C-17s to deliver paratroopers 6,700 miles away
CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (USTCNS) --- Army airborne troops will jump from two C-17s as they fly halfway around the world to a remote drop zone near the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan, Sept. 10 as part of a multi-national military exercise.
CENTRASBAT 2000 is an acronym for the Central Asian Peacekeeping Battalion and is a humanitarian assistance and peacekeeping field training exercise.
Elements of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne division at Fort Bragg, N.C., will take part in the exercise along with the central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and other NATO partner nations like Turkey.
The exercise runs Sept. 10-20 and is designed to improve peacekeeping task proficiency and mission readiness.
With two en route aerial refuelings, one Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., and one Altus AFB, Okla., C-17 will fly 6,672 miles to airdrop 157 Army paratroopers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (with some attached elements) at 10:20 a.m. (local).
The C-17s will pick up the paratroopers at Pope AFB, N.C., Sept. 9 and will then fly approximately 20 hours non-stop to the dropzone in Kazakhstan.
A Turkish C-130 and a Kazakhstan MI6 helicopter will join the C-17s at the dropzone.
"The entire mission is very challenging since it will involve a lot of elements such as a long crew duty day, two formation air refuelings en route, and then a drop at an unfamiliar dropzone working with air traffic controllers in a foreign country," said Maj. Leon Strickland, mission commander for the C-17s and an assistant deputy of operations in the 15th Airlift Squadron. "It will clearly demonstrate the direct delivery capability of the C-17 and allow us to practice to that standard."
The 437th Airlift Wing will accomplish pilot lead upgrade training during the 20-hour flight and will have a navigator from the Kyrgyzstan Air Force on board during the airdrop.
"He's on the flight to alleviate any language barriers that might crop up with the air traffic controllers. This same navigator flew with us in 1997," Strickland said.
Capt. Rick Sheetz, wing tactics, started planning the C-17 role in the exercise in May. Each C-17 will have four pilots on board for the long flight and will do some local practice to compensate for the unfamiliar drop zone, according to Sheetz.
The sequence for the drops will start with the Kazakhstan MI6 dropping 50 jumpers, followed by the two C-17s, then a Turkish C-130H will drop another 15 jumpers.
The C-17s will orbit near the drop zone area for about 30 minutes, before dropping the paratroopers.
"The purpose is to get there a little early so we can properly sequence in with the other aircraft," Strickland said.
This will be the third CENTRASBAT exercise conducted since 1997 in central Asia. Charleston aircrews have participated in past exercises.
Approximately 300 U.S. personnel will take part in CENTRASBAT 2000. About 8 aircrew members (including a flying crew chief) and two combat camera photographers will be on-board the Charleston C-17.
The objectives of this year's exercise include: strengthening military-to-military relationships and regional security; increasing interoperability between NATO and partner nations; improving U.S. unit leadership ability to command and control units in a multi-national peacekeeping environment and familiarizing all participants in the use of force and rules of engagement considerations.
The Charleston members are expected to return Sept. 12 following an overnight stay at Almaty, the largest city and former capital of Kazakhstan.
C-17s have previously landed at the international airport at Almaty. (FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
CENTRASBAT 2000 is an acronym for the Central Asian Peacekeeping Battalion and is a humanitarian assistance and peacekeeping field training exercise.
Elements of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne division at Fort Bragg, N.C., will take part in the exercise along with the central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and other NATO partner nations like Turkey.
The exercise runs Sept. 10-20 and is designed to improve peacekeeping task proficiency and mission readiness.
With two en route aerial refuelings, one Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., and one Altus AFB, Okla., C-17 will fly 6,672 miles to airdrop 157 Army paratroopers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (with some attached elements) at 10:20 a.m. (local).
The C-17s will pick up the paratroopers at Pope AFB, N.C., Sept. 9 and will then fly approximately 20 hours non-stop to the dropzone in Kazakhstan.
A Turkish C-130 and a Kazakhstan MI6 helicopter will join the C-17s at the dropzone.
"The entire mission is very challenging since it will involve a lot of elements such as a long crew duty day, two formation air refuelings en route, and then a drop at an unfamiliar dropzone working with air traffic controllers in a foreign country," said Maj. Leon Strickland, mission commander for the C-17s and an assistant deputy of operations in the 15th Airlift Squadron. "It will clearly demonstrate the direct delivery capability of the C-17 and allow us to practice to that standard."
The 437th Airlift Wing will accomplish pilot lead upgrade training during the 20-hour flight and will have a navigator from the Kyrgyzstan Air Force on board during the airdrop.
"He's on the flight to alleviate any language barriers that might crop up with the air traffic controllers. This same navigator flew with us in 1997," Strickland said.
Capt. Rick Sheetz, wing tactics, started planning the C-17 role in the exercise in May. Each C-17 will have four pilots on board for the long flight and will do some local practice to compensate for the unfamiliar drop zone, according to Sheetz.
The sequence for the drops will start with the Kazakhstan MI6 dropping 50 jumpers, followed by the two C-17s, then a Turkish C-130H will drop another 15 jumpers.
The C-17s will orbit near the drop zone area for about 30 minutes, before dropping the paratroopers.
"The purpose is to get there a little early so we can properly sequence in with the other aircraft," Strickland said.
This will be the third CENTRASBAT exercise conducted since 1997 in central Asia. Charleston aircrews have participated in past exercises.
Approximately 300 U.S. personnel will take part in CENTRASBAT 2000. About 8 aircrew members (including a flying crew chief) and two combat camera photographers will be on-board the Charleston C-17.
The objectives of this year's exercise include: strengthening military-to-military relationships and regional security; increasing interoperability between NATO and partner nations; improving U.S. unit leadership ability to command and control units in a multi-national peacekeeping environment and familiarizing all participants in the use of force and rules of engagement considerations.
The Charleston members are expected to return Sept. 12 following an overnight stay at Almaty, the largest city and former capital of Kazakhstan.
C-17s have previously landed at the international airport at Almaty. (FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
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