Page 1 - March ARB Beacon 9-25-15

Vol. 80, No. 38
NEWS BRIEFS
NAF SALE OCT. 15-16
The 452nd Force Support
Squadron will hold a Non-Appro-
priated Funds (NAF) sale for the
March Inn onThursday and Friday,
Oct. 15-16, in the Fitness Center
parking lot between Bldgs. 400 and
456, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each
day (closing from noon to 1 p.m.
for lunch). Available items are sofa Base, Missouri, Sept. 18.
sleepers, desks, dining chairs, end
tables, lamps, pictures, color TVs,
DVD players, lounge chairs, TV
armoires, dressers, headboards,
bed frames (queen), drapes, desk
chairs, and much more! The sale is
open to all base ID Card holders -
CASH ONLY - No sales tax!
VA BENEFITS BRIEFING
OCT 4 AND 25
The 452nd Air Mobil-
ity Wing’s Airman and Family
Readiness office is offering VA
Benefits Briefing I and II on the
October Unit Training Assem-
blies, Sunday, Oct. 4 and 25.
They will be held in the 452nd
Mission Support Group Confer-
ence Room, Bldg. 2313, 1261
Graeber Street. Show time is 7:30
a.m. and the briefing ends at 3:30
p.m. There will be a lunch break
included. This briefing is man-
datory for all personnel coming
off of 180 days of consecutive
orders (for any reason). It is also
beneficial for all personnel who
were prior service and want a
“refresher” of their VA Benefits.
Reservations are required by call-
ing 951-655-5350. Did you know
that if you plan to transfer any or
all of your GI bill to dependents,
you must do so while you still
have at least four years retain-
ability (exceptions may apply) or
you will be unable to do so? Learn
about this and much more at the
briefing. Don’t be left in the dark
and miss out on some of your VA
benefits because you didn’t think
any of this was applicable to you!
See BRIEFS page 3
March Air Reserve Base, California
March supports OperationAtlantic Resolve
by Master Sgt. Megan Crusher
452 AMW public affairs
A C-17 Globemaster III from March
Air Reserve Base returned home from
Tallin, capitol of the European country,
Estonia, in support of Operation ATLAN-
TIC RESOLVE, after redeploying cargo
and personnel from Whiteman Air Force
The operation is designed to reaffirm
America’s commitment to European se-
curity. The U.S. is demonstrating its con-
tinued commitment to collective secu-
rity through a series of actions designed
to reassure NATO allies and partners of
America’s dedication to enduring peace
and stability in the region in light of the YDULRXVVFHQDULRVDQGORZOHYHOFORVHDLUVXSSRUWÀ\LQJDFWLYLWLHVIRU2SHUDWLRQ$7/$1-
Russian intervention in Ukraine.
The 729th Airlift Squadron was tasked
with the airlift mission about a month
and a half ago, along with three other Air
Force Reserve units, said Lt. Col. Tony
Astran, C-17 pilot and current operations,
452nd Operations Support Squadron.
Astran coordinated the schedule for the
arrival and departure times of the cargo
jets and up-loading and off-loading of car- support flying activities.
go and personnel so as not to over-saturate
the Amari Air Base airfield, he said.
Charleston AFB, South Carolina,
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington,
Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, and March
ARB airlifted approximately 200 Reserv-
ists, Air National Guardsmen and active
duty Airmen and their equipment to sup-
port eight A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the
442nd Fighter Wing at Whitman AFB
starting in mid-August.
“Each of the airlift units flew one mis-
sion deploying and one mission redeploy-
ing the 442nd, with March actually flying
two missions on the redeployment end,”
said Astran.
Lt. Col. Tim Harris, current opera-
tions, 452 OSS, who flew the first C-17
from March in support of the operation,
noted the unique aspect of this particular
airlift mission.
“It’s very, very rare that an Air Force
Reserve fighter squadron deploys over-
seas and is supported solely, one hun-
dred percent by Air Force Reserve air-
lift,” he said. “Usually Air National
Friday, September 25, 2015
U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Megan Crusher
Master Sgt. Michael Vo, loadmaster, 729th Airlift Squadron, secures an A-10 Thunder-
bolt II fuel tank, while discussing the cargo upload with Lt. Col. Tony Astran, C-17 pilot
and current operations, 452nd Operations Support Squadron, while at Amari Air Base,
Estonia, Sept 14. March Field-based loadmasters and maintainers from the California
Reserve Base worked alongside Estonian Air Force, and 442nd Fighter Wing maintain-
ers and aerial port troops from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, to upload 64,000
pounds of cargo used to support eight A-10 aircraft that trained with allied forces in
7,&5(62/9(GHVLJQHGWRUHDI¿UP$PHULFD¶VFRPPLWPHQWWR(XURSHDQVHFXULW\
Guard and active duty will help, but support at Amari AB, Astran marveled at
this was all Air Force Reserve and that’s how relatively smooth the mission went.
pretty awesome.”
“There were a few hiccups, but we
While deployed, the 442 FW worked overcame the challenges and the Esto-
and trained with ANG Joint Terminal At- nian’s worked with us exceedingly well,”
tack Controllers as well as the Estonian, he said. “Their support was great.”
Latvian, and Lithuanian armed forces in
various scenarios, and low-level, close air The Estonian Air Force, Air Surveil-
lance Wing Commander, Maj. Hardi Lm-
mergas, agreed with Astran’s assessment,
In the midst of operations, March was saying they appreciated the U.S. presence
able to offer additional assistance when to show their adversaries what’s going on
mid-deployment the 442nd needed criti- and the level of support they have.
cal cargo shipped, but had no way to get
the cargo approved for flight because According to the U.S. European Com-
they didn’t have the required personnel, mand website, “Operation Atlantic Re-
Astran said. solve will remain in place as long as the
need exists to reassure our allies and deter
“We at March did, so on very short no- Russia from regional hegemony.”
tice we deployed two additional personnel
to assist with creating load plans and cer- It continues with, “In meeting our
tifying the cargo to fly,” he said. “It was global security commitments, the United
great for us to be able to help them.” States must have strong, committed and
capable allies, which is why we have
With so much collaboration be- fought, exercised and trained with our Eu-
tween four airlift units, plus refueling sup- ropean allies for the past 70 years.”
port, the 442 FW and Estonian Air Force