on guard: the 179th

Reviewing the value and the history

THETH

179th AIRLIFT WING www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com2

ON GUARD: THE 179TH

The News Journal recognized in 2014 that the loss of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard would signifi-cantly harm Mansfield’s economy and its community pride. The Mansfield-based guard unit has survived two significant threats to its existence from federal budget cuts, but was facing a third threat in 2014 that could take months or even years to overcome. To begin this third and latest effort on behalf of the unit and its nearly 1,000 full and part-time employees, the News Journal published a six-month series of articles on the value the unit holds for Mansfield. That series and accompanying photographs are re-published in this magazine. The articles described the threat to the unit and the magni-tude of its local economic impact. Also described are the C-130 airplanes flown by the unit on overseas military and domestic relief missions. Numerous members and supporters of the unit are profiled. The employment provided by the guard unit would be criti-cal to any town, but is of particular significance to the Mansfield market that has been rocked by job losses, including the closing

of a huge General Motors plant. The main authors of this project were News Journal report-ers Lou Whitmire and Todd Hill. The outstanding photography was the work of News Journal staffers Dave Polcyn, Jason Molyet, Dan Melograna and Lisa Bernheim. The magazine was designed by News Journal creative artist Melonie Tackett. In addition to the nuts and bolts and the dollars and cents connected to the guard unit, the News Journal worked to reflect the spirit of the unit and the pride it generates in Mansfield. Resi-dents here are very proud to be connected with such an effective and efficient military unit. Patriotic feelings well up as residents watch the big airplanes lumber across the local horizon. These patriotic feelings may not be measurable with dollar signs or other statistics, but they are real and so very important. Part of what motivated the News Journal was its ongoing role to hold public officials, at the federal level in this case, accountable for their actions. But, the News Journal is also an engaged member of this community and wants to protect it from potential harm. We live and work here, too. As already indicated, it may take years before the results of this fight on behalf of the 179th are known. But, the reporting and historical documentation done by the News Journal and presented in this magazine will stand forever.

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TOM BRENNANNEWS JOURNAL EDITOR

CONTENTSPROVIDED BY:

COVER PHOTO BY JASON MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL

www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com 3179th AIRLIFT WING

PHOTO BY DANIEL MELOGRANA / NEWS JOURNAL

THE IMPACTTHE SPIRIT

THE HELPTHE DRILLTHE MISSIONTHE PLANETHE FIGHTTHE PROMISETHE BASETHE HISTORY

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THE THREATINSIDE FEATURES:

• 179th would benefit from house measure • Upgrades to C-130H would keep base viable • Col. McCue wanted to be close to mission

• 179th adapts, avoids shutdown • Many assignments for wing over years • Gorman recalls unit’s early years

• Air base like a small town • 179th dedicates the ‘Spirit of Mansfield’ • 179th is part of Chandler’s family story

• 179th navigates political winds • Siblings love life with Air National Guard

• 179th optimistic about its future • Maj. Ford always dreamed of being a pilot

• Servant of the skies / History of the Herk • C-130H aircraft do job well, but need upgrade • Bulanda enjoys diversity, camaraderie of crew

• 179th: From Mansfield to Afghanistan • Eggeman has seen much of the world with the 179th

• Drill Weekend: Preparing the 179th • Guard group seeks public help on C-130H alert • Lt. Col. Kevin Stanich, a dentist, is doing his part

• Missions of mercy • 179th humanitarian efforts encompass the globe • Meet Capt. Devin Conway, a 179th nurse

• ‘A healthy relationship’ • Mechanic fixes planes in Antartica • C-130H upgrade stalls in Congress

• 179th is pride of Mansfield • City, airlift wing share special relationship • Tech Sgt. Roark’s mission to keep city’s 179th secure


179th Airlift Wing C-27J cargo aircraft makes touch-and-go landings at Lahm Airport. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

179TH WOULD BENEFIT FROM

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ON GUARD: THE 179TH

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The 179th Airlift Wing recently celebrated the 21st annual “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work” day. Children were able to job shadow their parents and participate in lots of activities, including touring a C-130 aircraft. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

By Lou Whitmire News Journal, originally published June 15, 2014

Legislation recently passed by the U.S. House could help save the 179th Airlift

Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard. Rich Green, who leads the Mansfield Military Affairs Council, said the bill con-tains provisions that would greatly benefit the Air National Guard and the local unit. The Mansfield Military Affairs Council is working to protect the 179th from future national spending cuts. The bill is the National Defense Autho-rization Act, which affects military spending for one year beginning Oct. 1, 2014. One key provision would direct the U.S.

Air Force to upgrade the national fleet of C-130H airplanes. This is the aircraft now flown by the 179th. They are among the oldest aircraft flown by the U.S. military. A second provision asks the Air Force to prepare an implementation plan that rec-ognizes the efficiencies of the Air National Guard and makes it a more critical part of the national air defense system. Missing from the bill is another Base

Upgrades to C-130H would keep base viable

See BENEFIT Page 6

THE THREAT


An C-130 aircraft rests on the tarmac at the 179th Airlift Wing. DANIEL MELOGRANA / NEWS JOURNAL

Realignment And Closure (BRAC) initia-tive. The 179th survived a similar initia-tive several years ago. Green said a BRAC measure is not in the bill because House members believe the process has not saved money in the past. The upgrades to the C-130H airplanes include major upgrades to the engines and pilot instrument panels. Green said without such upgrades the planes would soon no longer be able to fly over oceans.

Reason for optimism Green added his optimism is enhanced by a similar supportive bill that has started moving through the U.S. Senate. “There’s a lot of ground covered in large pieces of legislation like the National Defense Authorization Act, and the FY15

version is clearly good news for the Air National Guard,” Green said. “However, there’s still a long way to go, but with the strong support we are seeing from our Ohio delegation and Congress, the light at the end of the tunnel appears to be getting brighter,” he said. Green, a former commander of the 179th and formerly the legislative director for the National Guard Association of the United States, traveled to Washington, D.C., recently to meet with key legislators as part of the local effort to save the Mansfield unit. While in Washington, Green said the House Armed Services Committee passed the National Defense Authorization Act that was then sent to the full House where it was approved. The separate Senate bill could ultimately differ from the House version when it is passed. A conference committee would resolve the differences before a final bill is enacted.

Green emphasized a lot can happen to the legislation before it is finalized. He expects the process to conclude by this fall. “So there’s still a long way to go and more opportunities,” Green said. “The National Guard Association of the United States will also be helpful from this point forward as they will normally provide some good analysis of where the legislation stands.”

Protecting the base Earlier this year, the Richland Com-munity Development Group called together community and business leaders to formu-late plans to protect the 179th. Green is spearheading the effort. While in the nation’s capitol, Green met with several elected officials’ staff and a po-tential lobby firm, the Franklin Partnership, which has experience working BRAC issues. He also met with military legislative staff members for Sen. Sherrod Brown, Sen. Rob

BENEFITcontinued from page 5

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


Portman, Rep. Michael Turner and Sen. Roy Blunt. “In a nutshell, all are very supportive ... and keeping them in the loop as to what is happening with the C-130s and National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force that, if implemented in a responsible manner, would go a long way to ensuring the future of the Air National Guard and specifically the 179th ... is always good,” Green said. The base has avoided closure twice. In 2012 the 179th, adjacent to Mansfield Lahm Airport, was faced with closure after the federal budget for 2013 recommended divestiture of the nation’s fleet of C-27J military aircraft. “We were due to close in 2005, and then we find out six to eight years later that we’re going to close again,” Col. Gary McCue, commander of the 179th, said earlier. “We will never consider ourselves completely safe.”

Larger aircraft The 179th lost its four C-27J planes as planned, but they have been replaced with twice that number, eight larger C-130H aircraft. “They’re the oldest in the inventory, and the feeling is the Air Force is not in a posi-tion or doesn’t want to put any more money into them and we’re vulnerable,” Green said. “Probably it will be in four to six years until the Air Force decides we’re going to retire these airplanes.” He said the Air Force is supposed to maintain an inventory of not less than 300 combat coded C-130 H&J aircraft but cur-rently has around 350. “We are in the worst position, as our airplanes are the oldest in the inventory. The Guard has 24 C-130H1 aircraft,” Green said. “We don’t want to see our mission go-ing away soon, so we thought we would be proactive.” Green said the short-term goals the committee set include what can be done to get these older aircraft modified. Green said the second goal is to make sure Congress directs the Air Force to take action on the recommendations contained in the recent Commission on the Structure

of the Air Force Report. The issue of maintaining capabilities at a lower cost is the bottom line, Green said, noting the guard also is responsible for homeland security and natural disasters. “This bill on the House floor is for FY 2015. What to me is the big-ticket way for-ward for the guard is if the Air Force actually does something positive about the commis-sion report. The commission report would mean that some portions of forces would shift to the guard and the Air Force would work closer with the guard on a day-to-day basis as an operational force and not as a strategic reserve,” Green said. The commission also is looking at field-ing of airplanes to the air guard. Historically the Air Force gets new airplanes and puts them in the active forces, while cascading the older aircraft to the Guard, Green said. However, the commission recommends “concurrent and proportional” fielding of new aircraft, which would mean the Guard would receive new aircraft at the same time as the active force. RCDG earlier this year invited CBD Advisors, consultants hired by the governor, to address the group and to present their Community Guide for Federal Asset Part-nerships. CBD Advisors has been contracted by the State of Ohio to analyze the economic impacts of federal defense assets in Ohio and to work with stakeholders to retain and grow federal investments in the state. The group from Dayton will provide tools for effective advocacy, assist stakeholders in creating strategies to enhance the military value of their bases and enable communities to be proactive during this era of military downsizing. Green is a former U.S. Air Force com-mand pilot. After his retirement from the military after 35 years as a brigadier general, he served as legislative director for the National Guard Association of the United States for seven years. Groups and individuals are encouraged to send letters to members of Congress in support of the 179th and its mission, he said.

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Twitter: @Lwhitmir

THE THREAT

“We don’t want to see our mission going away soon,

so we thought we would be proactive”

- Rich Green



Col. Gary McCue, commander of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, became interested in aviation, and flying, when he was about 12 years old. “We went to the Geauga County Fair, and my dad bought an airplane ride for my brother and me. I was hooked. It also sparked my interest in the Air Force, and culminated in me joining the 179th right out of high school, and I’ve been here ever since,” McCue said this week.

“A childhood friend of mine, from when I lived in Ashland, (his) stepfather was assigned to this unit, so after talking with him, it was an easy step to drive out here to Mansfield Lahm and gather info. I enlisted soon after.” McCue said when he first joined, he chose aircraft maintenance, so he could be assigned to the aircraft and close to the mis-sion. “I was enrolled full time at Kent State, taking advantage of the tuition program offered by the National Guard. To this day,

we still offer 100 percent scholarships, for a six-year commitment in the ANG,” Mc-Cue said. While at KSU, he obtained his private pilot’s license. “I’ve been flying aircraft for nearly 30 years,” McCue said. McCue said the 179th unit is filled with highly dedicated and motivated people who want to serve the state and nation. “We are still a voluntary military, so the folks who live and work in our com-munities and serve in the ANG are here because they love what they do, period. This is a very valuable asset — our nation’s best and brightest, willing to deploy and perform the mission,” he said proudly. “I’ve been blessed to serve with some of the finest airmen in our Armed Forces, and they are stationed right here in Rich-land County,” McCue said. Born in Fremont, McCue lived for 10 years in Ashland and 10 years in Warren. “My dad was a state trooper, so we moved about every 10 years,” he said. McCue joined the 179th Airlift Wing in 1983, where he was assigned to the Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron as a C-130B crew chief. He graduated from Kent State University in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in history and English. He attended undergraduate pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi from 1989 to 1990. Upon completion of C-130 flight training, he returned to Mansfield and began flying the C-130B and C-130H2. In 1995, he became a full-time techni-cian and supported the wing as operations plan officer. In 2010, he was sworn in as the com-mander of the 179th. He has participated in Operations Southern Watch, Joint Forge, Coronet Oak, Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, serving as an aircrew member, staff officer and commander at the squadron level.

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Twitter: @Lwhitmir

Col. McCue wanted to be close to the mission

Col. Gary McCue, commander of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio National Guard. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


THE HISTORY

RIGHT: Frank P. Lahm, for whom Mansfield’s airport is named, was instrumental in acquir-ing the land that would eventually become the base for the 179th Airlift Wing of the Air National Guard, although his efforts to bring a base here were delayed by World War II. This is one of the four photo panels on dis-play at the 179th illustrating its history. 179TH AIRLIFT WING

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By Todd HillNews Journal, originally published June 22, 2014

On the sprawling grounds of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, Depart-ment of Defense signs proclaiming LGBT Pride Month could be found in the hallways and lobbies recently, a marked departure from the days when “don’t ask, don’t tell” was the U.S. military’s policy

toward members with a same-sex sexual orienta-tion. Those signs are just the latest indicators of change for a Mansfield reserve unit that has weath-ered a dizzying array of modifications since its creation in the years immediately following World War II. But while much has changed for the 179th, from its personnel to its aircraft, from its missions and even to its name, the 179th Airlift Wing is still

Many assignments for wing over years

179TH ADAPTS, AVOIDS

SHUTDOWN

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


here. The base, adjacent to Mansfield’s Lahm Airport, has avoided closure twice, and is home today to eight C-130H aircraft, the oldest planes in the Air Force’s inventory. But if the eventual retirement of the aircraft means yet another new mission for the 179th in the coming years, it certainly won’t be the first time. The first signs of activity on the bluffs overlooking the north side of the city date from the years before World War II.

“The property was laid out in the 1930s. Col. Alan Tappan was instrumental in getting this air strip out here, literally a grass strip. Frank Lahm, of course, was too,” said Col. Gary A. McCue, commander of the 179th Airlift Wing.

