Combat 'Roos meet mission milestone

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Peter Dean
  • 302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  The Combat 'Roos are back in the fight, said former commander Lt. Col. Carlos Ortiz in his speech which was given during the 52nd Airlift Squadron's stand up ceremony in October of 2009. But the 'Roos aren't just back, they're back with a vengeance. After only two years and with numerous deployments and accomplishments under their belts, the 52nd Airlift Squadron became fully operational on Oct. 1, 2011.

On Oct. 3, 2009 a second flying squadron joined the ranks of the 302nd Airlift Wing, bringing an Air Force active duty/reserve association to Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. The association between the active duty's 52nd AS and the Air Force Reserve's 302nd AW is the ninth association for the Air Force that fuses together active duty and Guard or Reserve wings, maintaining, and flying the same aircraft, working towards one common goal, "Global Reach."

The 52nd AS is now under the command of Lt. Col. Patrick Schlichenmeyer and fully manned and fully operational. With the guidance of the 302nd Airlift Wing, the 52nd AS has been able to lead or tie almost every statistic measured, said Schlichenmeyer.

"We have not only met but we have exceeded goals set forth, we have deployed eight months ahead of schedule, we actually have three combat deployments under our belts and one on the horizon," said Schlichenmeyer.

"Because of Total Force Integration, we have the best maintenance in AFRC [Air Force Reserve Command], they've achieved three Black Letter Aircraft, and we have one of the best ops in the C-130 world," said Schlichenmeyer. "With the experience that the Reserve brings to the table, we are able to upgrade our crews faster, fly more hours and prepare to deploy at a greater rate," he added.
Describing the 52nd AS and 302nd AW partnership Schlichenmeyer said, "This association is a Reserve wing taking on the active duty, treating us as their own, embedding personnel into a seamless work force, working together towards our nation's goals and objectives."

While working to achieve fully operational status, a new C-130 squadron operations workspace to support the association is under construction on the Total Force campus at Peterson AFB. A $5.8 million, 11,000 square foot facility is slated to open in the spring of 2012 and will house both the active duty's 52nd AS and Air Force Reserve's 731st AS, providing them with a common work area to facilitate operations and training, completing the Total Force Integration between the units.

"You get the experience of the Reserve wing and the flexibility of an active duty wing, that's a combination you can't beat," said Schlichenmeyer.