Colorado AF Reserve wing shares mission, success stories with AFRC leaders

  • Published
  • By Ann Skarban
  • 302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  Leadership and members of the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing had an opportunity Aug. 28, 2012, to show AFRC Commander Lt. Gen. James F. Jackson and AFRC Command Chief Master Sgt. Kathleen R. Buckner first-hand, its mission, facilities and people.
 
Before visiting several work areas, Col. Jay Pittman, 302nd Airlift Wing commander briefed Jackson and Buckner on the status of the wing's manning, airlift mission, Total Force Integration initiative, deployments and upcoming key events including the wing's Operational Readiness Inspection scheduled for October. Lt. Col. Luke Thompson, 302nd Airlift Wing chief of aerial fire fighting presented Jackson and Buckner with a special Modular Airborne Fire Fighting mission briefing detailing the intense, record breaking MAFFS season the 302nd Airlift Wing aircraft, aircrews and aircraft maintainers are currently supporting.

Leading off the AFRC leadership visit was a tour of the recently completed C-130 squadron operations facility, described by Pittman as the "centerpiece of the 302nd Airlift Wing's TFI campus." The facility is shared by the Air Force Reserve's 731st Airlift Squadron and the 302nd AW's active duty associate unit, the 52nd Airlift Squadron. Visits with Air Force Reserve Command recruiters and the 302nd Force Support Squadron allowed the distinguished visitors to see the wing's recruiting and retention pipeline which has been the source of years of success in effective manning for the wing.

The visit to the 302nd Maintenance Group's Aircraft Maintenance Squadron allowed aircraft maintainers to share Time Compliance Technical Order 2098, a new carbon brake system the 302nd maintenance squadron will install on the wing's C-130s that can perform 850 percent more landings than the previous system. It is expected to save the Air Force $327 million when installations are complete.

On the Peterson AFB flightline, Lt. Col. David Condit, 731st AS operations officer shared with Jackson and Buckner the details of the portable MAFFS tanker base which was operational in late June in support of the Waldo Canyon fire response and was also capable of supporting all eight Department of Defense MAFFS C-130s. A final stop in the wing's 39th Aerial Port Squadron allowed Chief Master Sgt. Ronald Sutton, superintendent of the aerial port squadron to show the AFRC leaders how the aerial port facility can easily support dual functions as both an aerial port and as a MAFFS operations facility capable of allowing the U.S. Forest Service MAFFS dispatch center and a MAFFS command center to operate with view of airfield activity and with ample office space.

Summarizing the visit, Pittman said, "It was a great visit. I am proud of everyone in the wing and am pleased we had the opportunity to let our AFRC leadership see first-hand some of the unique missions and great successes we've recently achieved."