Lahm’s influence Lahm was much more than an airport namesake during his lifetime. The son of a

Two C-130s returned to the 179th Airlift Wing from Alaska. DANIEL MELOGRANA / NEWS JOURNAL

See ASSIGNMENTS Page 12

THE HISTORY

While much has changed for the179th, from its

personnel toits name, the

179th Airlift Wingis still here.


balloonist, and a Mansfield native, Lahm had the honor of becoming just the second licensed pilot in Ohio, following Orville Wright, and was the first Army aviator to become a licensed pilot in the U.S. By the time World War II started, Lahm had hit the Army’s mandatory retirement age, but he continued working on bring-ing a military unit to this area, and shortly before the U.S. dived into that global conflict an aviation company out of Cleveland flew some planes down to Mansfield’s landing strip to get the new facility of sorts off the ground.

“They didn’t stay though, and then the war happened. There was nothing here dur-ing the war. Just prior to the war was when they said, ‘Hey, we want a National Guard flying unit here, and let’s use that company up in Cleveland.’ Well, it didn’t really take place because of the war,” McCue said. “When the war ended we all came home. The National Security Act was passed in 1947, which made the Air Force a sepa-rate service, and that was really big. When the Air Force became its own air force, we became our own Air Guard, underneath the auspices of the governor.” After being deactivated in Europe as the 363rd Fighter Squadron when the war ended, the unit was reactivated in Mansfield as the Ohio Air National Guard 164th Tacti-

cal Fighter Squadron, then expanded to the 179th Tactical Fighter Group in 1962. Its command was shifted from tactical to airlift in 1976.

Early aircraft During those years three fighter aircraft called the 179th home, P-51s, F84s and F-100s, the latter two of which can be found on sticks on the base today, followed by C-130s, then C-127s and then back to C-130s after the unit was converted to airlift. “But when we had fighters, we had sup-port aircraft, so we had DC-3, I think we had C-46 at one point, we had B-26,” McCue said. And then the base expanded in 2008 with the addition of the 200th RED HORSE

ASSIGNMENTScontinued from page 11

Four Ohio Air National Guard C-130 Hercules cargo planes from the Mansfield-based 179th Airlift Wing assist after the Haiti earthquake in 2010. SUBMITTED PHOTO

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


THE HISTORY

(Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Opera-tional Repair Squadron Engineers) detach-ment. “They were up at Port Clinton, that’s their main unit, and they had another squad-ron added. When they needed a place to put them, we raised our hands and said, ‘We’d love to have them down here.’ The city gave us extra property,” McCue said. After President Harry S. Truman radical-ly reduced the American military’s numbers following World War II, reserve operations like the Air National Guard grew in impor-tance, only to be found lacking in readiness when war broke out in Korea in 1950. “The readiness levels were different back then, but since I’ve been in, and I got in in 1983, the readiness levels for the Guard have always been the same as active duty. The Guard does everything the Air Force does,” the colonel said.

Unit goes to France After the Berlin Wall went up in East Germany in 1961, the unit left Mansfield for Etain-Rouvres Air Base in France, just in case. “France was a forward location to ‘meet’ the Russians if they came across Europe. The Cold War was at its height. No matter where

World War III started, it was a foregone conclusion that it would culminate in battle on the European continent,” McCue said. World War III, of course, was avoided, but when the Iron Curtain came down with the collapse of the Soviet Union at the beginning of the 1990s the 179th had to adapt yet again, to new kinds of conflicts and a variety of different missions. “We found ourselves very busy in the Balkans, in southeast Europe, because when they took the lid off the pot the rest was history, as they say. And then we went to Somalia in 1992,” McCue said. The 179th was not involved in the first Persian Gulf war, also in the early 1990s, because it was in the midst of transitioning from C-130B aircraft to C-130H planes, but it was on hand for the second one. The unit also has responded in a long line of humanitarian missions, from Haiti to various hurricane relief efforts in the States. “Big picture, our goal has always been to be absolutely ready at the same levels of active duty,” McCue said. “We have the same qualifications as they do, so that’s the beauty of it.”

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Twitter: @ToddHillMNJ

Tech Sgt. Patrick McNamara of the 179th Airlift Wing maintains equipment at the base. JASON J. MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL

“...our goal has always been to be absolutely ready at the

same levels of active duty ...”

- Col. Gary A. McCue


Jim Gorman polishes the propeller dome of his 1941 Beech Stagger Wing biplane that he still flies. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

ON GUARD: THE 179TH



Jim Gorman is a charter member of the 179th Airlift Wing of Air National Guard at Mansfield Lahm Airport, having joined the unit when it was initially formed as the 164th Fighter Squadron in June 1948. The 90-year-old Gorman is retired, but he still can be found in his office at the Gorman-Rupp Co. He celebrated his 21st birthday overseas while an Army Air Force pilot. After World War II, he served the Air Force Reserves until the guard unit was opened in June 1948. He served there until 1956. He left the guard to dedicate his time to working at the pump company. “Between the end of World War II and the establishment of the guard, the Air Force Reserve had three or four airplanes parked at the airport for pilots to fly, including Beach C-45s and a couple North American Aviation airplanes or T-6s. Once the guard was established, that disappeared,” he said.

Early years Gorman said Richland Aviation was Harrington Air Service at the time. “That’s where we started,” he said. “In one of Richland’s hangars. The 164th Fighter Squadron. The Air Force keeps changing all sorts of designations as you go along, and it ends up being the 179th.” Around 1949, the 164th got the first P-51 Ds, a fighter aircraft and an aircraft that was used primarily in Europe during World War II. Gorman said the guard unit here later got P51-Hs, which were designed as a high-altitude interceptor. “They only built about 300 of them before the war ended. When Korea started,

we expected to be activated but somebody said we don’t have enough parts for those old 300 airplanes we built. We were never activated for Korea,” Gorman said. “The British wanted North American Aviation to build P-40s under license. They said, ‘Look we have a better idea for an airplane.’ In 120 days they came up with a prototype P-51. It had an Allison engine in it. It was a very good airplane except you couldn’t get much above 15,000 feet because it wasn’t super charged. “Alan Tappan was in Europe with the Air Force and was part of the group which suggested they take the Rolls Royce Merlin engine out of the Spitfire and put it in the P-51. It turned out because it had a super charger on it that they could get the altitude. Packard built more Rolls Royce Merlin engines than Rolls Royce did,” Gorman said. Gorman said Alan Tappan, president of the Tappan Stove Co., is responsible for the guard’s existence in Mansfield. “I grew up next to him. He was a World War I pilot. He kept his interest in the Air Force. Of course, back in those days it was the Army Air Force and it was very small group of people and Alan Tappan knew every one of them,” Gorman said. Tap-pan ended up a colonel. “Alan was a little younger than my father. He and his wife never had any children. I think his children were the Air National Guard.” “The Air Force said the little town of Mansfield can’t support a guard unit. He (Tappan) guaranteed we would be able to fill up the unit. The Mansfield guard unit was the last one to be established and the first one to be 100 percent manned,” he said. “The community from Day 1 supported the guard unit, much better than any other city in the United States. It’s one of the things

that kept the guard unit here when they were trying to close up everything. There were 25,000 letters written.” Gorman said Tappan and Gil Baird set up a recruiting office in the Farmers Bank building downtown, which got many World War II veterans who were still interested in aviation to join the guard. Gorman’s high school graduation pres-ent prepared him for war.

Ready to fly “When I graduated from Mansfield Senior High in 1941, my grandmother’s present was 10 hours of dual flying time,” Gorman recalls. “Of course that did it.” So when he joined the Army in 1942, Gorman’s assignment was to train as a pilot. He became a C-47 cargo plane pilot. “General MacArthur and myself toured the Pacific together, except he was leading,” he said. According to the 179th base history, the 164th Fighter Squadron first had 41 officers and 177 airmen. Recalling his days in the 164th unit, Gorman said guard members flew to Gray-ling, Michigan, for training and the active Air Force would come to observe the guard, amazed at the unit’s abilities. He said Capt. Bill Ash was brought to Mansfield to run the 164th. Tappan asked Gorman to take Ash around town and intro-duce him, which he did. “When Marge and I got married, he ended up being my best man,” Gorman said. Gorman still flies his personal plane, a 1946 Beech Stagger Wing, whenever he can.

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Twitter: @Lwhitmir

90-year-old served as Army Air Force pilot Gorman recalls unit’s early years

THE HISTORY


News Journal, originally published July 6, 2014

The 179th Airlift Wing dedicated one of its C-130 — aircraft 83-0488 — to the city of Mansfield Saturday during 2014 Mansfield Lahm Airport Day festivities. The 179th Airlift Wing designated the aircraft the “Spirit of Mansfield.”

The name is painted over the aircrew door. Underneath the name is painted an Air Force Outstanding Unit ribbon, an award the 179th Airlift Wing has been awarded on numerous occasions. Special guests at the event in-cluded Rep. Bob Gibbs and Mansfield Mayor Tim Theaker. The offices of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Pat Tiberi also were represented. Col. Gary McCue, 179th Airlift Wing commander, presented a special memorial shadow box of the C-130 dedication ceremony to the city of Mansfield in gratitude for all of the support the city provides to the airlift wing and its members.

AIR BASE LIKE A

SMALL TOWN

179th dedicates the ‘Spirit of Mansfield’

ABOVE: Lt. Col. Darren Hamilton and his son Wade, 3, watch the dedication of the Spirit of Mansfield C-130 on Saturday, July 5, 2014, at Lahm Airport. JASON MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL

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ON GUARD

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THE BASE

By Lou Whitmire News Journal, originally published July 6, 2014

The 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard is a city in itself, with its own fire department, medical building, headquarters, communications facility, gym, dining hall and more. College classes are offered at the base, too. The 179th Airlift Wing, off Harrington Memorial Road, is located at Mansfield Lahm Air-port on 289.87 acres, land leased from the city of Mansfield. Capt. Kiet Chung, deputy base civil engineer at the 179th, is in charge of maintaining facili-

ties and infrastructure. He said the original hangar was built in 1949. It was shipped in pieces from the Pacific back to the Unit-ed States and re-assembled at the base. Initially it was designed to store a much smaller P-51 Mus-tang. A second hangar at the base was built in 1978, Chung said. Chung said the historic hangar’s doors have been retrofit-ted a couple of times to fit larger planes over the years, including the C-130s. It would cost $32 million to construct a new han-gar to replace the existing one, he added. “They had to cut into the walls there to allow the wings to

actually pass through,” Chung said. “When the aircraft actually comes in here, it goes all the way pretty much wall to wall.” There are 34 buildings at the base, including the two hangars. The newest building con-structed was the RED HORSE building. It started operations in 2010. A security forces building was built in 2001. The operations/communica-tions building was built in 2003. There are people who work every day at the base — 190 De-partment of Defense technicians, 51 state employees, 70 active guard reservists. There are 982 traditional reservists who work

two days a month, for a total of 1,293 employees. Chung said state staff is responsible for maintaining all aspects of the buildings, from the lights, roofs, plumbing and air conditioning. Other main-tenance projects are contracted out. Mark Daugherty, Mans-field Lahm Airport manager, said area companies, including ArcelorMittal, Schmidt Security Pro, Manairco, Chandler Water Systems of Ashland and Gorman Rupp Co., take advantage of the airport to move their products

179th a huge, full-time operation

Staff Sgt. Dante Cheatham walks the wing of a C-130 at Lahm Airport while doing a pre-flight inspection on one of the newest aircraft assigned to the 179th Airlift Wing. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

See OPERATION Page 18


and people on a daily basis. The main runway is 150 feet wide and 9,001 feet long. A secondary runway, also 150 feet wide, is 6,800 feet long. No commercial flights are scheduled here, but corporate and charter flights come in and out. Mansfield Lahm Airport has demon-strated capability to handle large commercial and military aircraft, including the USAF C-5 and the Antonov 124-100. In 2012, President Barack Obama landed in Air Force One at Mansfield Lahm. The airport has a Garden of Heroes, which includes a family pavillion honoring the people who were instrumental in building the airport. The airport has its own Federal

Aviation Administration control tower. The control tower operates from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. 365 days a year. The 179th Airlift Wing used to operate its own air traffic control. The tower, located atop a building on the base, has since been taken down, Chung said. Other changes over the years at the base include the main gate being relocated. Chung said he could say only that the base is “built to standards” when asked if it has any special re-enforced safety features to withstand a tornado. “If there is, I wouldn’t be able to say anything about it,” he said when asked if there is a safe house built underground.

Changes Master Sgt. Lisa Haun, who works in the public information office at the base and

who has served 17 years with the 179th, said she can remember when all the buildings were painted brown. Now base buildings are painted three interior colors — blue, off-white and gray. Capt. Travis Fox, 179th Civil Engineer-ing commander, said there hasn’t been any new construction recently, but several of the older buildings have been renovated for energy efficiency. “The last building renovated was the Logistics Readiness Squadron building that hosts all the supplies for 179th. The next building for renovation is the Civil Engineer-ing building. This building holds CE troops and equipment to maintain the base,” Fox said. The 179th Civil Engineering Squadron Facility is set to be renovated at an estimated $1.65 million; the project has been fully

OPERATIONcontinued from page 17

An aerial photograph of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard. At the bottom, to the left, is the RED HORSE and Army Installations, bottom right is the fuels section of the 179th and the main section near the tower is the 179th Airlift Wing and Mansfield Lahm Airport. 179TH AIRLIFT WING

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


funded by National Guard Bureau through its restoration and modernization program. The 10,000-square-foot project will restore and modernize the 35-year-old facility to meet the most current building standards and meet the NGB’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. Most importantly, this project will prolong the fa-cility’s lifespan, saving more than $3 million to $4 million in new construction, Fox said. “The project will encompass a removal and resurfacing the facade, reconfiguring the interior, reinforcing the structure, adding natural light through exterior windows and upgrading or replacing the mechanical sys-tems. All of the project’s work has estimated a LEED Silver certification, which is one classification higher than required, while remaining under budget. The renovation will also incorporate infrastructure, like a new fire suppression system, replacing load-bearing members and the roof, and the removal of as-bestos to mitigate major safety concerns and be compliant with today’s Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP) measures, secur-ing the Squadron’s most valuable asset — its people,” Fox said. The project is set to kick off mid-summer and should take a little under a year to com-plete, Fox added.

