JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- As the U.S. Marine F-35B Lightning II made history by arriving in Alaska, showcasing a new aircraft within the state as well as introducing it to the harsh environment of the last frontier, the 732nd Air Mobility Squadron worked behind the scenes to support the aircraft and keep the mission moving.
Where fighter aircraft go, the maintainers and equipment needed to keep the aircraft airworthy and combat ready go.
This was evident as 10 F-35B aircraft from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, landed Jan. 9 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson while enroute to Iwakuni, Japan. The transfer of the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 aircraft from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, marks the first permanent international deployment of the joint strike fighter.
Two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and four KC-10 Extender aircraft also enabled the delivery.
Aircraft maintenance crews and aerial porters, or port dawgs, from the 732nd AMS wasted no time unloading and reloading equipment and supplies from the support aircraft, as well as ensuring the aircraft were prepared and able to launch. Typical to the winter months in Alaska, the weather took a turn for the worse, and the ability to load and launch these aircraft became quite the challenge.
“Airplanes do not like cold weather,” said Master Sgt. Ken Snell, 732nd AMS maintenance lead production superintendent. “They are much more likely to break, and typically when they do break it requires a much more extensive fix, resulting in longer mission delays.”
In addition to large amounts of snow, humidity and temperatures hovering around 15 below zero Fahrenheit created ice fog which hampered operations and increased the safety risk for aircraft maintainers and aerial porters on the flight line.
“Our Airmen are some of the best in the world when it comes to operating in extreme Arctic environments,” said Maj. Kevin Walton, 732 AMS director of operations. “It requires an intricate balance of safety and by the book operations to make sure that these aircraft are ready to go when needed.”
The operational mission often overshadows the support mission, but that doesn’t deter the Airmen from taking their support mission seriously.
“We tell our Airmen every day that while it may not be evident on the surface, they are providing hope and freedom around the world,” said Lt. Col. Paul Copper, 732 AMS commander. “Someone, somewhere, is counting on that aircraft and the cargo it is carrying.”
It takes many people to make a mission of this magnitude happen, especially under such circumstances, and in this case it was Marines and Airmen working together to ensure success.
“Getting these jets to Japan has been a team effort from start to finish,” said CWO John French, Marine maintenance officer. “The support we received at JBER was a shining example of how well our respective services work together.”
The F-35s made history as these aircraft became the first operational F-35 squadron at an overseas base, and reinforced the United States’ commitment to security within the Pacific theatre.
"As for the 732 AMS Huskies they’re just happy that we could enable such an important mission and showcase why we are the Lead Dawgs of the En Route," said Copper.