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 | Sept. 12, 2023

NY Air Guardsmen Move Cargo, Fuel, People to Greenland Camp

By Jaclyn Lyons, New York National Guard

STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, SCOTIA, N.Y. –The New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing wrapped up its annual support to the National Science Foundation in Greenland when Airmen and LC-130 “Skibirds” returned to Stratton Air National Guard Base on Aug. 23.

The unit supplied 2.4 million pounds of cargo, eighty-six-thousand gallons of fuel and delivered 1300 passengers to research locations across the Greenland Ice Cap. The wing’s aircrews flew a total of 721 hours support the science stations from April to August.

Four hundred Airmen rotated through the mission during the five-month time frame. Three LC-130 Hercules aircraft were deployed during each of the seven deployment periods.

The wing also conducted two Barren Land Arctic Survival Training classes, known as BLAST for short, with survival, escape, resistance, and evasion expert instructors from the 66th Training Squadron from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.

BLAST training teaches Airmen how to survive a forced landing in a barren Arctic landscape, and all members of the 109th who deploy to Antarctica and the Arctic are required to take the course.

Thirty-four Airmen attached to the 109th Airlift Wing and four Airmen attached to the 105th Airlift Wing completed the training at the barren ice camp location known as Raven Camp.

This year, the aircrews were flying LC-130s with new, improved engines, which reduced fuel use, according to Master Sgt. Andrew Ham, an LC-130 flight engineer. This “3.5 engine upgrade is intended to improve long-duration flight fuel efficiency,” Ham explained.

According to Master Sgt. Jared Nardi, a propulsion technician for the LC-130, said the engine upgrades mean that along with flying farther on less fuel, the aircraft can take-off faster in the Arctic and Antarctic.

The new engines also require maintenance less often, Nardi added. This new capability was needed because the wing was tasked with flying construction materials to Summit Station, a year-round science observation outpost high up on the Greenland ice cap.

According to the National Science Foundation, Summit Station is especially important for monitoring the atmosphere and conducting astronomy and astrophysical science. The foundation has decided to rebuild the 30-year-old station so it can be elevated above snow drifts on easily lift and level platforms.

According to the National Science Foundation, the new Summit Station will also be energy efficient and incorporate renewable energy and autonomous systems where possible.

The 109th’s cargo carrying capability is important to this mission, Ham said.

“We had a significant number of special assignment airlift missions scheduled to begin the cargo movements for the upcoming recapitalization of Summit Station. A lot of it was steel beams for future construction build-up,” he explained.

Ham said that summer missions in Greenland are critical for providing aircrews with experience in Polar Regions.

Ham also said they were able to close out ten training folders for aircrew members learning to operate in the Arctic environment.

“Uncharacteristically warm temperatures resulted in increased Assisted Takeoff (ATO) usage, using jet assisted take-off rockets, at all three camps but, overall, it was another successful season,” Ham said.

The ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules is the largest aircraft in the world able to land on snow and ice. Only the 109th Airlift Wing flies these planes.

The 109th also provides critical airlift for National Science Foundation Missions in Antarctica as part of Operation Deep Freeze, the Department of Defense support for Antarctic research.

The 109th’s Airmen will begin immediately preparing to deploy for Operation Deep Freeze in October.

 

 

Related Articles
An Airmen assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing participates in a training mission at Raven Camp, Greenland in 2021. Raven Camp is used to train members on landing on ice runways, polar airdrops and operating in the snow and ice conditions. The 109th operates in Greenland from  April through August each year to complete resupply missions for the National Science Foundation .
New York Air Guard Launches Greenland Support Mission
By Master Sgt. Jamie Spaulding, | April 18, 2025
STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. — The New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing has started its annual deployment to Greenland to provide logistical support for the National Science Foundation’s research...

An MQ-9 Reaper assigned to the 178th Wing and an a F-16C Fighting Falcon from the 180th Fighter Wing participate in a close formation taxi
Ohio Guard’s 178th Wing Showcases Agile Combat Employment
By Tiffany Scofield, | March 20, 2025
SPRINGFIELD-BECKLEY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ohio - Airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard’s 178th Wing, collaborating with the New York and Mississippi Air National Guard, showcased Agile Combat Employment during Exercise...

New York Air National Guard leaders look at a C-17 Globemaster III equipped with microvanes at Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York, Feb. 2, 2025. Microvanes are 3D printed devices that reduce drag and fuel consumption by 1%, saving the Air Force money and enhancing mission capability.
New York Guard Airmen Modernize C-17 Fleet with Microvanes
By Senior Airman Sarah Post, | March 19, 2025
STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. - The 105th Airlift Wing is playing a key role in a modernization initiative for the U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III fleet and has become the first base to permanently maintain the...