The mission The 179th unit fulfills its airlift mis-sion by transporting personnel and cargo throughout the United States and supports the U.S. Air Force in performing military airlift functions throughout the world. In addition, the 179th Airlift Wing participates in disaster relief efforts and other domestic emergencies. Col. Gary McCue, commander of the 179th, said it was an incredible year for re-cruiting and retention as the 179th operates at 108.6 percent in manning and the highest in the state of Ohio. Recruiters had the most accessions in the nation with 217 members and were awarded Top Accessions for three quarters and Criti-cal Accession for two quarters in a row, Mc-Cue said. “In support of our federal mission, 126 members deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and supporting deployments to Gulfport, Mis-sissippi, as well as in England, working with the RAF at Mildenhall and Lakenheath to enhance their readiness for state and federal missions and nation.”

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Twitter: @Lwhitmir

Col. Gary McCue, commander of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, swears in 32 airmen for full-time positions in support of the wing¹s new C-130 aircraft mission. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

THE BASE

The 179th is a city in itself, with its own

fire department, medical building,

headquarters, communications

facility, gym, dining hall and more.



Senior Master Sgt. Ralph Chandler IV has been a member of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard since 1997. He is the fabrication supervisor in the maintenance squadron, overseeing three shops where unit members make parts and equipment needed for the C-130s. His staff includes full-time Guardsmen in each shop, and on drill weekends there are traditional Guardsmen there, too. A total of 26 mem-bers work in all three shops. Chandler explained the base has a non-destructive inspection shop. There is a machine shop where unique fabrication is done for the airplanes. “We are fitting the airplanes with things we need,” he said, showing a visitor overhead racks that machine shop employees are mak-ing and installing. There is a sheet metal shop where work includes aircraft skin repairs, riveting and more. There also is a paint shop. Chandler, who grew up in Norwalk, pre-viously worked for the Springfield Air Guard Unit. Before that, he was active duty Air Force, stationed at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico in the early 1990s, where he worked as a weapons specialist on F-15s and F-117s, or stealth fighters. Chandler said his father was an Army Guard technician working out of Norwalk. His grandfather’s brother Ralph served in World War II and was killed in action in France during the Normandy invasion. One of Chandler’s three daughters, Mad-ison Chandler, 18, a 2014 graduate of South Central High School, in January joined the 179th. On July 15, she will go to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, for basic training. She will work in Aviation Resource Management at the 179th. “I’ve been bringing my girls out here. I made them feel like this was part of the fam-ily, too. They grew up watching us transition,

watching the C-130s, the C-27Js and back to the 130s,” he said. Daughter Madison Chandler said she signed a six-year contract with the 179th because it has always been a part of her life and she grew up coming to the base. “And I wanted to serve my country,” she said. Madison said one of the benefits of being in the 179th Guard unit is she will be able to have her tuition at Kent State Univer-sity paid for. Madison said the base is like her second family. “I’m very excited. They take you in like a second family and they’re always there for you if you need anything,” she said Ralph Chandler works Mondays through Fridays at the base. He has been deployed several times, the last time to

Afghanistan in 2012 with the C-27Js. “Any of us can be deployed at any time,” he said. “The 179th, in my opinion, has come a long way. We have had our trials and tribula-tions, so to speak, over the last several years. Right now there are exciting times. There’s great energy with all the new recruits com-ing in. It’s been exciting to come out to drill. I see everybody so re-engaged,” he added. “What’s been exciting to me is not only the guys in the fabrication section, but everyone in maintenance and around the en-tire wing has re-engaged and really attacking the mission we have before us, to get stood up to be ready to go at a moment’s notice if need be. I actually really love it,” Chandler said.

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179th is part of Chandler’s family story

Senior Master Sgt. Ralph Chandler JASON J. MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


President Barack Obama stopped in Mansfield for a campaign stop August 1, 2012. Air Force One landed at Lahm Airport, and he was motorcaded downtown for a short speech. He is greeted at the airport by 179th Airlift Wing Commander Col. Gary McCue. NEWS JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

THE PROMISE

4PART

THEPROMISE

ON GUARD


President Barack Obama stopped in Mansfield on August 1, 2012. NEWS JOURNAL PHOTO

“The Congress shall have Power to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States.” -Article1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


By Todd HillNews Journal, originally published July 20, 2014

National Guard units like the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard in Mansfield owe everything to a single line in America’s most important founding document. The Pentagon may have oversight over the five branches of the U.S. military, but it was Congress — and its hundreds of senators and representatives — that organized the state’s often sketchy militias of the 1800s into the National Guard in 1916. The legislative branch of the federal government has taken that responsibility

seriously ever since. But tensions between the Penta-gon and Congress over what to do with the Guard continue to this day. In this century’s era of tightening budgets, the attention has largely focused on where to trim the Guard, along with the rest of the military. And with eight C-130 aircraft that are now pushing 30 years old, the 179th Airlift Wing is worried about its future on its base adjacent to Lahm Airport. It’s a state of mind that has come natu-rally to members of the 179th for nearly a decade now. In 1988 the National Defense Authori-zation Act called for military base realign-ments in five iterations, taking place in 1989, ‘91, ‘93, ‘95 and 2005. “Basically, we knew even then that things weren’t looking good for the Soviet Union and that if they ceased to exist in

THE 179TH NAVIGATESPOLITICAL

WINDS

See NAVIGATING Page 24

THE PROMISE

“We had a several-years campaign to bring awareness to the public, to our

congressional delegation, to fight

for our cause in Washington, and it

worked. We were removed from the list”

- 179th Commander Col. Gary A. McCue


their current form we knew we’d have a lot of excess capacity in our bases,” 179th Commander Col. Gary A. McCue said. “That’s what happens after any conflict. The Cold War was our longest ongoing conflict, so to speak, because we built up for 60 years almost. Downsizing was going to be a huge issue.” And yet, the Air Guard went practically untouched until the Base Realignment and Closure, or BRAC, commission of 2005 came along. “They wanted to use 2005 as an infra-

structure BRAC to save money. They used that vehicle to move things around. Us and Springfield, two units out of the four Air Guard wings in Ohio, were slated for closure. We found out on Friday the 13th, 2005, that we were on the closure list,” Mc-Cue said. But then the community’s forces were marshaled. “We had a several-years campaign to bring awareness to the public, to our con-gressional delegation, to fight for our cause in Washington, and it worked. We were removed from the list,” McCue said. “We did lose our aircraft, the C-130s, but we were given a new mission, the C-27J (following a C-21 bridge mission). It took

about three years for that to completely unfold. It was community support that did it.” Washington then appeared to have left the era of BRACs behind, although never saying never is probably the wisest policy when it comes to defense cuts. “It’s been shown that previous BRACs had not saved the money projected, but in fact cost money,” Rich Green, leader of the Mansfield Military Affairs Council and a former commander of the 179th, said. “I don’t think there’s going to be a BRAC introduced this year when both chambers of Congress have a similar feeling about it.” However, it didn’t take a BRAC to once again threaten the 179th with closure two

NAVIGATINGcontinued from page 23

President Barack Obama touched down in Mansfield for a campaign stop Aug. 1, 2012. Air Force One landed at Lahm Airport, he was motorcaded downtown for a short speech. NEWS JOURNAL PHOTO

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


THE PROMISE

years ago, a move that really caught the unit off guard. It already had learned it was going to be losing the C-27J’s, but it was assumed the unit would just get another mission, even if it wasn’t a flying mission. “Well, they also said they were going to close the wing, and that was very shocking for us because nobody else was being slated for closure in the Guard. That was a wake-up call,” McCue said. But 2012 happened to be a presidential election year. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, also was up for re-election that year. And it wasn’t long before the 179th’s fate got caught up in a bit of political theater in its own backyard. President Barack Obama, running for re-election, was scheduled to make a cam-paign appearance in downtown Mansfield on Aug. 1, after landing at the 179th Airlift Wing. During a White House news confer-ence days earlier, the Obama administra-tion was surprised, and a bit embarrassed, to be reminded that the wing where Air Force One would be landing was slated for closure. Later, while in the air en route to Mansfield, Obama’s press secretary began damage control. “There is a redundancy in terms of the aircraft that this National Guard air base is home to at this point, but the president is committed to finding another mission for the National Guard unit at this particular air base,” spokesperson Jay Carney said, referring any further, more detailed, ques-tions about that alternate mission to the U.S. Defense Department. “By then we were all in. We pushed all our chips across the table. When you’re at that point you have nothing to lose, be-cause you’re going to lose everything if you don’t keep up the pressure,” McCue said. “When he came, we met him, it was a great day, it was really neat. That was the first time I’d ever done that. He came to the unit and then he went downtown and spoke, and he said he would do everything he could to keep a mission here in Mans-field, was what he said to us.” It wasn’t a done deal, however, for several more months. Before year’s end,

between Christmas and New Year’s Day, Brown’s office announced that the 179th would be getting eight planes with which it already was familiar, the C-130, the oldest aircraft flown by the U.S. military. “Whether the president’s campaign stop here was the tipping point that made it happen, I don’t know, it could have been,” Green said. “But the community involve-ment was unprecedented, I had never seen a response like that. That email campaign generated 30,000 letters, and that got Con-gress’s attention.” Brown had been involved in the pro-cess. “The National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force recently made recommendations that could help maintain the current status of the 179th. I continue to urge the Administration to support these recommendations and work toward implementing them. Last year, I met with the Air Force Secretary, then a nominee, and explained to her the importance of maintaining a long-term flying mission for the base. Not only would this strengthen the economy of north central Ohio, but it would help to keep our nation safe.” Given the age of its aircraft, the 179th isn’t resting easy, and its members still have work to do. “We just hold up our heads and keep working and focus on safety, doing the mis-sion. We were deployed when all that went down two years ago, we were deployed back in 2005. We had people overseas. It’s very damaging to morale, it hurts because you’re serving your country and then you find out your unit’s going to close. It’s very difficult stuff,” McCue said. “But I’m just so impressed how they just keep coming to work and finish the mission.” “Everybody gets concerned, but I’ve been amazed that the morale in the 179th is as high as it is despite the threats,” Green said. “The resiliency they have to these cuts is amazing. Hats off.”

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“...I’ve been amazedthat the morale in

the 179th is as high as it is despite

the threats. The resiliency they have to these cuts

is amazing. Hats off.”

- Rich Green



Three siblings from Shelby are seeing the world and serving their country after joining the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard as a way to get a college education. Now all three siblings — Tech Sgt. David Amert, Tech. Sgt. Jason Amert and Tech Sgt. Rebecca Neuenschwander — said they wouldn’t want to work anywhere else. David Amert is now a member of the 200th RED HORSE unit based at Mansfield Lahm Airport, while his brother Jason Amert and sister Rebecca Neuenschwander remain mem-bers of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, also located at Lahm. The Shelby natives and their parents, Butch and Patty Amert, this year were awarded Family of the Year by the State of Ohio Airmen and Family Readiness Program. All three siblings were recruited by Chief Master Sgt. Mark Dyer, who is the chief of Logistics Readiness. Dyer said it actually started back at the Shelby YMCA. “Becky Amert was one of the lifeguards on my staff at the Shelby Y, and we talked about the Air National Guard all the time. She came out for a visit and eventually joined, which led to her bringing her brothers out as well. They are such an amazing family and very deserving of this award,” Dyer said. David Amert joined the 200th RED HORSE (Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer) in December 2002. He is a state employee and operates heavy equipment with the 200th RED HORSE unit. He originally joined the 179th but moved to the 200th RED HORSE because of downsizing in the 179th. David’s work includes operating heavy equipment, from excavators to scrapers and cranes. On deployments he has helped set up entire bases; repair runways; and repair, replace or put down new asphalt and concrete. While in the guard, David was deployed to Iraq operating heavy equipment at Camp Speicher for 3 1/2 months. He then traveled to Baghdad for 3 1/2 months. In 2010 he was deployed to Afghanistan. Last year he traveled

to Panama and Romania, and this year he traveled with the RED HORSE unit to the Dominican Republic, Guam and Michigan. Jason Amert joined the 179th in October 2002. Jason is an aircraft mechanic on the C-130s and lead crew chief of the aircraft. Jason has traveled with the unit in Qatar, Kurkistan, Puerto Rico, Germany and Afghanistan, the latter country on three separate times. In 2013, Jason worked with his unit in Antarctica, from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day. Neuenschwander said she joined the 179th in January 2000, her senior year at Shelby High School. She works in the communications/flight office as knowledge operations manager for the base. She makes sure all records are stored correctly anywhere from one to 56-plus years. She works with the Freedom of Information Act and she is the webmaster for an internal website called Share Point. Initially she worked in services in cooking. Her first deployment was in 2002 at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean where she worked in lodging and the CQ Office, send-ing planes directly to Iraq. In 2003, she went to Qatar, and also worked in lodging. In 2006, she traveled to Guam at Andersen Air Force Base and

worked in lodging and flight kitchen. She also has traveled to the Dominican Republic last May with the RED HORSE. The siblings have a brother Chris who is not in the military. Their parents have been a huge influence on them, Neuenschwander said. Their father was a crew chief in Vietnam. “They definitely help tie the family together,” she said. David Amert said the guard is an extend-ed family. “Our spouses are all supportive,” he added. The siblings said they keep re-enlisting because of the traveling, the people they meet and the family environment. “When we’re deployed, it makes it that much easier. You are with people who you work with every day,” David said. Neuenschwander said the experiences in the guard and people she has met have been awesome. Deployments are not without sacrifices, leaving behind their spouses, and for Jason and David, their children. Two of the three siblings have been deployed at the same time over the years.

