemonnier, Combined Joint Task Force Horn Africa, in Djibouti, push a Marine CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, July 14, delivered by an Air Force Reserve Command C-5B assigned to the 439th Airlift Wing, Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass. Two CH-53 helicopters were delivered to augment the HMH Squadron, helping support regional operations in East Africa. (U.S. Navy photo/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Timothy Wilson)

Humanitarian aid for Nicaragua

Airmen from the Air Force Reserve's 315th Airlift Wing, Charleston, S.C., load medical supplies onto a 315th AW C-17 Dec. 30, 2010, at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. The aircrew landed here to pick up humanitarian aid bound for Managua, Nicaragua. A 1984 E-One fire truck and supplies, totaling nearly 3.5 tons, was donated by Emergency Response Services for Latin America to assist countries in Latin America. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexy Saltekoff)

Humanitarian aid for Nicaragua

A wooden ramp used to drive a fire truck on board is loaded into a C-17 Globemaster III from the Air Force Reserve's 315th Airlift Wing, Charleston, S.C. The 315th AW C-17 landed Dec. 30, 2010, at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., to pick up humanitarian aid bound for Managua, Nicaragua. A 1984 E-One fire truck and medical supplies, totaling nearly 3.5 tons, was donated by Emergency Response Services for Latin America to assist countries in Latin America. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexy Saltekoff)

CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA 2010

Students and teachers involved in the Africa Aerospace and Defense Youth Development Program make their way to the C-17 Globemaster III static display during the air and trade show held at Ysterplaat Air Force Base, Cape Town South Africa. Members of the 315th Airlift Wing Charelston Air Force Base, S.C., maintained the staic display Sept. 21-25 and shared with local South African students on the missions and capabilities of the C-17. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Joe Simms)

CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA 2010

Master Sgt. George Counts, a loadmaster with the 317th Airlift Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base S.C., expains the features of the C-17 Globemaster III to a member of the Africa Aerospace and Defense Youth Development Program at Ysterplaat Air Force Base, Cape Town South Africa. The program, which focuses on getting young people the tools they need to excel in South Africa's aviation and defense industries, coincided with the five day air and trade show Sept 21-25. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Joe Simms)

Force Structure: Plan calls for command to gain people, move aircraft

Under the new force structure realignment, one C-130 from the 914th Airlift Wing, Niagara Falls International Airport Air Reserve Station, N.Y., will be transferred to Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., to support a new C-130H2 formal training unit. (Staff Sgt. Joseph McKee)

Spill Busters: Reserve's aerial spray specialists assist with oil cleanup effort

A 910th AW C-130 Hercules drops oil-dispersing chemicals into the Gulf of Mexico May 9. The wing specializes in aerial spraying and is the Department of Defense's only large-area, fixed-wing aerial spray unit. (Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz)

Reservists mobilized to support Afghanistan surge

A C-17 Globemaster III from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., banks over the Arthur J. Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, S.C., during a training mission May 16, 2006. Charleston's 315th Airlift Wing is one of eight Air Force Reserve Command units providing airlift support for the troop surge in Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Russell E. Cooley IV)

Reservists mobilized to support Afghanistan surge

Capt. Michael Shampine, 89th Airlift Squadron, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, flies a local C-5 Galaxy training mission April 1, 2010, in preparation for an increased operations tempo in support of the troop surge in Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airmen Mikhail Berlin)

Wright-Patt airlift control flight shuts down

The sun set on the 445th Airlift Control Flight at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Sept. 30, 2009, when the unit deactivated because Air Force Reserve Command realigned its airlift control flights. Reservists in the Wright-Patt flight transferred to other bases, retired or took other jobs in the 445th Airlift Wing, which flies the C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Ken LaRock)

C-130 dedication honors 82nd Airborne Soldiers in Afghanistan

Servicemembers assembled on the flightline to tour a C-130 Hercules from the 440th Airlift Wing at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., Oct. 5, 2009, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The C-130 was dedicated to the Army's 82nd Airborne Division in honor of the cohesion of the Air Force and the Army in Afghanistan and was put on display for servicemembers to view the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Felicia Juenke)

Hawaii aerial porters garner Air Force award

Tech. Sgt. Daniel Elvenia, left, and Senior Airman Derek Dumlao discuss the best approach for loading cargo May 16, 2009, during their May drill weekend at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. They are reservists with the 48th Aerial Port Squadron, which was named the Air Force's best Air Reserve Component Air Transportation Activity for 2008. The squadron is part of the 624th Regional Support Group at Hickam. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Christy Stravolo)

