C-5 fleet reaches historic milestone during 'surge'

Published Oct. 26, 2011
By 1st Lt. Marshel Slater
618th Air and Space Operations Center Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Aircraft from 12 separate total force bases went "full throttle" to move cargo and passengers across the globe during a historic surge of Air Mobility Command's C-5 Galaxy fleet from Oct. 17-21.

On average each day, about 18 C-5s fly strategic airlift missions across the globe in support of combatant commander requirements. The week of Oct. 17 to 21 was far from normal as Air Forces Transportation, AFTRANS, the air component to U.S. Transportation Command, successfully "surged" more than doubled that number -- 43 active duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve C-5 aircraft. The surge tested the capability of the global mobility enterprise to rapidly increase the capacity and throughput of strategic airlift in response to a large-scale crisis or contingency. Prior to the surge, the highest C-5 daily utilization was 35 C-5s flown without mobilization of the air reserve component.

"Originally, we looked at using 36 aircraft," said USTRANSCOM's Marine Corps Maj. Sidney Welch, leader of the joint planning team for the surge. "However, this whole process was designed to help us better understand the quantity, capacity, and limitations associated with surging without mobilizing the reserve component.
By increasing the stress on the enterprise we were able to get a better picture of what we'd face in the event of a short notice, large-scale real-world situation."

The missions accomplished during the surge were in accordance with priorities set by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and had no impact on the operations of civilian contract carriers. Missions were validated by USTRANSCOM and planned, scheduled, tasked, controlled and executed by AFTRANS' hub for global operations, the 618th Air and Space Operations Center (Tanker Airlift Control Center).

"The TACC commands and controls more than 450 flights every day, but maintaining 43 C-5s in the system was a significant challenge," said Brig. Gen. David Allvin, vice commander of the 618th AOC (TACC). "C-5s are a critical element of rapid global mobility, but keeping such a large, aging aircraft moving at such a demanding pace was not a simple thing. I think the success of this surge is in large part due to the close coordination between the dedicated total force Airmen involved in AFTRANS planning and unit execution."

As one of the largest aircraft in the world and the largest airlifter in the Air Force's inventory, the C-5 is able to carry fully equipped military units, including all of the Army's air-transportable combat equipment, to any point in the world on short notice. The Galaxy can carry up to 270,000 pounds of outsized, palletized, or oversized cargo, can fly more than 6,000 miles without refueling, and can take off or land in relatively short distances.

"Today's contingency and humanitarian operations require us to maintain a tremendous degree of flexibility," said Lt. Gen. Mark Ramsay, commander of the 18th Air Force, responsible for directing AFTRANS' day-to-day operations. "Operations like the surge help us ensure that by providing the information and tools to enhance the readiness and agility of our global mobility enterprise. Ultimately though it is our outstanding total force team of active duty and air reserve component Airmen and civilians whose hard work makes our success possible."

An operational assessment team is evaluating data taken from each mission and the overall results of the surge. Based on that analysis, they will develop a set of "lessons learned" to help the entire enterprise determine ways to more effectively and efficiently ensure rapid global mobility in response to crisis and contingency situations.

"Our job is to safeguard America's national defense by providing the ability to reach out anywhere in the world within hours to deliver hope, fuel the fight, and save lives. This surge provided us with a valuable opportunity to exercise and evaluate that ability - and ultimately to enhance it," said Gen. Ray Johns, commander of Air Mobility Command and AFTRANS.