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Siblings love life with Air National Guard

David Amert, his sister Rebecca Neuenschwander, and his twin brother Jason are all technical sergeants. David is a member of the 200th RED HORSE unit and Becky and Jason are members of the 179th Airlift Wing. DANIEL MELOGRANA / NEWS JOURNAL

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


By Todd HillNews Journal, originally published August 3, 2014

The clock is ticking for the eight C-130H aircraft stationed at the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard. Under current federal regulations, the 179th’s planes will be prevented from flying across much of the globe in six years unless enhanced commu-nication gear, technically known as Automatic De-pendent Surveillance Broadcast-Out, is installed

on them. As presently drawn up, the military’s avion-ics modernization program for the hundreds of C-130 Hercules transport aircraft in use across the nation does not include this technology, which would render the planes — and possibly by exten-sion the units whose mission it is to fly them — irrelevant by 2020. “Just in the Guard we have them in about 18 different states. We’re up to around — we’re down

179TH OPTIMISTIC ABOUT ITS FUTURE

Mechanics Staff Sgt. Ray Hernandez and Tech Sgt. Jeff Burgett make connections on a T-56 Turbo Prop aircraft engine after it was installed on one of the unit’s C-130 Hercules aircraft. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

See FUTURE Page 28

THE FIGHT

5PART

THEFIGHT

ON GUARD


to, I should say — about 350 aircraft,” said Col. Gary McCue, commander of the 179th Airlift Wing. “The Guard has the predominant num-ber, but they’re older. Active duty has fewer but newer. Ours are all about 30 years old. They’re all very viable airframes.” However, the future, for both the C-130H and the 179th, is looking brighter by the week, if legislation moving through both the U.S. House and Senate that’s expected to coalesce into the latest National Defense Authorization Act maintains its momentum. Rich Green, former commander of the 179th and now leader of the Mansfield Mili-

tary Affairs Council, is certainly optimistic. “It’s hard to say on the timing with an election year, but I think we could see some-thing before the new fiscal year starts Oct. 1. The bill is pretty far along. It’s completed in the House and through the Senate Armed Services Committee,” he said. “I’m optimistic because, in my experi-ence, when the House and Senate have similar language, it usually makes it through. When it’s the same it looks pretty good. It shows they’re thinking along the same lines.” Republican Sen. Rob Portman believes the Air Force and Congress are in agreement that something needs to happen to keep the C-130H fleet viable. “Both the House and Senate drafts of the Defense Authorization for 2015 contain provisions that press on the Air Force to

spend money that Congress has already appropriated for C-130 upgrades. They also make clear to the Air Force that Congress supports the recommendation of the Na-tional Commission on the Structure of the Air Force that new aircraft should be fielded across the active and reserve components — something that the Air Force is not doing with their C-130 fleet,” Portman said. “Unfortunately, we don’t yet have a clear plan from the Air Force on how they plan to modernize the fleet with much needed airframe, avionics and propulsion improve-ments that would give our Guardsmen and reservists more capable aircraft and also save the taxpayer significant money.” Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Mansfield, also pointed to the National Commission on the Structure of the Air

Mechanics from the 179th Maintenance Squadron install T-56 Turbo Prop aircraft engines on one of the unit’s C-130 Hercules aircraft. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

FUTUREcontinued from page 27

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


Force as “the best place to start.” “It is up to Air Force leadership, Con-gress and the (Obama) administration to closely review and act on these recommen-dations,” Yianni Varonis, a spokesman for Sen. Brown, said. “Our reservists and members of our National Guard have proven their profes-sionalism for the last decade in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sen. Brown hopes the com-mission’s recommendations are received and implemented with the same manner of

professionalism.” Commander McCue expressed grati-tude for the support for the unit that rou-tinely emanates from Congress, which has constitutional oversight over the National Guard, and has saved the 179th from closure in the past, most recently two years ago. “Without it we wouldn’t be here, we simply wouldn’t be here, because that’s what does it. We’re very grateful,” he said.

Mechanics Staff Sgt. Ray Hernandez and Tech Sgt. Jeff Burgett make connections on a T-56 Turbo Prop aircraft engine after it was installed on one of the unit’s C-130 Hercules aircraft. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

See FUTURE Page 30

THE FIGHT

Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Mansfield, also pointed to the

National Commission on the Structure of

the Air Force as “the best place

to start.”


The same, alas, cannot be said for the Air Force. While Air Force units are largely con-fined to just a handful of states, every state, as well as most U.S. House districts, is home to members of the National Guard, which helps explain the support it receives in Washington. The Air Force, meanwhile, is a creature of the Pentagon. “Unfortunately, the budget pressures of the last few years have brought out the Pen-tagon rivalries for all to see and with some serious consequences for our forces. It takes leadership to fix this. I think Gen. (Mark) Welsh (U.S. Air Force chief of staff) and (Air Force) Secretary (Deborah Lee) James

have improved things, but there is still much work to be done,” Portman said. “The Pentagon’s perspective is it wants to keep the active-duty strong, plus they don’t have direct control over the Guard. Twenty, 30 years ago the Guard may not have had as good a reputation, but today it’s just as good at a quarter of the price,” Green said. The Air Force trims its fleet of aircraft nearly every year, and today it’s less than half the size of what it was in the 1980s, which at that time was half of size of what it had been 30 years before that. But the 179th is no stranger to lean times either. “We are living in the moment now of shrinking budgets. It’s the status quo until it changes. The goal now is to stay ready, it’s all about readiness here at the unit, keeping our folks ready to go,” McCue said. The commander said the unit has in

place a continuous process improvement program, modeled from the civilian sector, which teaches members how to do more with less. “We’re always given more stuff to do, so we always have to look at that. Too much stuff, not enough drills, we already know that. We have to get lean because our requirements are getting larger and we aren’t making any more time,” he said. “For just a fraction of the cost of an active-duty unit, we’re very cost-effective. Sixty, 70 percent of this unit are drill-status Guard members. We aren’t paying them unless they’re out here working; when they leave and go back to their jobs and their lives, we’re not paying them. What better measure is there than that?”

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Staff Sgt. Dennis Ward and Airman First Class Nathan Hall inspect for cracks in the airframe. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

FUTUREcontinued from page 29

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


By Lou Whitmire News Journal, originally published August 3, 2014

Maj. Jeremy Ford served 4 1/2 years in the U.S. Air Force before joining the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard in 2006. Ford, a pilot who was born and raised in Athens, Ohio, has deployed to Afghanistan a few times; lived in Ger-many and Budapest; and flown military aircraft in Asia, Africa and Europe along with flights for humanitarian missions. He met his wife, Melissa, at Ohio University in the ROTC program when both were active duty Air Force. They did their first assignment together at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany after he finished pilot training. Melissa grew up in a military family. She served as a personnel officer. His wife decided to separate from the Air Force and went back to school to become a registered nurse. They decided to return to Ohio, where both had family. The Lexington couple have two children, Clara and James, and are expecting their third child in October. Becoming a pilot, specifically an Air Force pilot, is the only thing Ford can remember ever wanting to be. He started out flying C-21s, a small busi-ness jet for the Air Force, flying high-ranking officials — including senators, congressmen and generals — around Africa, Asia and Europe. He learned to fly at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. He earned his private pilot’s license while at OU in 2000. He flew his first Air Force plane in 2002. “My grandfather ( James Ford, of Coolville) had his own small private plane on his farm, and he would take us for flights when we were little kids,” he said. “A big part of my passion came

from that.” His father, Richard Ford, had been in the Air Force in the intelligence field, he said. “I grew up with his library of books about the Air Force,” Ford said. “So my brother and I were always drawn to the military. My brother became a Green Beret.” He is a full-time employee at the base and enjoys flying the C-130s using night-vision goggles and sometimes landing on dirt air strips on missions to remote locations. He also flies the C-130s to allow for supplies to be air dropped onto the ground.“It’s rewarding,” he said. Ford also has been a part of disaster re-lief/humanitarian efforts and has flown planes

to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake and Hurricane Sandy. The most dangerous flights have been in Afghanistan, where he deployed the most. “From 2009 to 2010 my family and I spent a year in Budapest, Hungary, serving as a liaison officer at the embassy,” he said. Ford said he appreciates the community support the 179th has had from local resi-dents. He would like to continue to have in-teraction with the people of Richland County in the future. “For me it’s about communications, rela-tions we have in the community,” he said.

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Maj. Ford always dreamed of being a pilot

Maj. Jeremy Ford is a C-130 pilot in the 179th Airlift Wing at Lahm Air Base. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

THE FIGHT


Airman Second Class Zach Garcia checks a light in the cockpit of the Spirit of Mansfield, C-130H. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


THE PLANE


It’s a workhorse. The C-130 Hercules isn’t the newest transport aircraft the U.S. military has in the skies right now. The eight planes stationed at the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard have some years on them. Crucially, they’re not loaded with the lat-est avionics technology, equipment that will soon become essential to keep the 179th’s fleet — and by extension, its current mission — viable. But with it installed — and folks associated with the base are optimistic it will be — the C-130H will be hard to top when it comes to military transport.

“We can do it all. We can drop in the weather. You never see C-130s having any is-sues getting into anywhere. We can train and be ready to go in three days. We’re all ready to go now,” Capt. James Law, a C-130H naviga-tor at the 179th Airlift Wing, said as he stood in the plane’s loading bay. “This plane has several configurations. We can load up six pallets, we can do up to 54 paratroopers that are combat-rigged. We can do litters, put patients in here, we can basi-cally stack about 50. This can be turned into a flying medivac station. We’ve reconfigured three or four times in a day to get the mission done.” The 179th’s fleet is more than 30 years old, but its age doesn’t concern Law. “If you fix the wing boxes you can prob-ably add 20 years to the life of the aircraft. The engines are getting better. You just swap the engines out and there you are. These planes can fly for a long time, you just have to take care of them. It’s like a car. Replace some stuff, they’ll run forever,” Law said.

“It’s just a matter of money. Right now we’re in good shape. We could get some things fixed, but we’re in pretty good shape as far as keeping these planes flying. There’s nothing that would ground these aircraft.” Except for its soon-to-be-outdated avion-ics gear, that is. Without installation of the enhanced communication gear known as Au-tomatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast-Out, or ADS-B, the 179th’s C-130H aircraft could be obsolete in six years. If the legislation currently drawn up for the next National Defense Authorization Act continues to move through Congress, that shouldn’t be an issue. And with the new avionics, the C-130H will be just effective as the later, more advanced C-130J aircraft, only better, in Law’s opinion. Most active-duty units in the Air Force are now going to the J model, which began production in 1999, whereas the Guard and Reserve — units like the 179th — are

C-130H aircraft do job well, but need upgrade

SERVANT OF THE SKIES

See UPGRADE Page 35

6PART

THEPLANE

ON GUARD


Airman Second Class Zach Garcia performs duties in the cargo bay of the Spirit of Mansfield, C-130H. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

FACTS ABOUT THE C-130 HERCULES SOURCE: U.S. Air Force

Engines: Four Allison T56- A15 turbo props, 4,591 horsepowerLength: 97 feet, 9 inchesHeight: 38 feet, 10 inchesWingspan: 132 feet, 7 inchesSpeed: 366 mph at 20,000 feetCeiling: 23,000 feet with 42,000 pounds payloadMaximum takeoff weight: 155,000 poundsDate deployed: June 1974Inventory: Active duty, 145; Air National Guard, 181; Air Force Reserve, 102

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


charged with maintaining the Hercules. The J model can climb faster and higher than the Hercules, fly farther at a higher cruising speed, and is able to take off and land within a shorter distance, although the Hercules doesn’t do too shabbily in that regard, with the ability to take off and land from the same land strip if need be at the 179th’s base, across the street from Mansfield’s Lahm Airport. The C-130H flies with two pilots, a navi-gator, flight engineer and loadmaster. The J model, considerably more automated, is able to get by with just two pilots and a loadmas-ter. “That works in peacetime. It sounds good on paper, less people on the plane, but you’re not just flying A to B. This isn’t the airlines where you just load ‘em up, take ‘em over,” Law said. “We’re doing air drop, we’re doing a lot of specialized training, high-altitude halo, which is dropping Army guys anywhere from 10,000 up to 20,000 feet. There are a lot of calculations going on, which is what a naviga-tor does. Things change in theater, anything can happen and it’s nice to have those extra people delegating all those duties.” If or when the C-130H fleet gets ADS-B, however, the result will be a manpower sav-ings down the line. Under the country’s air traffic control system, radar sweeps determine what’s in the air at 15-second intervals, which is pushing it if there are a lot of planes flying. For safety’s sake, several controllers are needed to get the job done. In addition, aircraft over large bodies of water like the Gulf of Mexico aren’t picked up by the sweeps. “They don’t know where you are. You have to constantly do position reporting and it’s hard to hear so you’re repeating yourself. And you have to tell them how fast you’re going so they can predict where you’re going to be. See how archaic that is?” Law said. ADS-B, already in use by the U.S. mili-tary’s fighter aircraft, essentially utilizes GPS to talk to the satellite and the ground station, not much different in theory from the locator

app you probably have on your smartphone. “They can shrink you down to 5 nautical miles separation, which is huge. They can get more aircraft launched, it’s less manpower-intensive and you’re saving fuel. And you can get instantaneous weather. It would be nice to know 200 to 300 miles out if the weather’s bad and you’ll have to divert. The airlines can’t wait for it,” Law said. If the 179th, with its fleet of eight C-130H aircraft, wants to continue working with the FAA, it will need ADS-B. “Otherwise, we’re constantly going to be in their way and vectored around. They’re not going to say you can’t fly, but it’s just go-ing to be a hassle,” the navigator said. Rumors that the 179th’s planes wouldn’t be able to fly over the oceans without the new avionics, essentially grounding them, probably aren’t far from the truth. “It would probably get to that point because they can’t see you, which makes it dangerous. We’re going to get it, because we need to go overseas. It’s almost mission-essential. They’re not going to ground the C-130H fleet for that,” Law said. Law’s affection for the Hercules is evi-dent. He gushes over the sight of watching heavy equipment such as Jeeps and Humvees dropping off the plane’s extraction sheet. He brags about the fighter intercepts they handle on occasion. “We can’t shoot back at them, but one fighter you can defeat. We can go slower than a fighter so they have a hard time getting onto us. They’ll get tired of playing with you, they’re like, ‘I can’t get this guy,’” Law said. From the cockpit, the Hercules hardly compares with, say, an Airbus 350 WXB, but to a navigator like Law, that’s the beauty of his plane. And he’s hardly alone in that opinion. “Airlines have a lot more glass in the cockpits. There’s a lot of information in that glass that tells the pilots a lot of things. They like it, but it also takes away some of the piloting, the heritage that they love to have,” Law said. “That’s why a lot of pilots love to fly this plane. They say this is a pilot’s airplane, they call it that all the time.”

