Idaho ‘Warthogs’ deploy
The Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Fighter
Wing deployed six A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and
more than 120 personnel to Al Udeid Air Base,
Qatar, in late February. While attached to the
190th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, the
aircraft and personnel will likely participate in
Operation ‘Inherent Resolve’.Barksdale bomber swap
B-52Hs and personnel assigned to the 2nd
Bomb Wing’s 20th Bomb Squadron deployed
from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, to Andersen AFB,
Guam, on March 3. Upon arrival they assumed
responsibility for the Paci c Command’s
Continuous Bomber Presence from the 96th
Bomb Squadron. The latter squadron, also a
component of the 2nd Bomb Wing, had been
deployed to the base since September 2014.‘Ski-birds’ return
The New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift
Wing concluded its 27th season in support
of scienti c research in Antarctica as part
of Operation ‘Deep Freeze’ in February. The
wing’s 139th Airlift Squadron sent seven ski-
equipped LC-130H and LC-130R Hercules in
support of the National Science Foundation’s
Antarctic Program in October 2014. While
deployed the aircraft and crews ew 241
missions, delivering passengers, cargo and
fuel to research stations in Antarctica. From
October to late February, the wing detached
575 airmen to McMurdo Station, and at any
given time 120 personnel were in Antarctica.
The rst of the ski-equipped LC-130s returned
to the unit’s home station at Stratton Air
National Guard base in Scotia on February 23.
The 139th AS also conducted operations
with the IcePod imaging system that can
measure the depth of an ice sheet. The system
is installed in a Common Science Support Pod
(CSSP) mounted on the aircraft’s rear troop
door. Crews conducted nine ights with the
IcePod over a three-week period.‘Hercs’ complete deployment
Four C-130Hs assigned to the Wyoming
Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing and
two own by the West Virginia Air National
Guard’s 130th Airlift Wing recently returned
to their home bases in Cheyenne and
Charleston respectively at the conclusion
of a deployment to South-west Asia in
support of Operations ‘Enduring Freedom’
and ‘Freedom’s Sentinel’. While deployed, the
aircraft were primarily based at Al Udeid Air
Base, Qatar, but conducted support missions
to Afghanistan, Iraq, the Persian Gulf region,
and the Horn of Africa.‘Yellow Jackets’ return
The ‘Yellow Jackets’ of electronic attack
squadron VAQ-138 recently completed a
six-month deployment to Naval Air Facility
Misawa, Japan, and returned home with their
EA-18G Growlers to NAS Whidbey Island,
Washington. While deployed in support of
the US Paci c Fleet, the squadron conducted
operations from several sites throughout
the US Seventh Fleet’s area of responsibility
including Hawaii, Wake Island, Guam, and the
Republic of Korea. It deployed to Misawa with
ve EA-18G Growlers in August 2014.‘Death Rattlers’ to Japan
Marine ghter attack squadron VMFA-
‘Death Rattlers’, which normally deploys as
part of carrier air wing CVW-11, arrived at
MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, on February 27. Known
as the ‘Death Rattlers’, the squadron has not
supported the Marine Corps Unit Deployment
Program (UDP) since February 1991.Black Hawks to Europe
The 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment
will deploy 25 UH-60Ms from Hunter Army
Air Field, Georgia, to Illesheim, Germany, in
support of Operation ‘Atlantic Resolve’. The
unit will remain there in support of US Army
Europe for around nine months.DEPLOYMENT NEWS
Latest Super Galaxy delivery
A USAF crew from the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis AFB, California, ferried the 24th C-5M
from the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, Georgia, to Stewart Air National Guard Base
in Newburgh, New York, on February 12. Once internal paint restoration is completed, Super
Galaxy serial 86-0022 will be delivered to Travis AFB as the sixth C-5M assigned to the wing’s
22nd Airlift Squadron. Lockheed Martin/Andrew McMurtrieArmed ‘Charger’
This Sikorsky MH-60S from Helicopter Sea
Combat Squadron 14 (HSC-14) ‘Chargers’ is
seen on the ramp at NAS Fallon, Nevada, armed
with the General Dynamics Ordnance and
Tactical Systems M-197 three-barrel version
of the M61A1 20mm Gatling gun. Capable of
ring up to 1,500 rounds per minute, the gun
is speci cally designed for helicopters and is
notably also tted to the AH-1Z Viper.
Frank B. Mormillohttp://www.combataircraft.net May 2015 118-12 US News C.indd 11 20/03/2015 11: