COLUMBUS, Ohio, - The 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard recently deployed to Iraq to work with members of the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade of the Ohio Army National Guard in a ground-breaking concept of operations test between the two services.
In preparation for the arrival of C-27 Spartans, the 179th answered the call from Air Mobility Command for a unit to participate in this test to watch and document how an Air Force squadron integrates with Army command and control and scheduling processes.
This type of mission has not been conducted since Vietnam. At that time, it was only done for the purpose of transferring C-7 Caribous to the Air Force from the Army - having Air Force units remain attached while deployed is a new concept.
The 179th has special capabilities that will greatly assist the 25th in completing their mission, said Guard officials.
As a "slick" or non-special operations unit, they're qualified in airdrop/airland and adverse weather aerial delivery and certified in flying with full-up night vision goggles. This will enable the 25th to haul more cargo and personnel, relieving the stress on the general support helicopters, such as UH-60 Black Hawks and CH-47 Chinooks.
In most instances, the 179th can execute direct support plus time-sensitive and critical missions with more robust and quicker delivery, Guard officials said.
Both the Air Force and the Army have their unique tactics, techniques and procedures. This study is focused on learning how to combine the two in order to forge a blend that will make the two services successful in future missions. This is particularly important as the C-27 Spartans are scheduled to begin arriving at 179th in the near future, Guard officials said.
In preparation for the new mission, a group of pilots and loadmasters began training on the C-27J Spartan at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., in December.