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UPGRADEcontinued from page 33

THE PLANE

“...a lot of pilots love to fly this

plane. They say this is a pilot’s

airplane, they callit that all the time.”

- Capt. James Law



Capt. Matt Bulanda, a pilot for the 164th Airlift Squadron based at the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, said he loves the diversity of the C-130 missions, including medi-cal evacuation, air drops, hauling troops and cargo. Cargo has included everything from dog food to wounded people to fire trucks. Bulanda came to the 179th in 2001 and initially served as a crew chief. He later cross-trained to be a flight engineer and within the last couple of years became a C27-J pilot and later a C-130 pilot. “One of the things I enjoy most about being a pilot is the people that I fly with and the camaraderie I have with the other crew members and, of course, all the other agencies on base that I have had the opportunity to get to know and work with,” Bulanda said. “It’s exciting about every time we get to go fly,” he said. “We always joke about how we’re getting paid to go do this.” “The thing about this airplane when we’re deployed, is it can do just about anything. We land in a certain place and, unfortu-nately, a wounded Army guy, but then we’ll drop him off and pick up ammo to drop to the troops. The diversity of what we can do and the mission is exciting,” he said. He had been deployed to Afghanistan and Kuwait and has flown to Germany, Puerto Rico, Africa and South America.As a crew chief he spent 30 days in Antarctica.His days start at 6:30 a.m. Flights begin at 11 a.m. after checking the weather and coordinating with the other crew members. He said everything is a team effort. “We always talk about you never want any surprises in the air,” Bulanda said. “We brief. We talk about what the plan is for the day. We talk about everything on the ground,” he said. Flight crew members talk about potential mock threats along the training route and potential emergencies on a mission, for example, in Afghanistan. Training is constant. He is one of the pilots who flies over Mansfield residents’ houses. Practice flights last between two to


The aeronautics company Lockheed-Martin claims there’s a C-130 Hercules in the air somewhere in the world every minute of every day. Given the dozens of Hercules variants that have been produced since the end of the Korean War, the claim is hardly a stretch. In the wake of that conflict it was evident the American military’s fleet of transport aircraft wasn’t ideally suited for modern warfare. The C-46 Comman-do, C-47 Skytrain and C-119 all had limitations. Enter the Herk. Its four turboprop engines provided the power to fly at higher altitudes, while a stronger airframe addressed the pressurization issues that arose at those altitudes. And since its creation, the C-130H has fit the bill in multiple scenarios. The aircraft have been flown into the center of hurricanes for decades now, as part of the Air Force Reserve Command’s weather reconnaissance squad-ron, without a single crash. They’ve delivered supplies to Antarctica and Greenland. They fought wildfires in the West until a crash from stress grounded the fleet in 2004. In addition to its many humanitarian missions, the Hercules has filled countless military roles over the years as well, with its gunship version, the AC-130, having taken part in virtually every U.S. combat scenario since the Vietnam War. During that conflict, the Hercules was modified into a gunship, and took out 10,000 enemy trucks. In recent years, the U.S. Marine Corps even fitted its KC-130J tankers with missiles to take out targets on the ground.

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HISTORY OF THE HERK

Bulanda enjoys diversity,

camaraderie of crew

ON GUARD: THE 179TH

Pilot joined 179th Airlift Wing at 17 years old


six hours. “We are getting ready for real-world missions,” he said. There are currently 13 pilots, he said. “We’re short-handed, so we are getting to fly a lot, which is nice,” he said. After a flight everyone sits down and debriefs, talking about the good things and bad things. “The nice thing about this world of avia-tion and Air Force, we sit down and rank is not a player, no one is in charge of anyone. If I mess something up I would expect a two-striper or a very young airman to tell me I screwed up. It’s a very open, honest discussion,” Bulanda said. He also has additional duties on days he is not flying. He is unit deployment man-ager. He is the squadron flight safety officer, working as a liaison between the leadership and the men and women who pack the parachutes and helmets and survival equip-ment. Bulanda, of Parma, resides in Lexington with his wife, Kathryn, and their 17-month-old son, William.

He joined the 179th his senior year at age 17 at Holy Name High School in Parma and started off as a crew chief. “They’re the ones (crew chief) who do the minor maintenance, changing of the tires and the brakes and doing inspections prior to the flight,” he said. Bulanda said he came to the base one weekend a month while he was in high school in a delayed entry program, before he went to basic training. To be a pilot, a Guardsman can have any bachelor’s degree, he said. He has a degree in business, starting first at Kent State University and finishing at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. He also has a private pilot license, which also is required. He said he always wanted to be a pilot, and shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, he came to the base and enlisted. He never tires of landing a C-130 on a dirt landing strip in the dark with special night glasses.

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Twitter: @Lwhitmir

Bulanda enjoys diversity,

camaraderie of crew

Capt. Matt Bulanda came to the 179th in 2001 and initially served as a crew chief. DANIEL MELOGRANA / NEWS JOURNAL

THE PLANE

“It’s exciting about every time we get to

go fly. We always joke about how

we’re getting paid to go do this.”

- Capt. Matt Bulanda


ON GUARD: THE 179TH

164th Airlift Squadron’s Loadmaster Staff Sgt. Alex Galat, from the 179th Airlift Wing, prepares for an airdrop over Afghanistan. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

7PART

THEMISSION

ON GUARD


179TH AIRLIFT WING DEPLOYMENTSCountry and number of personnel

FY12Afghanistan, 93Antarctica, 10Germany, 1Kuwait, 1United Arab Emirates, 1Kuwait, 2Afgahanistan (2nd deployment), 31Guam, 1Puerto Rico, 1United States, 1

FY13Afghanistan, 2Antarctica, 16Kuwait, 1Kyrgystan, 9Panama, 97Qatar, 1

Current FY14Afghanistan, 3Antarctica, 9Kuwait, 18

Total: 298 SOURCE: U.S. Air Force

By Lou WhitmireNews Journal, originally published August 31, 2014

How do members of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard get assigned to a job in Afghanistan? Senior Master Sgt. April Gunnoe said there are two ways the 179th Airlift Wing can get its assignments: One way is called “involuntary tasking,” in which the National Guard Bureau (the liaison from the active-duty Air Force to the Guard) tells the 179th it needs to fulfill specific tasks. Then it’s up to the 179th to determine who has the qualifications to fill the job, she said. The other way is more of a volunteer

basis. “There’s different units deploying at different times, and we’re in a group of deployment availability windows. They kind of send those out to the different units who either continually fill those deployments, have people who are ready to deploy or people who are volunteering and saying, ‘I do want to deploy’ when a specific tasking comes down,” Gunnoe said. She said the Guard is a buffer for the active Air Force, which has many airmen and others deploying. Between deployment cycles, the 179th fills short-notice tasking for ac-tive duty, replacing people who can not deploy for any number of reasons, from a broken leg to having a baby. Gunnoe said Tech. Sgt. Jacob Hergatt, 34, of Lexington, recently filled an active-duty shortfall, traveling to

... or anywhere else they’re needed

179TH: FROM MANSFIELDTO AFGHANISTAN

THE MISSION

See 179TH Page 42


Afghanistan to fill a position in air terminal operations. “Basically, I handled senior controller duties,” he said. “... We were basically the li-aison between aircraft, aircraft commanders and the users, the people sending the cargo or people,” Hergatt said. In May, Hergatt

went to Afghanistan for two months. “I got ready in two weeks,” he said. Lots of preparation occurs before any-one goes anywhere, from computer training and hands-on training to weapons qualifica-tions. Serving in Afghanistan on a base, Her-gatt worked in a secured building and was the only Guardsman from the 179th on this assignment. “You make the best of it,” he said. He

spent his time in a base operations center. A full-time Guardsman at the 179th, in Afghanistan Hergatt worked 12 hours a day, six days a week. “I’ve been to Afghanistan before, the same base. It was a lot less exciting. ... You do your job, sleep and you work out,” he said. “It’s easy to describe. You stay safe.” He was able to communicate with loved ones via Facebook, Skype, email and Face-time.

Tech. Sgt. Jacob Hergatt of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard returned from Afghanistan this summer after he spent a 2.5-month deployment working in air terminal operations on an undisclosed base. Jones Potato Chips of Mansfield sent him a box of goodies while he was stationed overseas. SUBMITTED PHOTO

179THcontinued from page 41

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


Hergatt said when he arrived in Af-ghanistan, it was overwhelming at first. “I’ve met some of my really good friends who I still talk to today who I de-ployed with eight years ago,” he said. “You have to be open to all new ideas. All leaders are different, all supervisors are different, and you have to be understanding of that when you go into a situation. ... Everyone is there for the same reasons. We basically just come together because that’s what we’re there for.” In 2011, Hergatt traveled to Afghani-stan with the C-27J with about 48 mem-bers of the 179th. “The National Guard Bureau obligates Guard members and resources to AEF, or Aerospace Expeditionary Force, taskings to help relieve active duty from over-commit-ting,” Gunnoe said. “The National Guard is committed by contract to fill individual deployments to different areas. NGB as-signs those tasks to the Air National Guard or Army National Guard. From there, the tasks filter out to the 88 flying units in the Air National Guard and each wing asks for volunteers to fill them. AEF rotations are nice because it allows the Plans office to have an idea of when those tasks might come down so each troop can be ready, compared to a Crisis Action deployment that is a rush to action whenever an emer-gency happens. “The AEF rotation construct is predict-able so that airmen know when to expect deployments, and the Plans office can watch for those coming from the Guard Bureau,” Gunnoe said. Come April 2015, the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard would deploy as a whole instead of deploy-ing in small numbers, which has historically been the norm. “Even though the 179th is converting aircrafts from the C-27J to the C-130H right now, we are still deploying people. That is a demonstration of the caliber of our troops. Our unit is not tasked to deploy in 2015,” Gunnoe said. “We’re in line to go within the next few years. The year 2015 is going to be the start of where wings will go as a whole.” “Instead of having security forces

deploy in these months and aerial port deploy in these months, the 179th is going to deploy together,” Gunnoe said. When the whole wing goes on a de-ployment, traditional Guard members will come in to back fill for full-time employees at the base, Gunnoe said. Tech. Sgt. Katie Casto, who works directly for Sgt. Gunnoe, came into the logistics plans office about a year ago from force support services. “One of the things I appreciate most in the position I’m in now is we can really take care of our airmen, that they get the training they need to be safe where they’re going and get to where they’re going when they’re supposed to be there and get there in a timely manner and get back home, back to their family,” she said. There is a lot of paperwork involved. “It’s a great job. And it’s awesome knowing at our level we have such an impact on so many things worldwide, and I think we can only see that from our office and see how a citizen soldier can make an impact in Afghanistan or wherever we go,” she said. Airman 1st Class Breanna Oswalt, of Mount Vernon, who works in personnel readiness, works hand-in-hand with the plans office, planning for cargo and equip-ment. Her job is working with the personnel side, medically and financially, and coordi-nating with all the different functions. “I’m coordinating to make sure the member is ready to go,” she said. Oswalt is the wing’s final set of eyes on every checklist, from immunizations and gear to payroll and insurance. In 2010, 860 members of the 179th deployed in small groups at various times during the fiscal year, from October to September, with the C-27J, Oswalt said. There are fewer deployers in 2013 because of the change in mission. But the 179th still deployed 126 members to seven different locations, including two locations in Afghanistan, Antarctica, Kuwait and Panama.

[email protected]

Twitter: @Lwhitmir

THE MISSION

“It’s a great job. And it’s awesome knowing at our

level we have such an impact on so

many things worldwide...”

- Tech Sgt. Katie Casto



Master Sgt. Zak Eggeman has been deployed overseas several times, having served the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard for 19 years. Initially working in the aerial port load-ing planes as a traditional Guardsman, he traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2001, Kuwait in 2002 and two deployments in Afghanistan in 2011, the latter deployment carrying into

2012, delivering goods to war fighters. He also has traveled to Korea, Hawaii, Alaska, Dover and Delaware. A 1995 Ontario High School graduate, Eggeman said he was 17 when he graduated and decided to head to the base looking for a way to pay for his college education. He began his education at the University of Toledo and completed it at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, majoring in business administration, taking night classes. “I don’t even think I knew about this

base when I was in high school. My buddy’s dad was former Marine Corps. My friend was the one who told me about it, so we came to the recruiting station and asked about a job here and decided to do it,” he said. Eggeman said at first it was mainly to pay for college. He liked what he found and made the Guard his career. “I fell in love with what I was doing,” he said of his first tour in Dover, Delaware.

