An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Aircrew Airmen recall their part in making Air Force history on Arctic mission

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  The Airmen who took a C-5M Super Galaxy on a direct, non-stop airlift mission on June 5 to 6 from Dover AFB, over the top of the world through the Arctic Circle and on to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, made Air Force history. It was the first time it had ever been done by a U.S. Air Force plane on a mission of this type and a first for the C-5M.

But if you ask those Airmen who completed the mission how special it was -- many will say they were "just doing what they always do." The 15-hour-plus mission flew a northern route from the U.S., over Canada and into the Arctic Circle, then back down through Russian and Kazakhstan airspace to Afghanistan.

"It's just another flight," said Tech. Sgt. Jesse Talamantes, C-5 flight engineer from the 9th Airlift Squadron who flew on the mission. "I say that only in the sense that no matter how long or short the flight, we prepare the same way and work to get our mission done in the best way possible every time."

Sergeant Talamantes, who earlier in his career was a KC-135 Stratotanker boom operator, said the history-making mission was always on the mind of the 13 aircrew members from Dover but they went about their duties as though it was any other mission. "Missions like this definitely make the world seem like a smaller place though," he said.

The world may have felt smaller to the aircrew only because of the aircraft they flew in the Air Force's largest airlifter -- the C-5. Leading the maintenance effort for the mission was the "flying" C-5 crew chief, Staff Sgt. Steven Dow of the 436th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

"It was a big honor for me to be selected for this mission," he said. "For them to trust me as the lone maintainer on this long mission was special."

In preparing for the Arctic mission, Sergeant Dow said he worked with other maintainers and crew members in running inspections on the plane and ensuring the plane was ready to go.

"All the prep work for a mission like this is done at home station," Sergeant Dow said. "Once we are in the deployed areas, it's me who looks after the plane. On this mission, everything went great with the C-5M. We made it all the way to Afghanistan and had zero discrepancies or write-ups with the plane."

The C-5M flew with the call sign "Reach 220." Among those who worked the controls of the plane communicating that name was Lt. Col. Scott Erickson of the Air Force Reserve's 709th Airlift Squadron at Dover AFB. Colonel Erickson said the C-5M performed well on the mission.

"Having been with the M from the beginning, I'm always proud to show off what it can do," he said. "(This mission shows) it's the pinnacle of a great mobility weapons system and I'm glad it gets noticed for that."

As a Reservist, Colonel Erickson also noted the importance of how the Total Force concept has been an integral part of missions like the Arctic mission.

"From the start, we in the initial cadre of the C-5M -- both active and Reserve -- have really sought to bring the Total Force concept into our daily operations," Colonel Erickson said. "Over the last two-plus years, our mutual success derives directly from our 'rainbow' crews. I'm proud to say the fact that this crew is comprised of both active duty and Reserve crewmembers was not a peculiarity in the C-5M community at Dover. Total Force is our daily way of doing business."

Caring for the items of the cargo bay of the C-5M was Staff Sgt. Tramainn McKee, C-5 loadmaster from the 9th AS. For the Arctic mission, the plane carried more than 78,000 pounds of cargo that will be used for the deployed mission in Afghanistan.

"The C-5 is a big plane," Sergeant McKee said. "How many planes do you know of can fit something the size of a semi-truck and trailer in it and fly it across the world?"

Sergeant McKee said participating in the Arctic mission was something few in his career field can say they've done.

"It was great to opportunity to do something few other loadmasters can say they've done before," Sergeant McKee said. "There is only one time you can do something the first time and this Arctic mission was just that -- a first time it's been done."

In addition to Colonel Erickson and Sergeants Talamantes, McKee and Dow, other crew members on the mission were Lt. Cols. Thomas Loper and Matthew Ahern, Capts. Brian Marasco and William Gleckler, Senior Master Sgt. William Johnson, Master Sgt. Bradley Bronov, and Staff Sgts. Tyler Welsch, Angelo Dumanhog and Norterious Jenkins.