Photo By Staff Sgt. James Fritz | Four C-17 Globemaster III aircraft assigned to the 911th Airlift Wing perform an...... read more read more
Steel Airmen assigned to the 911th Airlift Wing tested their capabilities by mobilizing four C-17 Globemaster III aircraft in a maneuver called an “elephant walk,” July 18, 2023.
An elephant walk is a close formation of aircraft taxiing en masse, usually before back-to-back takeoff. The maneuver, which exercised the abilities of both aircraft maintenance and aircrew personnel to quickly and simultaneously prepare multiple aircraft and crews for duty, occurred in tandem with one of the largest annual U.S. military exercises.
“America’s mobility Air Force is incredibly busy right now, continuing to meet our worldwide commitments and exercising all over the Pacific region in Mobility Guardian; there are over 3,000 Airmen and approximately 70 aircraft exercising in multiple locations all around the Pacific as we speak,” said Col. Bryan M. Bailey, 911th AW commander. “And yet today, we generated an entire reserve force element back here at home. Our nation, our allies and our adversaries can rest assured that no matter how busy we may seem, the U.S. Air Force has plenty of capability in reserve –and that reserve is READY NOW!”
The mission of the 911th AW is to provide mission-ready C-17 airlift, aeromedical evacuation, and agile combat support. This mission requires commitment, flexibility and continuous readiness of all Airmen assigned to the wing, regardless of whether they are full-time employees or part-time traditional reservists.
“On any given day, the 911th AW has Airmen and aircraft deployed all over the globe,” said Bailey. “Just last week, Steel Airmen flew multiple missions in support of U.S. Southern Command commitments in Peru and contingency missions in support of U.S. Central Command.”
Steel Airmen also supported approximately 60% of all C-17 flights for the recent exercise Patriot Fury, a U.S. Air Force Reserve-led international exercise focusing on agile combat employment that took place earlier this month.
All Steel Airmen are expected to be ready now to defend, mobilize, and fight. The 911th AW is slated to continue flying missions nationally and internationally in support of the Total Force for years to come.
| Date Taken: | 07.18.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.18.2023 11:40 |
| Story ID: | 449441 |
| Location: | PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 607 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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