Eggeman has seen much of the world with the 179th Airlift Wing

Two C-130s returned to the 179th Airlift Wing from Alaska. DANIEL MELOGRANA / NEWS JOURNAL

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


Master Sgt. Zak Eggeman has been deployed overseas several times, having served the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard for 19 years. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

“I saw the mission we were running was helping the cause, delivering the goods to the war fighters, maybe not on the very front lines, but we were getting it to where it needed to go.” Eggeman said he worked at UPS as a supervisor after college before he was able to become a full-time employee at the 179th. In April, he married Second Lt. Jez Eggeman, who is a logistics officer at the 200th RED HORSE unit, also based at Lahm Airport. The couple met at work. His

wife was formerly with the 179th before transferring to the 200th RED HORSE. Since May 2013, he has been assigned to the 179th Command Post as superinten-dent, a job he said he loves. The secured area is a focal point for all information coming in and going out of the base, including monitoring missions, any type of emergency actions and disseminat-ing any and all necessary information.

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Twitter: @Lwhitmir

THE MISSION

“I saw the mission we were running was

helping the cause, delivering the goods to the war fighters, maybe not on the

very front lines, but we were getting it to

where it needed to go,” Eggeman said of his first tour in

Dover, Delaware.


Tech. Sgt. Mark Dulworth does sit-ups during his PT test during drill weekend at the 179th Airlift Wing. JASON MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL

ON GUARD: THE 179TH

8PART

THEDRILL

ON GUARD


THE DRILL

By Lou Whitmire News Journal, originally published Sept. 14, 2014

Drill weekend had just begun at 8 a.m. Satur-day, and Lt. Col. John “Snags” Bletner of Bellville was standing front and center, receiving an honor

very few members of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio National Guard have received. Bletner, a navigator, received a flying-hour milestone, having flown 10,300-plus total hours

179th Airlift Wing always prepared for deployment

Members of the 179th Airlift Wing are briefed at the start of drill weekend on the base. JASON MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL

DRILL WEEKEND:PREPARING THE 179TH

See DRILL Page 48


during his career. Saturday morning he received a standing ovation from his peers. Bletner joined the guard in 1994, having completed missions since 1989 to Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Somalia, Sarajevo and Haiti. Since 2001, he has participated in 11 deployments to the combat zone, Lt. Col. Jeff Charette said. The last time anyone from the 179th received such an award for flying 10,000 or more miles was 1992, Charette said. That individual was Lt. Col. James Smith, lauded for 15,000 hours then. Saturday and today, the 179th Airlift Wing base is a flurry of activity with a surge of personnel on base, an increase from the regular weekday core group of about 200 per-sonnel to roughly 1,200-plus Guard members, all participating in drill weekend at the 179th Airlift Wing base at Mansfield Lahm Airport. On drill weekends, Guard members pause their civilian lives and resume their military careers. Guard members spend two days a month at drill weekend and 14 days a year on annual training. There is no time to waste. They have 24 days a year to complete the same amount of training required by the Air Force that active duty has in 365 days. Maj. Kelly Shifflet, director of personnel at the base, said the main job of base person-nel during the week is to get ready for the surge and have Guard members’ schedules ready for drill weekends. “It is action-packed. We only see them two days a month, and we have to fit every-thing in,” Shifflet said. “Our main job is to get them trained, qualified and ready for deployment should that occur,” she added. Shifflet said training includes a newcom-ers briefing for all of those who have never been to the base before. “This base, our manning is in surge mode because we’re converting aircraft and we received additional manpower,” Shifflet said. “We have had 239 new members into the military this year. That makes all of our offices busier,” she said.

Lauren Winters, 18, of Toledo, was on hand Saturday for the drill weekend. She has yet to go to basic training, and joined the 179th after graduating from Southview High School in June. This was her third drill. Winters, who will be part of the public af-fairs office, said she joined to help pay for her future college education. She enjoys photog-raphy and graphic design. “Drill is getting to know the Air Force,” she said. “Drill is a whirlwind of learning for me.” She said her dad was active-duty Air Force and she liked what he told her about the military while she was growing up. “My grandpa and my great-grandpa were in the Army, and I’m the first female to join the military in my family,” she said Training includes “PT,” or physical train-ing, which includes a 1.5-mile run, push-ups, sit-ups and a waist measurement. All requirements must be met to remain in the the military. The culture of the Air Force has offered a fit-to-fight mentality in bringing PT to the limelight, officials said. Lt. Tim Gribble, a Galion native now liv-ing in Delaware, was on hand overseeing the testing in a crowded room of 15 to 30 Guard members at a time, all wearing T-shirts, tennis shoes and sweat pants or shorts. “Even though we’re the Air Guard in Mansfield, we’ve got to be fit to fight,” Gribble said. Col. Jodie Harvey of Lucas has spent many drill weekends at the base, reaching the 30-year mark come December. An outpatient recovery room nurse at OhioHealth MedCentral Mansfield Hospital for the past 24 years, Harvey is the command-er who oversees the clinic that makes sure every Guard member is medically qualified to deploy. The medical clinic was a very busy place Saturday with doctors and nurses, many of whom participate in humanitarian efforts. Saturday they were assisting Guard members with everything from dental exams to blood draws. The Guard members ended work Satur-day at 4:30 p.m. and later attended an awards banquet. Today they will report back at 8 a.m.

[email protected]

Twitter: @Lwhitmir

DRILLcontinued from page 47

ON GUARD: THE 179TH

Training includes “PT”, or physical

training, which includes a 1.5-mile

run, push-ups, sit-ups and a waist measurement. All requirements must be met to remain in

the military.


THE DRILL

By Todd HillNews Journal, originally published Sept. 14, 2014

The time is now to contact your local representatives in Washington about the need to upgrade the fleet of C-130H planes that call units like the 179th Airlift Wing home, according to Rich Green, former commander of the 179th and now leader of the Mansfield Military Affairs Council. “It’s very much a timing thing. This is the right time to make your input,” he said. “While we definitely have the support of our senators and locally elected members of Congress, it never hurts to keep the cards and letters coming.” Under current federal regulations, the 179th’s eight C-130 Hercules aircraft will be prevented from flying across much of the globe in six years unless enhanced commu-nication gear, technically known as Auto-matic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast-Out, is installed on them. As presently drawn up, the military’s avionics modernization program for the hundreds of C-130H transport planes in use across the nation does not include this technology, which would render the planes — and possibly by extension the units whose mission it is to fly them — irrelevant by 2020. “This would make Guard aircraft incapable of global operations, ultimately restricting airlift capability and diminishing the Guard’s role as an operational reserve of the active component,” said Pete Duffy, legislative director for the National Guard Association of the United States.But legislative language coalescing into the next National Defense Authorization Act could save the nation’s C-130H fleet from obsolescence. “I’m optimistic because, in my experi-ence, when the House and Senate have similar language, it usually makes it through. When it’s the same, it looks pretty good. It shows they’re thinking along the same lines,” Green said. Congress was in recess for five weeks, what it calls “district work periods,” before

returning to a lightly scheduled two-week session Monday. That will be followed by another recess lasting past Election Day on Nov. 4. And there are signs the authoriza-tion act could be running out of time. “It’s supposed to be done before the end of the fiscal year, which is the end of this month, but this is an election year and members are focused on getting re-elect-ed,” Green said. While every plane in the sky will be re-quired to install ADS-B by 2020 if it wants to continue flying everywhere it does now, installation costs for most private general

aviation planes will run about $5,000. Putting the new avionics on a C-130H will cost closer to six figures. “The NGAUS has a pot of money Con-gress gives it that it can use for upgrades, so hopefully it can modify the planes using money from that fund,” Green said. “That has to help a little bit.” People can write their U.S. representa-tive and senator by visiting their elected officials’ websites or www.ngaus.org, which has a link to do so set up on its home page.

[email protected]


Guard group seeks public help on C-130H alert

Airman Second Class Zach Garcia checks a light in the cockpit of the Spirit of Mansfield, C-130H. DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL


Lt. Col. Kevin Stanich gives a member of the 179th an examination during drill weekend. JASON J. MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL

The 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard awards banquet was held Saturday night.

Outstanding Airmen of the Year winners were:• Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year: Master Sgt. Dennis Folk

• Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year: Master Sgt. Todd Ashcroft

• Airman of the Year: Sr. Airman Jordyn Discenzo

• Company Grade Officer of the Year: Capt. Ryan McMaster

• 1st Sergeant of the Year: Sr. Master Sgt. Rachelle Newson

• Base Honor Guard Member of the Year: Staff Sgt. Kurt Dieringer

179th honors top-flight members

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


By Lou WhitmireNews Journal, originally published Sept. 14, 2014

Dr. Kevin Stanich is a dentist on many fronts, working in his Jackson Township practice for the past 15 years while also serving as a lieutenant colonel in the medi-cal clinic at the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard. Stanich graduated from The University of Akron in 1994 for his undergraduate education, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in classical civilizations and a minor in anthropology. He then graduated from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry in 1999. He has served at the 179th Mansfield military base since 2001. On Saturday he had a busy schedule, providing comprehensive dental exams to numerous guard members during drill weekend at the 179th base at Mansfield Lahm Airport. Today, his work to make sure everyone is deployable continues at 8 a.m. Stanich, who is a native of Barberton, said he was sworn in as a member of the 179th on Sept. 26, 2001, shortly after the terrorist attacks on the United States. His wife, who was eight months pregnant with their first child, was by his side. While Stanich works in the 179th medical clinic, he too will perform his PT, or physical training test, like all the other 179th members this weekend. “They even make a dentist run,” he said with a laugh. Stanich said his father and his uncles were all World War II veterans. His brother Ronald Stanich was a fighter pilot with the 179th, who also became the base dentist and medical group commander before retir-ing with 33 years of service. “I kind of grew up knowing about the service,” he said.

The friendly dentist has spent a lot of time helping others. With the 179th, he traveled to northern California to provide care to at-risk children on the Hoopa Indian reservation. He has helped the homeless in Hawaii with dental care. “We took the at-risk kids (on the Indian reservation) and sedated them, and did full mouth rehabs for them. Sometimes we’re doing 18 restorations in a child with only 20 teeth,” he said. “They were the more extreme cases that the dentist there could not do because they had high anxiety, they could not get them to sit still.” That experience required a team of medical personnel from the 179th clinic, including nurses and nurse anesthetists. This summer he traveled to England to do full dental treatments on U.S. service members on a deployment where there was a shortage of dentists. As part of his job, Stanich is respon-sible for dental examinations on service members at the 179th, members of 200th REDHORSE Detachment unit in Mans-field and 200th REDHORSE members at Camp Perry. “I feel like I’m giving back to a wonder-ful country that we have. This is my contri-bution,” he said. “Freedom is not free, and we forget about that sometimes. I’m here to support everybody that is here.” In his spare time, he is busy in his dental practice. He and his wife have three chil-dren. He is a Cub Scout leader and coaches baseball and football. “I like working with the positive people on base, that’s why I keep coming back,” Stanich said.

[email protected]

Twitter: @Lwhitmir

Lt. Col. Kevin Stanich,a dentist, is doing his part

THE DRILL

“I like working with the positive people on base,

that’s why I keep coming back.”

- Lt. Col. Kevin Stanich


ON GUARD: THE 179TH

RIGHT: In 2008, members from the 179th Airlift Wing Medical Group traveled to northern California to provide assis-tance to the Hoopa Indian Reservation. PHOTOS BY AIR NATIONAL GUARD MASTER SGT. LISA HAUN

9PART

THEHELP

ON GUARD


THE HELP

MISSIONS OF MERCY

In 2009, members from the 179th Airlift Wing Medical Group performed hundreds of physicals for children in Hawaii on a trip for humanitarian efforts. PHOTOS BY AIR NATIONAL GUARD MASTER SGT. LISA HAUN


179th Airlift Wing humanitarian efforts encompass the globe

In 2008, members from the 179th Airlift Wing Medical Group traveled to northern California to provide assistance to the Hoopa Indian Reservation. PHOTOS BY AIR NATIONAL GUARD MASTER SGT. LISA HAUN

ON GUARD: THE 179TH



While members of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio National Guard have served the United States on numerous deployments since 1948, guard members also assist on missions within U.S bor-ders and humanitarian efforts around the world. The 179th’s cargo planes have been used to haul grain to Third World countries and have helped in the aftermath of natural disasters, such as flooding in southern Ohio in 1996. Only the governor can call upon reserve units like the 179th to respond to state emergencies. The president can activate or place a reservist on active duty for federal purposes, usually in the case of a war-time event. The National Guard is a state asset and belongs to the governor. The 179th Airlift Wing at one time was primarily focused on fighting planes, but it gradually became cargo-oriented. And those changes may be what has kept it open as other military installments across the country closed. Cargo planes can be used during peacetime as well as war.Often, the Mansfield unit’s humanitarian efforts include its C-130s.

