SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. –
A C-17 Globemaster III, under the command and control of the 618th Air and Space Operations Center here answered the urgent call to fly 36 passengers to safety out of Libya following the attack on the U.S. Consulate Sept. 12 that had resulted in the death of the U.S. ambassador and three others.
The mission executed Sept. 12, moved the individuals to Ramstein Air Base, Germany for medical treatment and follow on travel to the United States where they landed today at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. and were greeted by President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.
"We were honored to help bring home the fallen and the other victims to their families and loved ones," said Maj. Gen. David Allvin, TACC commander. "Their ability to put together and execute this mission so quickly is commendable."
"We immediately started planning the moment we got the call," said Lt. Col. Doug Gracey, deputy director of operations. "Our first steps were to identify an aircraft, aircrew, and an aeromedical evacuation team that we could get together to make it all happen."
Col. Carmella Lawson, the senior controller on duty at the time, received the initial notification of the need for air mobility support.
The mission required Air Mobility people to reach across time zones, major commands and government agencies, demonstrating the unique capabilities of the 618th Air Operations Center, commonly known as the Tanker Airlift Control Center (or TACC) to support time-sensitive missions.
After receiving the final approval of the mission from United States Transportation Command, TACC tasked an aircraft on a different mission to execute the emerging requirement for medical evacuation from Libya. Based on multiple variables, planners chose a C-17 scheduled to transport cargo to Southwest Asia. The aircraft, from to the 437th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., was reconfigured for passengers and an aeromedical evacuation team. To meet the short timeline, TACC planners worked with active duty, Air National Guard and Reserve personnel to bring together the people and resources necessary for success.
"Airmen from many different places came together to take these folks home in only 13 hours from mission approval" said Col. David Barnes, the senior controller during the flight. "It truly was a total force effort that made this mission possible."
The aircrew was made up of Reservists from the 446th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., and an aeromedical evacuation team from Ramstein. The air crew that flew the mission from Ramstein to Joint Base Andrews was from the 437th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Charleston, S.C."
The TACC is responsible for planning, tasking and controlling air mobility missions around the globe.