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 | Nov. 18, 2011

West Virginia Air National Guard's 167th Airlift Wing participates in historic surge

By Master Sgt. Emily Beightol-Deyerle 167th Airlift Wing

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Flying seven of its 11 assigned C-5 Galaxy aircraft, the West Virginia Air National Guard's 167th Airlift Wing participated in an historic "surge" last month.

Based in Martinsburg, W.Va., the 167th Airlift Wing was tapped to demonstrate its readiness, power, flexibility and partnership capabilities during the exercise which tested the nation's largest military airlifters.

The military exercise - which took place Oct. 17 to 21 - brought together 41 active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve C-5 Galaxy aircraft and crews flying cargo in support of missions around the globe. The historic "surge" was designed to more than double the normal day-to-day workload of the C-5 units participating in the exercise.

The C-5 aircraft routinely delivers life-saving equipment, supplies, cargo and passengers to United States military forces stationed worldwide.

With its ability to fly more than 6,000 miles without refueling, the U.S. military's largest aircraft provides the necessary flexibility needed to meet the demands of contingency and humanitarian missions around the world. The C-5 has been the Air Force's workhorse since the 1970s, providing critical successes to global mobility operations.

Air Force Lt. Col. Donald Magners, a pilot for the 167th Airlift Wing, said the missions flown during the exercise were similar to the missions flown during any given week. "We have three missions into Bagram, and we have missions flying into Turkey, Dji Bouti, Kuwait, Japan and Korea," said Magners.

According to officials at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, the "surge" tested the ability of the United States Transportation Command and its air component, Air Forces Transportation, to rapidly provide strategic airlift capability in response to large scale crises and contingencies.

Typically, the 167th Airlift Wing has two to three C-5 aircraft supporting these types of missions at any given time. During the surge, the unit doubled its efforts by providing seven aircraft or 17 percent of the total support for the exercise, according to Air Force Col. Richard Robichaud, commander of the Wing's 167th Operations Group.

"We're playing a really key role in the nation's airlift efforts, to support war efforts and our forces worldwide," Robichaud said.

There are usually only 18 global C-5 missions in the system on any given day. The best C-5 daily achievement since 2007 was 33 C-5s flown without mobilization.

According to Air Force officials, the surge tested the U.S. Air Forces' readiness and capability at a time when the military branch faces intense, ongoing demands on its capacity. It provided a valuable opportunity to exercise and evaluate its enterprise - enhancing readiness and strategic agility.

"With a surge like this, it takes a little time to prepare and some time to recover, but it's nothing out of the ordinary for us," said Air Force Lt. Col. Steven Truax, deputy commander of the Wing's 167th Maintenance Group.

Truax said the Wing demonstrated an "increased capability temporarily, but we don't have to change anything to accommodate that.

"Capability and flexibility is what we do every day out here."

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Soldiers with the Army National Guard speak with D.C. locals while patrolling Metro Center Aug 26, 2025. About 2,000 National Guard members are supporting the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission providing critical support to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department in ensuring the safety of all who live, work, and visit the District.
Guard Members From Six States, D.C. on Duty in Washington in Support of Local, Fed Authorities
By Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy, | Aug. 29, 2025
WASHINGTON – More than 2,000 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from six states and the District of Columbia are on duty in Washington as part of Joint Task Force – District of Columbia in support of local and federal...

Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, Maj. Gen. Russel Honore, Task Force Katrina commander, and Brig. Gen. John Basilica, 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team commander, talk to news media during the aftermath of Hurricane Rita on Sep. 29, 2005. Basilica was appointed commander of Task Force Pelican, responsible for coordinating National Guard hurricane response efforts across the State. The task force included tens of thousands of National Guard Soldiers from Louisiana and other states.
Louisiana Guard’s Tiger Brigade Marks 20th Anniversary of Redeployment and Hurricane Response
By Rhett Breerwood, | Aug. 29, 2025
NEW ORLEANS – This fall, the Louisiana National Guard’s 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, known as the Tiger Brigade, commemorates the 20th anniversary of its redeployment from Iraq in September 2005, coinciding with the...

Alaska Air National Guard HH-60G Pave Hawk aviators and Guardian Angels, assigned to the 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons, respectively, conduct a hoist rescue demonstration while participating in a multi-agency hoist symposium at Bryant Army Airfield on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 22, 2025. The symposium, hosted by Alaska Army National Guard aviators assigned to Golf Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, included U.S. Coast Guard crews assigned to Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic out of Air Stations Kodiak and Sitka, Alaska Air National Guardsmen with the 176th Wing rescue squadrons, U.S. Army aviators from Fort Wainwright’s 1-52nd General Support Aviation Battalion, Alaska State Troopers, and civilian search and rescue professional volunteers from the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group. The collaborative training drew on the participants’ varied backgrounds, experiences, and practices, to enhance hoist proficiency and collective readiness when conducting life-saving search and rescue missions in Alaska’s vast and austere terrain. (Alaska Army National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña)
Alaska Air Guard Conducts Multiple Hoist Rescues of Stranded Rafters on Kichatna River
By Staff Sgt. Seth LaCount, | Aug. 29, 2025
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Alaska Air National Guard members with the 176th Wing rescued three rafters Aug. 28 after their raft flipped over on the Kichatna River.The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center opened...