News>Airmen ready Romanian airport for U.S. multi-modal shipments
Photos
Members of the 621st Contingency Response Element offload a C-17 Globemaster III upon arrival May 9, 2011, at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania. Fifty-four members of the 621st Contingency Response Wing deployed here to extend airfield capability supporting multi-modal operations during a U.S. Transportation Command proof-of-principle evaluation. The process is expected to demonstrate the feasibility of using the air base as a hub for equipment flowing into and out of Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Laura K. Deckman)
Maj. Matthew Schnell, Lt. Col. Lee Wingfield, Master Sgt. John Meeker, and Master Sgt. Jereck Duplessis coordinate off-load operations upon arrival May 9, 2011, at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania. Fifty-four members of the 621st Contingency Response Wing deployed here to extend airfield capability supporting multi-modal operations during a U.S. Transportation Command proof-of-principle evaluation. The process is expected to demonstrate the feasibility of using the air base as a hub for equipment flowing into and out of Afghanistan. Major Schnell, Colonel Wingfield, Sergeants Meeker and Duplessis are assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Element. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Laura K. Deckman)
by Master Sgt. Laura K. Deckman
621st Contingency Response Wing
5/12/2011 - MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU AIR BASE, Romania (AFNS) -- Members of the 621st Contingency Response Wing from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., arrived here May 9 to extend the airfield's capability to support "multi-modal operations" during a U.S. Transportation Command proof-of-principle evaluation.
USTRANSCOM applies the term "multi-modal" to the movement of passengers and cargo by more than one mode of transportation. In this case, the evaluation is intended to demonstrate the feasibility of using the air base as a hub for equipment flowing into and out of Afghanistan. The evaluation process begins with the basing of four C-17 Globemaster III's temporarily deployed from another base in the region that is closed for routine runway repairs.
"Our goal is to determine if (Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base) is a viable, multi-modal airport that can support moving personnel and equipment to and from the U.S. Central Command's theater," said Lt. Col. Lee Wingfield, the 621st Contingency Response Element commander. "Our main role while here in Romania will be to facilitate the trans-load of cargo from aircraft to ground-and sea-shipment systems."
The 621st CRW is one of only two contingency response wings in the Air Force and is prepared to deploy at a moment's notice. The CRWs combine unique skill sets with the ability to tailor teams of mobility Airmen to carry out a variety of missions ranging from humanitarian assistance to air base opening. In this case, the mission required a team of experts knowledgeable in setting up an air base and conducting air mobility operations.
Approximately 50 Airmen assigned to the contingency response element started processing aircraft the moment they arrived and prepared the airfield for follow-on personnel.
"One of the great advantages of (contingency response) forces is that we can arrive on station and immediately start to receive aircraft," Colonel Wingfield said. "We had an inbound aircraft about an hour after we arrived so we went to work straight away integrating with the host base to get the planes off-loaded and aerial port operations established."
The team deployed with air mobility personnel specializing in air transportation, command and control, communications, maintenance and airfield operations.
"Our team is made up of Airmen who are skilled in their particular career fields, but who are also contingency response experts," said Maj. Matthew Schnell, the contingency response element director of operations. "We train in various disciplines in order to augment each other and increase cross-functionality so we are ready when a mission like this is tasked."
Contingency response element Airmen expect to process aircraft loaded with cargo and personnel essential to Operation Enduring Freedom daily. American forces from bases in the U.S. and overseas will join the contingency response element over the next week to continue with the evaluation.
According to USTRANSCOM, if the test does not reveal any major problems, the program here could become permanent and expand to make Mihail Kogalniceanu AB a major logistics hub for the U.S. and its allies.
Comments
5/13/2011 5:21:31 PM ET For some reason it posted one message I wanted and one I didn't. Not sure why they didn't send the 435th, and I have done my homework. The USAFE CRG squadrons are a lot smaller than either CONUS one. Maybe that's why.
Lee, Ramstein
5/13/2011 12:34:33 PM ET Lee: Why didn't they send the 86th then? If you do your homework, you'll see that each of the CRGs at McGuire are made up of 2 squadrons, so they are the same size as the other CRGs not in Romania. Don't make it a contest; we all work for the same man.
Good Lord Man, JBMDL New Jersey
5/13/2011 9:08:43 AM ET This is impressive news to hear. I was deployed to MKAB in 2007 when it was nothing more than a boneyard of broken buildings and MiG husks. I'm glad to see that it's finally beginning to bear fruit as a strategic asset.
SSgt. Jonathan Lobb, Baltimore MD
5/13/2011 8:34:33 AM ET Great job, McGuire. But one thing to remember is that while there are 2 CRWs, there are also 2 CRGs not assigned to TRANSCOM: the CRG at Andersen and the CRG at Ramstein. Each of these 2 CRGs are about the size of 2 of the SQUADRONS at the CRWs.
Lee, Ramstein Germany
5/13/2011 1:58:45 AM ET There may only be 2 CRWs, but we can't forget the CRGs at Ramstein and Guam. They often do just as much work with 1/3 of the manning.