Around the world,across the nation The 179th participated in Operation Buckeye Guardian in support of the U.S. Border Patrol. Thirteen sorties, 180 troops and 14 tons of cargo were ferried to the U.S.-Mexico border. Members from the 179th were used in medical services and as part of the security force. From 2003 to 2009, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, members of the 179th put in more than 3,000 flying hours and hauled

33,000 passengers and 3,800 tons of cargo. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the local unit contributed 46 missions, 265 hours of flying time and moved 1,300 people in and out of the area. Thirteen missions brought in more than 500 Ohio Army Guard troops to secure the area. More than 300 tons of equipment, food and supplies were delivered in 28 days. Lt. Col. Jeff Charette recalled three C-130s were activated to fly to Springfield to pick up Army Guard troops and deliver them to New Orleans, where they were sent to places such as the Superdome to provide security. “The C-130s and 2 KC-135s from Rickenbacker were the first to land, after two days of no support from federal agen-cies. The C-130s were brought in because it was dark, landing at 1 a.m. with night vision goggles. The airport runway lights were out, there were no facilities, the tower was out and there were no controls. It was significant that six Air National Guard units were the first to respond,” Clarette said. In 2005, 10 service flight workers at the 179th traveled to Gulfport, Missis-sippi, another area ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. Local airmen helped provide meal service for thousands of military members and aided residents in Katrina’s aftermath. News Journal staff accompanied the guard on this trip. Also in 2005, members of the 179th Airlift Wing traveled to Uzbekistan, to Karshi-Knanabad Air Base, and made a pinpoint drop of more than 13,000 pounds of supplies. Packed with food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies, the Ohio Air National Guard C-130 Hercules flew over an Afghan mountainous region, successfully dropping cargo to the remote area, according to an article in the News Journal. In 2008, the 179th was recognized for achieving more than 140,000 “accident-free flying” hours over a 40-year period. Additional awards have included The

See MERCY Page 56

THE HELP

In 2008, the 179th was recognized for achieving more than 140,000

“accident-free flying” hours over a

40-year period.


A glimpse at some of the 179th Airlift Wing’s humanitarian efforts:• Operation “Provide Relief ” (Somalia Humanitarian Airlift, 1992-1993)

• Operation “Provide Promise” (Bosnia Humanitarian Airlift, 1993-1994)

• Operation “Restore Democracy” (Haiti Operational Airlift, 1994)

• Operation “Southern Watch” (Saudi Arabia Operational Airlift 1991-2001)

• Operation “Enduring Freedom” (Afghanistan Operational Airlift 2001-2008)

• Operation “Iraqi Freedom” (Iraq Operational Airlift 2003-2008)

AT A GLANCE

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the ANG Comptroller of the Year, the MAC Outstanding Intelligence Branch of the Year, the ANG Maintenance Effectiveness Award, as well as the Col. Alan P. Tappan Outstanding Unit Award for Superior Performance. For many years, 179th supported Operation Cornet Oak in Puerto Rico, in support of the command located there. The C-130s were used to respond to events all over Central and South America and moved people, equipment and supplies to different locations. Because the C-130s were in Puerto Rico, they were quick to respond to the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. In 2012, after Hurricane Sandy hit New York, three C-27J Spartans responded, including one from the 179th, one from Maryland and one from Mississippi. The aircraft met at Akron Airport and trans-ported Ohio Army troops to help secure the area. In 2011-12, during Operation Enduring Freedom, the 179th used aircraft to support the Army and flew more than 2,100 hours, transported more than 21,000 passengers and moved 1,200 tons of cargo. If it appears recently that the 179th is

lacking in humanitarian efforts it’s because during the conversions to different aircraft, the aircraft and flying teams spend most of their flying time retraining for the new mis-sion. Teams need to be highly qualified before attempting to enter into devastated areas, according to the base.

Medical care on the way Many humanitarian efforts involve the Medical Group at the 179th. Col. Jodie Harvey, who has worked with the 179th for almost 30 years, has taken part in many of those missions. An outpatient recovery room nurse at OhioHealth MedCentral Mansfield Hospi-tal for 24 years, Harvey is the commander who oversees the clinic that makes sure every guard member is medically qualified to deploy. The Medical Group is comprised of 56 health care professionals that manage the Individual Medical Readiness status of all 179th Airlift Wing and 200th Redhorse Squadron personnel. This year, the Medical Group orga-nized a multi-unit annual training event to Lakenheath Royal Air Force, near the town of Suffolk, England. Members from the 180th Medical Group in Toledo and the 121st Medical Group in Columbus

joined the Mansfield unit in accomplishing annual training objectives. While deployed, members worked in the military treatment facility and received on-the-job training while working side-by-side with active-duty counterparts, Harvey said. The Medical Group also participated in Guard Care 2014, Harvey said. “This annual event allows medically underserved communities within Ohio to receive free health screening services. The program provides Ohio National Guard personnel — Army and Air National Guard — with an innovative readiness training op-portunity while supporting our community mission,” Harvey said. Clinton County was selected by the Ohio Department of Health to host this year’s event, which marks the 20th year of the Guard Care Program. “We will continue supporting this program annually; next year’s event will be held in Williams County in 2015,” Harvey said. “The most memorable experiences of my career have been serving on humanitar-ian missions. Whether serving stateside or in a Third World country, providing assistance to the medically under-served is very rewarding,” Harvey said.

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MERCYcontinued from page 55

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


THE HELP


Capt. Devin Conway loves her job as a clinical nurse with the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard.She joined the guard 15 years ago, after graduating from Lakewood High School. “For patriotic reasons, to be a part of something bigger than myself, I joined the medical group because I enjoy caring for others and working in the medical field. I also took advantage of tuition assistance and used it to obtain my BSN in nursing from Cleveland State University,” she said. Conway also is a registered nurse with the Cleveland Clinic. Her focus is nurs-ing education and the cardiopulmonary resuscitation department, where she teaches multiple life-support and lifesaving courses. She and her husband, Neil, also a veteran, and their children live in North Olmsted.

“We have a very supportive family in which we would not be able to do all of this without. I have had many great opportunities in the guard that include working on humani-tarian trips and assisting with community events such as Guard Care (public health) and Special Olympics,” she said. Humanitarian efforts she participated in include going to Belize in Central America, where 179th personnel performed more than 6,000 procedures that included bringing the equipment needed to give a young girl a hear-ing aid. “I will never forget witnessing the young girl having the ability to hear for the first time and the tears that were brought to her eyes. The physicians were able to perform many physicals and procedures to help the popula-tion there, along with dental care, and passed out hundreds of eyeglasses,” she said. Conway went to two Indian reserva-tions in California, where she assisted with

immunizations, education and home visits. The dentists there also performed multiple procedures. Among other things through her job at the 179th, she has worked with public health officials in immunization clinics, giving shots to many adults and children. Conway has attended the Special Olym-pics in Columbus multiple times, where members of the 179th have assisted with medical support and first aid. “It was an honor working at Special Olympics and being apart of such a big event,” she said. Her roles through the years at the 179th include being an emergency medical techni-cian. Currently she is a clinical nurse oversee-ing emergency resuscitation training on the base and oversees the unit’s EMTs.

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Meet Capt. Devin Conway, a 179th nurse

Capt. Devin Conway, a clinical nurse at the 179th Airlift Wing, works at her desk. JASON J. MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL


One of two additional C-130 cargo planes arrives at the 179th Airlift Wing. JASON J. MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL

ON GUARD: THE 179TH

10PART

THEIMPACT

ON GUARD


‘A HEALTHYRELATIONSHIP’

THE IMPACT


ON GUARD: THE 179TH

Capt. Beth Maclellan works at her desk at the 179th Airlift Wing. JASON J. MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL


THE IMPACT

By Todd HillNews Journal, originally published Oct. 12, 2014

It would be perfectly understandable if Beth Maclellan and her husband, Jerimy, chose to spend much of their free time in Columbus, since his family is from there. But the Lexington residents, both of whom are part of the Air National Guard’s 179th Airlift Wing, can be found more often in the Mansfield area. There’s a good reason for that. “Our babies don’t like car seats, so I don’t like to drive really far,” said Beth Maclellan, a captain in the Guard and a full-time employee at the base. Actually, there’s a little bit more to it than that. “It’s actually kind of a hidden gem almost, Mansfield is. I didn’t know too much about Mansfield, but after we drove around in that square and the carrousel’s down there and there’s events going on, I was like, ‘How did we not know about this?’” Maclellan said. “We didn’t really realize how involved Mansfield was and how involved the base is with Mansfield itself. I think it’s a pretty profitable and healthy relationship.” It’s also a mutually beneficial one. While the 179th is populated today with

full-time staffers who, during their weekend Guard drills at the base, liked what they saw enough to eventually move here, Mansfield, along with many other communities in Richland County, benefits from their pres-ence financially. “I can’t overestimate the impact the 179th has on the local economy, from hotels to retail businesses, and of course it makes a huge dent in overall payroll,” said state Rep. Mark Romanchuk, R-Ontario. “They have a very big impact, and we will continue the fight to keep them here,” said Tim Bowersock, economic develop-ment director for the city of Mansfield. “They work with local businesses as much as they can, although they have larger contracts through Columbus and the military depots. “When you factor in their procurement of local goods and services, every full-time job at the base represents half a job in the supply chain.” Although the number routinely fluctu-ates, the 179th presently has 280 to 290 full-time workers at the base, according to its commander, Col. Gary McCue. Dur-ing monthly drill weekends, the number of personnel there soars to 1,050 to 1,100. “We have a contract with an area hotel, but we’re about to change that because we like to share the love,” the colonel said. Specifically, the 179th Airlift Wing, to-gether with the 200th Red Horse Squadron, also based at the facility that sits across from Lahm Airport on Mansfield’s north side, was responsible for 318.37 indirect jobs in the community last year, according to the wing’s latest annual report. The estimated annual

dollar value of those indirect jobs was $10.6 million. Simply put, if the 179th weren’t here, it would be missed. “From a city standpoint we would lose the income tax, and we would lose on the utility end of it, water and sewer. And out in the community, the jobs that support base activities would be lost,” Bowersock said. “Their impact is actually similar to what GM’s was, although it’s a whole different set of factors.” Might Mansfield actually be at risk of losing its Air National Guard men and women? “We’re here at the pleasure of the state, so there’s a little bit less of that permanence, but as far as myself, I feel that my role here is solidified because the leadership here on this base does talk about everyone’s role and how it fits into what we’re doing here as a wing,” Maclellan said. “The Guard expands and contracts, and it moves a bit differently than active duty does, but as far as the wing goes, the leader-ship here is very good about ensuring that it takes care of its folks.” Although Air Guard units like the 179th have faced threats of mission loss and even closure in the past because of military re-alignments and drawdowns, Mansfield’s base has a seemingly solid transport mission right now with eight C-130H aircraft, the last two of which arrived at the base from Arkansas last week. But that mission will remain solid only

179th, community gain from base’s economic impact

See IMPACT Page 62


if Congress decides to modernize the C-130H fleet’s avionics by 2020. Otherwise, the planes will essentially be rendered obsolete. “Heaven knows we need the Guard. They’re vital in natural disasters, and they did a great job in Toledo providing the residents there with fresh water over the summer (during an algal outbreak),” Romanchuk said. “Every chance we get, we tell officials at the federal level of the importance of the 179th. The mayor has meetings regularly with state and federal representatives,” Bowersock said. “Mark Romanchuk is on the same committee that I’m on at (the Richland County Development Group), and we meet every month. We participate in every letter-writing campaign. “It’s a never-ending battle to keep them here.” It’s a battle that takes up a lot of Col. McCue’s time as well.“We reach out to the community constant-ly; it’s most of what I do. I think people have a pretty good idea of what we do, especially here in the city,” he said. Maclellan and her husband moved to the Mansfield area after they both left active duty in the Air Force earlier this year. Beth works full-time at the 179th in the inspector general’s office, while Jerimy serves as a weekend warrior as he trains to become a pilot for Delta. Beth originally joined the military after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. “It made me mad. I thought, you know, I’m not going to let them do that so I’m go-ing to do my part in my little corner of the world, and so that’s why I wanted to join the military,” she said. After she and Jerimy left active duty, however, “it wasn’t sitting very well that we would no longer be in service to our country,” Beth said. “That was rubbing us a little bit wrong, so we decided we’d really like to join the Air National Guard.” Maclellan observed that, while some of the civilians she meets in the Mansfield

area might not initially be familiar with the 179th or its mission, “they’re very curious, they want to talk about it, they may have family members who have served. It’s nice. It feels very patriotic.” In fact, when it comes to patriotism, the 179th Airlift Wing is second to none, literally. For the second straight year, the unit has recruited more new members into the Air National Guard — 251 — than any of the other 110 units across the U.S.“I feel really good that we broke the record again. I’m very proud of that. Folks in Ohio are very patriotic,” McCue said. The colonel noted that the Ohio Na-tional Guard Scholarship Program makes recruitment an easier job for the 179th. Under the program, which is funded anew each year by the Ohio General Assembly, six-year enlistees in the Army and Air Guard see 100 percent of their college tuition paid for over eight semesters. “Some states don’t do that. Ohio does it. Getting your college tuition paid for is unbeatable,” McCue said. The reality, however, is that, with Washington always looking to cut corners wherever possible, marketing has now become a major part of the 179th Airlift Wing’s mission as well. During a ceremony Thursday, for ex-ample, the base is going to dedicate the rest of its C-130H fleet for cities and villages in Richland County; the Spirit of Mansfield was christened last summer. “It’s a special thing we’re doing, dedicating these birds for the surrounding community,” the colonel said. That teamwork mentality, Maclellan said, was a big reason why she and her husband wound up at the 179th — and, by extension, Richland County — four months ago. “We work hard, we’re a family, and we’re going to get the mission done,” she said. “That’s why we came here.”

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IMPACTcontinued from page 61

ON GUARD: THE 179TH

“We work hard,we’re family,

and we’re goingto get the missiondone. That’s whywe came here.”

