Photo By Tech. Sgt. Kayleigh Phillips | From Left to Right: Mr. John King, Lt. Col. (Ret) Jim Brooks, Mr. Dan Carroll, Lt....... read more read more
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January 6, 2023, marked the end of an era for the 141st Air Refueling Wing, as airmen from the past and present gathered at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, to send off the RC-26 aircraft for its final flight and say goodbye to the coveted RC-26 program.
It wasn’t just a solemn day but one of appreciation and remembrance. Not many know about the years of service, sacrifices, and victories for those who have flown, maintained, and led the program, said Maj. Zach Wagner, RC-26 program manager.
The program started at Fairchild in 1991, conducting C-26 Mobility Operations and in 1995 the aircraft was reconfigured with reconnaissance equipment when it gained the counterdrug mission flown by 141st aircrews. Since inception, the program operated over 20,000 operating location flight hours and over 10,000 combat flight hours.
The RC-26 Condor is a small propeller aircraft equipped with high-resolution infrared and electro-optical imaging. With its special imaging capabilities, the aircraft can see through smoke and any weather condition, which is why it became an asset in many missions. The unique missions included domestic counter drug, homeland security, disaster relief, and acted as an intelligence resource for wildland firefighters.
“This program attracted and retained highly experienced and skilled aviators and maintainers who saw the unique value in this mission,” said Wagner. “Airmen who just wanted to fly, fight and win, without the need for recognition.”
At any given time, the 141st RC-26 operating location consisted of around nine aircrew and up to three contracted maintenance personnel. 141st crews deployed contributing to many missions including Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Phalanx. Other notable deployments include support for southwest border operations, Haiti earthquake relief, national security incidents, counter narco-terrorism, and countless natural disasters.
Each year, aircrew would fly 150 plus hours assisting local law enforcement. Law enforcement officials would ride along with the aircrew to identify drug suspects, collect evidence, and disrupt or take down drug trafficking groups and organizations. The 141st team assisted in the seizure of $525 million in illicit narcotics, 670 arrests of dangerous criminals, and helped produce evidence for numerous cases. The 141st also used the RC-26 aircraft extensively during the summer months flying over 2,000 hours helping find and map the spread of wildland fires. Crews were activated 456 days for 606 sorties with 779 fires detected, 1,133 fires mapped, 597 tactical taskings and saved 187 million in property and resources.
The RC-26 and its crew of 141st guardsmen provided an invaluable intelligence resource to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center and the incidents within the Pacific Northwest. The capability to detect new ignitions caused by lightning or other means allowed resources to respond quickly and prevent them from becoming larger wildfires, said NWICC GIS/Remote Sensing Specialist Craig Ducey.
“I am proud to have been a part of this community and can truly say that flying on the RC-26 has been the most rewarding and fun flying that I have ever done,” said Wagner. “I will never forget it.”
Country wide, the Air National Guard had a fleet of 11 aircraft stationed at units in Alabama, Arizona, California, Iowa, Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington State. The fleet was decommissioned at the end of 2022 and flown to Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.
| Date Taken: | 01.06.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 02.05.2023 15:47 |
| Story ID: | 437855 |
| Location: | SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 240 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, RC-26 Program Heads Into Retirement, by TSgt Kayleigh Phillips, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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