CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
In the 17th Airlift Squadron, our motto is, "Anything, Anywhere, Anytime."
I recently had the pleasure and honor to go on a temporary duty assignment with a 17 AS aircrew and see just what they do day-to-day in the field to be able to chant that motto.
My experience surrounded a familiarization flight with the aircrew, and I had the time of my life.
Prior to the mission, I received all the necessary training and authorization to allow me to see exactly what happens on a C-17 from another perspective.
On the day of the flight, I suited up in a desert flight suit and a boonie hat and headed for our mission briefing, followed by a stop to pick up gear, weapons and everything else that was needed for this mission.
The pilots and loadmasters completed all the necessary checks and documents in preparation for take-off. I was surprised at how much goes on behind the scenes, while the average passenger just waits to board an aircraft heading for some exotic destination.
Senior Airman Timothy Jaskot, a loadmaster with the 17 AS, gave me training on loading cargo and passengers, chaining down High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, trailers, and baggage. We did all this, as well as hauled household goods around the world in 10 days.
My sleep pattern was off the charts, but I had the opportunity to see some of the greatest sites ever, such as the mountains and sands of the Middle East, and the lush foliage and winding of Europe.
What really prompted this commentary was the teamwork and dedication from the pilots, loadmasters and all the other support personnel I encountered, while traveling the world. There are a lot of moving parts and many people involved in making a mission successful from start to finish.
When there were issues with the aircraft, the pilots from the 17 AS, Capt. Brandon Dow, Capt. Joshua Wygant and 1st Lt. Thomas Wagner, quickly troubleshot the issue and contacted maintenance. Most of them were resolved in minimal time, which minimized any delay in our mission.
When we needed support to get food for passengers, Staff Sgt. Luke Kaufman, a loadmaster with the 17 AS, pulled out all the stops - right down to giving them some of our food when the support agency didn't have enough time to rectify the situation prior to our departure time.
I have a great appreciation for what the crews do on a day-to-day basis. It's a lot of hard work, but I know they have a lot of fun doing their jobs also.
Remember, each of us has a job to do and it's our responsibility to do that job to the best of our ability. Venture out and walk a day in someone else's shoes. If you do, you'll soon find out that teamwork is the key to the success of our mission.