- Capt. Beth Maclellan


THE IMPACT

By Lou WhitmireNews Journal, originally published Oct. 12, 2014

Tech Sgt. Justin Flores works on propul-sion systems — including the engines and propellers of the C-130Hs — at the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard base at Mansfield Lahm Airport. His mechanical skills are put to work in some faraway places, too. Flores, 27, who lives outside Mansfield near Charles Mill Lake, has deployed to Germany, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Afghanistan and Antarctica since joining the wing in 2005. Come January, Flores will return to Antarctica. Guard members from the 179th support the 109th Stratton Airlift Wing out of New York in Antarctica. The C-130s are equipped with skis to land on ice and snow. “We help because there is high demand, a lot of people that have to go year in and year out, and that’s why we help. We’ve de-veloped such a good relationship with them.

We deployed with them to Afghanistan in 2009, and shortly after that, we started going to the ice,” he said. “It started with a few of us going, and now 25 to 30 from mainte-nance go to give them a break from having to go so much.” The mission formerly belonged to the Coast Guard. Flores said the deployment rotation to Antarctica is for anywhere from a month to 2 1/2 months. In January, he will go with sev-eral others from maintenance at the 179th working 12- to 14-hour shifts, working and sleeping in 24 hours of daylight. Flores said he and other mechanics fix things, working six or seven days a week. Temperatures are sometimes like Ohio, as January is the dead of their summer, he added. “(The 109th) is tasked to help the National Science Foundation,” Flores said. “That could be hauling workers, scientists, equipment. “The open season for the scientists and

for us is typically October through the end of February.” He said the 109th also does search and rescue and mapping the path for all the vehicles that travel on the ice. Flores said the scientists study the world’s southernmost volcano, at McMurdo Station on Ross Island in Antarctica. Sci-entists also study migration of animals and more. “I like going there,” he said. “It’s pretty fun to go to Antarctica,” he said. Originally from Texas, Flores has been full time since 2008 as an aircraft mechanic at the base. In April, he completed his bachelor’s degree in technical management and is studying toward his MBA. He works with several other guard mem-bers in the shop, building up spare propel-lers and engines.

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Mechanic fixes planes in Antarctica

LEFT: Tech. Sgt. Justin Flores inspects an engine at the 179th Airlift Wing. JASON J. MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL


ON GUARD: THE 179TH


Language in the U.S. House and Sen-ate versions of the next National Defense Authorization Act suggests that the 179th Airlift Wing’s fleet of eight C-130H trans-port aircraft will likely receive its essential avionics upgrade before time runs out for the planes. Under current federal regulations, the 179th’s aircraft will be prevented from flying across much of the globe in six years unless enhanced communication gear, known tech-nically as Automatic Dependent Surveil-lance Broadcast-Out, is installed on them. While that now appears likely, estimat-ing a time frame for the upgrade is a fool’s errand at best. And with midterm elections less than a month away, assuming how Con-gress will act in the future also is a sketchy proposition.

The legislative body was unable to pass the NDAA before leaving for an electioneer-ing recess on Oct. 1, settling for a continuing resolution instead. Although that expires Dec. 11, it’s possible Congress will kick the NDAA can further down the road then and pass yet another continuing resolution. “I believe we can be safe to assume that, as it stands now, Congress is supportive of ensuring the reserve component C-130H fleet is modernized and in a position to operate well into the future. However, there are some that think that, if the Senate was to shift leadership after the November elec-tion to Republican control, that the NDAA might change significantly,” said Rich Green, former commander of the 179th and now leader of the Mansfield Military Affairs Council. “Although this might be true from a technical perspective, and the Republi-

cans may invoke some changes, logic tells us that support for the fleet will probably survive any potential changes. But until the president signs the NDAA, anything can happen.” In the meantime, Green is encouraging Richland County residents to contact their representatives in Washington, D.C., about the need to upgrade the fleet of C-130H planes that call units such as the 179th Airlift Wing home. People can write their U.S. representa-tive and senators by visiting their elected officials’ website or the website for the National Guard Association of the United States, www.ngaus.org, which has a link to do so set up on its home page.

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C-130H upgrade stalls in CongressTwo C-130s returned to the 179th Airlift wing Friday from Alaska. DANIEL MELOGRANA / NEWS JOURNAL


THE SPIRIT

Rodney Snyder, a member of the 179th Airlift Wing, removes the last strips of tape covering up the “Spirit of Clear Fork Valley” on an airlift place during a dedication ceremony at the Mansfield Lahm Airport. LISA BERNHEIM / NEWS JOURNAL

11PART

THESPIRIT

ON GUARD


179th is

PHOTO: One of two additional C-130 airplanes arrives at the 179th Airlift Wing. JASON J. MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


pride of Mansfield

THE SPIRIT



There is something special about the relationship between the 179th Airlift Wing and Mansfield-area residents.It is akin to a spiritual connection. Maybe it is simply patriotism, or maybe it is a sense of security or awe from seeing the big planes in the sky. While members of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio National Guard have served the United States on numerous de-ployments since 1948, guard members also assist on missions within U.S. borders and humanitarian efforts around the world. They also help out here at home.Guard members are our neighbors and friends. They volunteer in the community at United Way of Richland County agencies, Earth Day and more. Kevin Nestor, former Richland Area Chamber of Commerce president, said military aviation is in Mansfield’s blood. “Our city is directly connected to the very beginning of powered flight and military aviation through native son Frank Lahm, who was the first American military officer to fly with the Wright brothers and also America’s first military aviator,” Nestor said. “You look at today and the continued outstanding performance and success of the 179th Airlift Wing as recognized through the many awards they’ve received, it’s sort of

a continuation of that legacy of flight excel-lence that Frank Lahm started,” Nestor said. Nestor said the patriotism of people in this area is also reflected in the high man-ning level, high retention level and overall excellence in performance of the 179th. “I believe the air base broadens our local community’s understanding of liberty and sacrifice,” said Mansfield pilot and business-man Bill Schmidt. “Many of the enlistees live and work here and make protecting our country seem very close and personal. We shed tears when they leave to war, and again when those big planes return safely from their overseas missions. Also, guard members provide excellent role models for our youth, who may then be inspired to seek out similar careers. These are good and often hard to come by opportunities, which may not have happened had there not been direct contact with local airmen and women. “Finally, and on a personal note, our daughter married a 179th pilot, and without the air base, well, Pat and I might not have the four wonderful grandchildren which that union produced. Yes, we certainly support the 179th.” Local resident Mike Green, who worked to save the base when it was threatened with closure in 2005, said the 179th had a lot of support from the community then as com-munity members wrote letters to elected officials in Washington. “It was the best example of an economic development campaign where people came together for a common cause,” said Green, who then headed Richland Economic De-velopment Corp. “It was a joy to be part of it.” Bridget McDaniel, executive director of Richland Community Development Group,

said, “The News Journal has done a great job in summarizing the impact of our guard unit on the community. The employment and economic impact are substantial and easily recognized. We also need to recognize the importance this base and the folks serving there have to the fabric of our community. “These are dedicated, patriotic women and men who are demonstrating those attri-butes every day. Their presence around the community, in our stores, in our restaurants, on our streets is a constant good example to us all and especially to our youth. These hundreds of folks in uniform remind us of the greatness of our nation, of the prepared-ness of our government and of our personal duty to be good citizens.” In addition, McDaniel said, the guard members are constantly engaging with the community — “supporting our schools, working with our United Way and involving themselves in numerous other causes. The value of these direct services cannot be mea-sured, yet we all recognize the partnership the guard formed with Richland County. These intangibles are the reason that our community has often rallied to support the guard and will continue to rally when politi-cal pressures threaten our base.” Gayle Gorman-Green, one of Mans-field’s biggest supporters of the 179th, said, “In addition to providing a very signifi-cant economic impact for Mansfield and Richland County, having the presence of the 179th Airlift Wing and the 200th Red Horse Squadron at Mansfield Lahm Airport helps create a sense of patriotism and pride in our community as unit members respond to both the defense of our country and the well-being of our citizens when called to assist with natural disasters. “The flying mission of the 179th also

City, airlift wing share special relationship

ON GUARD: THE 179TH


provides a foundation for continuing the proud aviation heritage of Mansfield dating to Brig. Gen. Frank Purdy Lahm, who was our nation’s first military aviator,” she said. “More personally for me, my father, Jim Gorman, who is a charter member of the unit and my husband Brig. Gen. Rich Green (retired), former commander of the 179th. Our Air National Guard unit is one of the best in our country and well worth doing ev-erything we can to keep them in Mansfield.” Jeff Gorman, like his sister Gayle, is also a proud supporter of the 179th. “The 179th is a top-of-the-class orga-nization. A real plus for our city, state and country,” he said. Ellen Haring, a member of the Mansfield Airport Commission, said, “We are very for-tunate to have the Air National Guard and 179th Airlift Wing stationed at Mansfield Lahm Airport. Not only are they one of the area’s largest employers, but the personnel are actively engaged in community leader-ship. Almost every board or commission meeting I attend, there is a man or woman in uniform eagerly committing their time and resources to board projects that support area agencies and nonprofits. As volunteers, they seem passionate and sincere about helping

the community with whatever resources they can provide. It is a good feeling know-ing the job will be well done.” The 179th’s cargo planes have been used to haul grain to Third World countries and have helped in the aftermath of natural disasters, such as flooding in southern Ohio in 1996. Several people responded to an online News Journal request for their thoughts on the base: Joshua McLaughlin commented, “Be-cause they feel like ‘our’ planes, love seeing ‘em out, flying!” Courtney Nabb said, “We love that the planes fly right over the house. I love it that my mom can name the different types and teach my kids about them.” Charles Leach commented, “It’s patri-otic. The love for our military and all that they do for us it never gets old seeing them fly over top of us every day. I love ‘em. My kids love ‘em and I found it really cool today witnessing one flying low over my home. I felt the ground rattle, it was awesome,” he said. Kathy Eby said, “Rumbling through the sky practicing maneuvers, there is a sense of security in knowing that the 179th is right

here, and ready; for whatever wicked this way comes, they are Oath Keepers, they are our service men and women, always vigilant and protecting our freedoms.” Shannon Zeigler commented, “Being born and raised in Mansfield, I have grown up watching the C-130s circle the skies and it is second nature to see them. It is the feeling of both security and pride having the 179th in our hometown. Much respect to the men and women, not only of the 179th, but to all of our military personnel, past and present. Thank you all for your service to our country.” Sue Lowery said, “We have watched these planes fly over our house for almost 30 years. They say practice makes perfect, and I know that when they have been called for special duty, they always make our area proud with their high standard of profes-sionalism.” Dale Gates Au said, “Each time I hear a C-130 flying over, I run to the window to look out, awestruck by its presence. I never tire of them. Thank you to the brave souls who serve and have served, putting them-selves in harm’s way to keep us safe and free.”

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THE SPIRIT

LEFT: One of two additional C-130 airplanes arrived at the 179th Airlift Wing this fall. JASON J. MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL


ON GUARD: THE 179TH


Security Forces troop Tech Sgt. Michelle Roark protects the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard base. She conducts building checks, helps control who enters the base and handles all facets of secu-rity. A 2003 Shelby High School graduate, Roark is a shift supervisor for Security Forces, protecting the borders of the base and the flight line. Among Roark’s many duties, she is an in-structor for “active shooter” and “pepper spray” classes for guard members at the 179th, as well as members of the 200th REDHORSE Detachment. Active shooter classes train guard members on how to respond to on-base threats. During her pepper spray classes, she exposes student-volunteers to the spray and then sends them through the gauntlet. Students are taught how to endure the pain and discomfort of not being able to see and still arrest their attacker. Roark, of Shelby, has worked full time at the base for almost 11 years. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. A friend of mine told me to come out here and I signed up immediately,” she said. “Ever since I was little I wanted to be a cop.” While a member of the 179th, Roark de-ployed to Iraq in 2006 and Afghanistan in 2012. In Afghanistan she supervised about 50 security force members and worked in security at an entry con-trol point as Afghans entered and departed from a U.S. military base. Roark said she learned about the Afghan culture while deployed, noting people with no basic necessities were thankful for things such as Neosporin and aspirin. “I love Diet Mt. Dew and my dad sent me some each week,” she recalled. “It was the only pop you couldn’t get on the base.” Roark said she plans to make the 179th her career. She plans to pursue a degree in radiology sciences so she has a job after she retires. She is a

new volunteer at the Richland County Domestic Violence Shelter and is training to be on call to respond to sexual assaults in Richland County. She has volunteered at Richland Leader at the campus of The Ohio State University/North Central State College and Madison schools’ Touch a Truck event for elementary-aged

students. She enjoys helping the community on Earth Day and has organized Take Your Child to Work Day, where she painted childens’ faces and many other commu-nity projects.

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Tech Sgt. Roark’s mission to keep city’s 179th secure

Staff Sgt. Michelle Roark shows girls how to don military gear as the 179th Airlift Wing and 200th REDHORSE participate in the Leader Richland event at Ohio State Mansfield/North Central State College campus in May. U.S. AIR NATIONAL GUARD PHOTO BY TECHNICAL SGT. JOE HARWOOD

The Mansfield Military Affairs Council (MMAC) was formed by the RCDG in response to ongoing threats of downsizing the military that could affect our local base. Rich Green, former commander of the 179th is leading the group which has representatives from all Ohio

state and federal officials, city officials, media repre-sentatives and business leaders. The bi-monthly meet-ings focus on ways to promote our federal assets in the community and in Washington, DC.

The Richland Community Development Group (RCDG) is a non-profit agency working to improve the economic vitality of the county. Led by Execu-tive Director Bridget McDaniel, the organization acts as a cata-lyst for the improvement of the

community. RCDG focuses on attracting new busi-ness, retaining/expanding current businesses and improving the quality of place. The RCDG website is www.ChooseRichland.com.

RICH GREEN BRIDGET MCDANIEL

MANSFIELD MILITARY AFFAIRS COUNCIL

on guard: the 179th

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