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Airmen of New York’s 109th Airlift Wing Begin Antarctic Mission

STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, SCOTIA, N.Y. – October 19, 2015 – The takeoff of the New York Air National Guard’s LC-130 ski-equipped aircraft here Oct. 16 marks the official start of the 109th Airlift Wing’s 28th season of support to science research at the South Pole.

By the end of the month, Airmen and aircraft with the 109th Airlift Wing are expected to be in place at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, participating in Operation Deep Freeze, the military component of the U.S. Antarctic Program, managed by the National Science Foundation.

New York Air National Guard Lt. Col. Seth Barrows was part of the first aircrew to leave and will be the 139th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron deployed commander upon arrival. Barrows said as the deployed commander he must ensure planes, people and weather are all good to ensure a safe, successful mission.

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“The weather is the biggest challenge so you watch that weather very closely, and from there you do your mission,” said Lt. Col. Christian Sander, 109th Operations Group commander.

Throughout the season, which runs through February, a total of seven LC-130 ski-equipped aircraft and about 500 Airmen are expected to deploy, with 330 missions planned. About 120 Airmen will be deployed on the ice at any one time.

The unique capabilities of the ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft make it the only one of its kind in the U.S. military, able to land on snow and ice. The primary mission of the 109th AW is to provide airlift within Antarctica, flying to various remote locations from McMurdo Station. Crews will transport scientists, support, fuel, supplies, medical supplies and more throughout the season.

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This year, the IcePod missions are expected to increase from the previous season. The IcePod is an externally mounted electronics pod that provides an integrated ice imaging system that measures in detail both the ice surface and the ice bed.

“This season is seeing the maturation of the Common Science Support Pod with 18 IcePod missions planned compared to three missions last season,” said Lt. Col. Blair Herdrick, 139th Airlift Squadron’s Antarctic Operations chief. “IcePod is a project by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) at Columbia University in New York. The IcePod project utilizes the Common Science Support Pod to house a variety of instruments to measure changes in the Antarctic ice sheet.”

The IcePod missions were flown for the first time in Antarctica last season, and were deemed one of the biggest successes of the year.

The 109th AW has been supporting the NSF’s South Pole research since 1988. Since 1999, the unit has been the sole provider of this type of airlift to the NSF and U.S. Antarctic research efforts.

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DoD Must Be More Agile in Technology Development

APRIL 19, 2018, Washington D.C. – The Defense Department must embrace a more agile approach to technology development to keep pace with rapidly evolving adversaries, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering told lawmakers yesterday. Michael D. Griffin appeared before the House Armed Services Committee for a hearing on promoting DoD’s culture of innovation. […]

First Female Marine Students Arrive at SOI-West

MARCH 8, 2018, Camp Pendleton, CA – This marks the first male-female integrated Marine Combat Training Company on the West Coast. “It is important, one team one fight, at the end of the day it’s to show the Marine Corps can produce [Marines] regardless of gender and complete any mission.” Said Sgt. Ambar Gonzalez, a […]

The Forever GI Bill

The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, also known as the “Forever GI Bill,” was signed into law on August 17, 2017, and brings significant changes to Veterans’ education benefits over the next few years. Most enhance or expand education benefits for Veterans, servicemembers, families and survivors. Here’s a list of the changes and […]

The Soldier Doctor That Diagnoses Helicopters

MARCH 29, 2018, Taji Military Complex, Iraq – A torque wrench squeals as it secures the bolts of a forward support tube onto a UH-60 Black Hawk engine in a maintenance shop March 23. U.S. Army 1st Battalion, 126 Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion) aircraft power plant repairer Spc Kathleen Scanlon, works with her […]

The Three Biggest Mistakes Service Members are Making With Their Money

APRIL 4, 2018, Hanscom Air Force Base, MA – Since April is Financial Literacy Month, Joe Chesloski, a personal financial counselor with more than 20 years of business and finance experience, offered his perspective on the biggest mistakes service members make with their money — and how those mistakes can be avoided. BE CAUTIOUS WITH […]

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