An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | June 21, 2018

New York Air Guard takes on 'Kool' mission in Greenland

By Staff Sgt. Benjamin German and Staff Sgt. Jamie Spaulding New York National Guard

RAVEN CAMP, Greenland. – Twenty-five Airmen of the New York National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing spent three days learning to survive in the at the wing's annual "Kool School" at Raven Camp on the Greenland ice cap.

This "barren land arctic survival training," which ran June 7 to 9, provides vital life support training to Airmen who routinely operate in the Arctic and Antarctic.

Because the wing operates its LC-130 ski-equipped aircraft in the Arctic and Antarctic, wing members have to know how to survive if an aircraft is forced down.

This year, 25 Airmen participated in this unique training experience. The students were taught how to procure water, build shelter from available materials and how to properly treat/prevent cold-weather injuries.

The school is led by a team of four Survive Evade Resist Escape or "SERE" specialists, who are subject matter experts in barren land arctic survival skills.

"The 109th has a unique mission set," said Master Sgt. Mark Richard, a SERE specialist with the 66th training squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. "We spend about 48 to 72 hours out here [on the Greenland ice cap] teaching [the students] how to take care of themselves; find food, water, and shelter."

The students are tasked with building their own shelters out of ice, snow, and scavenged materials, to live in for the duration of the training.

"It's been interesting to see the different types of shelters you can build," said 2nd Lt. Phil Piambino, a Kool School student and navigator from the 109th. "You would think it's pretty barren out here, but it's surprising what you can use in the surrounding environment."

Along with conducting Kool School, the 109th Airlift Wing continued seasonal support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Greenland this month.

So far this year, the 109th has transported nearly 850,000 pounds of cargo, 175,000 pounds of fuel, and 670 passengers to research camps across Greenland.

The ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft operated by the 109th provide transportation of fuel, supplies and passengers to remote camps on the Greenland icecap throughout the summer season.

The wing's Greenland missions also serve as training for the support the unit provides for the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Program when it is winter in New York and summer in Antarctica.

The Greenland season for the 109th will wind down in August, with only a brief respite before the focus shifts to Antarctica for the southern hemisphere summer.

Here the Airmen of the 109th support Operation Deep Freeze, the Antarctic science support program administered by the Department of Defense. The unique ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft they operate are the largest ski-equipped aircraft in the world and are the only such aircraft in the U.S. military.

 

 

Related Articles
Soldiers stand in formation during a mobilization ceremony for the 634th Brigade Support Battalion Forward Logistics Element Jan. 20, 2025, at the Illinois Army National Guard's Readiness Center in Sullivan. The unit, with just over a dozen Soldiers, will support logistics for U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
Illinois Guard Unit to Support U.S. Army Europe and Africa
By Lt. Col. Bradford Leighton, | Jan. 21, 2025
SULLIVAN, Ill. - The Illinois Army National Guard’s 634th Brigade Support Battalion Forward Logistics Element was activated Jan. 20 for deployment to Africa and Europe.A forward logistics element is a diverse team comprising...

U.S. Army Sgt. Bryce Carter, an infantryman with C Company, 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard, sharpens the blade of a hoe to clear brush and other debris as part of remediation efforts along the Mulholland Trail near Tarzana, California, in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 18, 2025. Carter and other members of his unit were assisting CALFIRE in mop-up efforts, which included clearing brush and backfilling firebreaks and other areas to prevent mudslides and reduce the impact of firefighting efforts.
National Guard Members Continue LA Wildfire Response
By Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy, | Jan. 21, 2025
LOS ANGELES – U.S. Army Sgt. Ricardo Hernandez watched from a cross street as sporadic traffic passed on the Pacific Coast Highway near Pacific Palisades. The late afternoon sun glinted off his sunglasses as a man on a...

Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau, Army Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, and Army Lt. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, director, Army National Guard, visit National Guardsmen on duty to support the 60th Presidential Inauguration as part of Joint Task Force – District of Columbia (JTF-DC), Washington, D.C., Jan. 19, 2025. JTF-DC is a scalable and tailorable entity that supports presidential inaugurations every four years and is led by the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. JTF-DC supports civilian authorities, such as the U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Secret Service and D.C. Metropolitan Police by providing support like crowd management, traffic control points, CBRN response, civil disturbance response and sustainment operations.
National Guard Bureau Leaders Meet With Guardsmen Supporting 60th Presidential Inauguration
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely, | Jan. 20, 2025
WASHINGTON – About 7,800 National Guard troops are on duty here as part of a large interagency presence to ensure the peaceful transition of power during the 60th Presidential Inauguration Monday, continuing a legacy that...