U.S. Air Forces in Europe
U.S. Air Forces Africa
August 26, 2014
Deployed Airmen conclude operations at Powidz AB, Poland
By Staff Sgt. Jarad A. Denton
USAFE/AFAFRICA Public Affairs
POWIDZ AIR BASE, Poland: With a flurry of grass and dirt, a C-130J Super Hercules touched down on a grass runway at Powidz Air Base, Poland, kicking off its final week of deployed operations within the country, Aug. 25, 2014.
For more than 75 Airmen deployed from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, this was their home-away-from-home for 60 days.
“Throughout this deployment the Airmen here represented America’s forward presence, postured alongside our proven, indispensable European partners,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Barry King II, 37th Airlift Squadron detachment commander at Powidz. “The visible support we bring to Europe allows us to strengthen our interoperability through regular combined training exercises.”
During their time in Poland, Airmen honed their operational skills and worked together to ensure the C-130’s were ready and able to conduct low-level flight training at improved and unimproved landing zones, as well as partner with U.S. Army and NATO Service members for cargo and personnel airdrops. Aircrews worked around-the-clock, generating 150 flying missions that accounted for more than 330 hours in the air.
“This has been a tremendous opportunity for our Airmen to demonstrate their shared commitment to peace and regional security, alongside our NATO partners,” said King. “Since 2012, the 37th Airlift Squadron has held training events like this in Poland. We are proud and honored to continue the tradition.”
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“Our time in Poland has afforded us a unique opportunity to conduct training focused on maintaining joint readiness, ensuring our collective security and protecting our global interests,” said King. “The benefits of training with other nations in deployed locations, like Poland, far outweigh the benefits that come from training independently. The experience gained by our Airmen alone is absolutely essential to maintaining our commitment to a Europe that is whole, free and at peace.”
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