Shuttle Stop

Space Shuttle Atlantis made a pit-stop, to a parking area near the 433rd Airlift Wing at Lackland AFB, Texas, today (June 2, 2009). The shuttle is on its way home to Kennedy Space Center, Fla., from the landing site at Edwards AFB, Calif. According to Ms. Candrea Thomas, public affairs officer at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Atlantis was returning from "STS Mission 125" where the crew serviced and upgraded the Hubble Space Telescope on the International Space Station. Weather caused a delay and relocation of the landing site. After landing at Edwards AFB, Atlantis was "piggybacked" onto a modified Boeing 747 called a shuttle carrier. The 747 then flew from Edwards to El Paso, Texas and spent the night waiting for severe thunder storms to pass. Next stop was the Lackland AFB flight line. The shuttle carrier took on fuel while parked near the Alamo Wing"s C-5 Galaxy parking ramp. From here, the shuttle plans a stop in Columbus, Ohio and is expected back in Florida early in the evening. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Master Sgt. Collen McGee)

Air Force Reserrve aircrews, maintainers gear up for wildfire season

A C-130 Hercules with the Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., drops a load of water from the plane's Military Airborne Fire Fighting System as members of the media look on May 6, 2009, at the Tucson International Airport in Arizona. Tucson was the location for the 2009 MAFFS certification week, May 3-9. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Jody Ritchie)

Reservists return from Dijbouti

An Airman from the 920th Rescue Wing waves the American flag through the porthole of an HC-130P/N Hercules aircraft May 5, 2009, as it and another aircraft taxi onto the Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., flightline. Thirty Airmen returned safely to Patrick from the Horn of Africa, where they provided combat search and rescue support to the region, which included the countries of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. The Air Force Reserve Command wing had reservists in Africa for two months. (U.S. Air Force photo/Kristen Kincade)

Wright-Patt C-5 gets new air defense system

Tim Vincent, electrician with L3 Communications, installs wiring on the flight deck as part of installing the air defense system on a 445th Airlift Wing C-5A aircraft at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. (U.S. Air Force photo/Stacy Vaughn)

Network news anchor gets closer look at military mission

Maj. Rob Oswald, an Air Force reservist in the 315th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., talks with his uncle, ABC World News anchor Charles Gibson. Major Oswald had the opportunity to fly his uncle on a civil leader flight March 28, 2009. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Wayne Capps)

Aerial porters wrangle experience from Roundup

Senior Airman Michael Boehm, a member of the 32nd Aerial Port Squadron, guides a HUMVEE out of a C-130 aircraft in the engines running off/on load event during the 22nd Air Force?s Aerial Port Roundup at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., March 13-15, 2009. This was the first competition of its kind for the reservist from Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, Pa. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. J. Justin Pearce)

March gets ninth C-17

People check out "The Spirit of Los Angeles" after it arrived at March Air Reserve Base, Calif., Jan. 23, 2009. The aircraft is the ninth C-17 Globemaster III to join Air Force Reserve Command's 452nd Air Mobility Wing. The plane came from the 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., which acquired it in 1998. About 16 of the aircraft were built last year for delivery to Regular Air Force units to replace their older C-17s. (U.S. Air Force photo/Will Alexander)

Media, celebrities receive bird's eye view of mission

A C-17A Globemaster III receives fuel from a KC-135R Stratotanker during an aerial refueling mission over the Southwest United States, Nov. 12. Both aircraft are from Air Force Reserve Command's 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March Air Reserve Base, Calif., and took part in a media flight for Los Angeles Air Force Week. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Rick Sforza)

AFRC commander sees 'MAFFS' first hand

A C-130H delivers a powerful blast of water Nov. 12 during a modular airborne firefighting system, or 'MAFFS' demonstration in Lincoln County, Colo. The demonstration was part of an up-close look of the 302nd Airlift Wing during a visit with Lt. Gen. Charles Stenner, Jr., commander of Air Force Reserve Command. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephen Collier)

Hurricane Hunters Track Ike

A WC-130J Hurricane Hunter takes off for a mission into the eye of Hurricane Ike. With the exception of two palletized weather stations, the WC-130J is not modified for missions into hurricanes and other troical weather. The aircraft is manned by U.S. Air Force Reservists from the 53rd Weather Reconniassance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett)

Hurricane Hunters Track Ike

Waiting for pilots to start the engines, Tech. Sgt. Scott Blair, weather reconnaissance loadmaster, checks over the WC-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft before departing for a mission into the eye of Hurricane Ike. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett)