MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – Pennsylvania Air National Guard’s 193rd Special Operations Wing conducted routine Launch the Fleet training Sept. 11, timed to commemorate Patriot Day.
This formation flight of six MC-130J Commando II aircraft departed Harrisburg International Airport and followed a training route visible to those in Fort Indiantown Gap, Middletown, Lewisberry, Dillsburg, Shippensburg and some adjacent areas of Central Pennsylvania.
"We need to be able to launch the fleet; we have to be able to prepare, plan and execute a mass launch of the fleet," said U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Noren, 193rd Special Operations Wing commander.
"What better day to do this than September 11, when we can remember everybody that came before us, we can celebrate the heroes, and we can remember the fallen."
Throughout the Wing, Noren said many Airmen chose to join because of 9/11, and said he chose to reenlist and continue his career in the Air Guard because of the attacks.
"Everybody is massively excited about this, our operations folks, our maintenance folks, who fly and fix the airplanes, are incredibly excited and we also have our support people on base and we cannot do either of those things without them, so we opened up one of the hangars to allow everyone who takes part in our mission daily to witness this event and we're really looking forward to celebrating with," Noren said.
The MC-130J Commando II aircraft specializes in denied area penetration, infiltration, exfiltration, air drop, receiving fuel airborne at higher altitudes, passing fuel airborne to helicopters and tilt rotor aircraft at low altitudes, mountainous low level flying, airfield seizure, runway agnostic operations, night vision operations, formation operations, humanitarian work, leaflet drops, surveillance, mass airlift and forward area refueling.
"This is a great way to showcase our capabilities here in Central Pennsylvania," Noren said.
The Airmen of the 193rd Special Operations Wing flew this mission to hone their skills while honoring the fallen of Sept. 11, 2001, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Global War on Terrorism.