Anything, anywhere, anytime
The two C-130s deployed to the Middle East continue to display Herculean strength night and day. WO2 Al Green reports on how the dedicated crews keep them in the air.

Corporal Shane Moffit is given a hand by USAF Crew Chief Technical Sergeant Donald Alexander to push a load of coalition stores on to a C-130 headed to Baghdad.

Corporal Clare O'Driscoll inspects the top of a C-130 for signs of embedded grime during a night-shift maintenance check.

Before crossing the into Iraq, a C-130 aircrew member kits up in body-armour vest and helmet.

Flight Sergeant Steve Bryson issues a pistol to a crew member of a C-130 Hercules about to fly into Baghdad.

On the taxi-way at Baghdad the control tower looms large in the windscreen of a C-130 deployed in the Middle East.

A Herc returns home to its Middle East base at dusk after a mission to Baghdad.

Providing critical logistic support to coalition air operations in the Middle East are combat support element members Flying Officer Nick Willes, Corporal Col Moon, Leading Aircraftman Corey Corbey and Flight Sergeant Mick Hanna.

Crossing the border into Iraq, an aircrew member dons a safety harness.

It’s just after sunrise and the temperature is already climbing into the high 30s and the dust is beginning to blow in from the desert.

An Australian C-130 Hercules is towed out from the coalition ramp, undergoing final preparations by ground crew for the day’s mission to convey coalition members and loads into Baghdad.

As flight crew pick up their weapons and pre-flight the aircraft, there is little to show just how much preparation and support is needed to get this mission and scores like it off the ground.

Avionics specialist Flight Sergeant Lindsay Collett runs the day maintenance shift. His crew has “prepped” the aircraft for today’s mission. He lists the major challenges to his team as dust and heat.

“The aircraft get so hot we physically can’t touch the aircraft skin, plus we’ve got to watch for signs of heat fatigue in the ground crew.”

While the ground crew takes pride in not having dropped a mission to date, it must be balanced against ground crew health issues. Management strategies to reduce fatigue see a significant degree of maintenance undertaken at night.

Additionally, preventive maintenance programs to deal with the constantly blowing dust minimise stress on both personnel and aircraft.

“From a maintenance perspective, preventing problems before they occur is safer and a lot easier on the crew and aircraft,” says FSGT Collett.

The Combat Support Element (CSE) has also played a major supporting role providing the logistic and administrative backup to the air operations.

“Our role in support allows the aircrew to focus on their flying job – we take care of the rest,” says 2IC Flight Lieutenant Neil Foate. And it’s a wide-ranging role taking in areas as diverse as medical, ground engineer support, communications, air-load teams and health prevention. Fittingly their motto in the MEAO is “Anything, Anywhere, Anytime”.

While the CSE is multi-functional and can provide a “one-stop shop”, its real advantage, according to FLTLT Foate, is in its structural and operational flexibility. “We can adapt and structure to suit the mission - we’re not tied into just one aircraft type, unit or operation type.”

The most apparent impact on today’s mission is the hard work the Air Load Team has been doing to actively seek and coordinate loads to keep the Australian aircraft full going both in and out of Baghdad. Keeping the aircraft working to maximum efficiency is a source of pride for Air Group Commander Wing Commander Greg Taylor.
“With our teams pro-actively seeking loads from all coalition members, it not only allows our aircraft to work to maximum efficiency but has resulted in the RAAF gaining a reputation for professionalism and efficiency,” WGCDR Taylor says.

He believes the approach is rooted within Air Force ethos. “Our emphasis on multi-skilling and taking the initiative prevents tunnel vision in our operators,” he says. “This, and an understanding of the mission, gives our operators an edge when making linkages to maximise our contribution.”

And the contribution to coalition operations has been substantial. The Air Group in the MEAO encompasses not only flying operations but logistic and air traffic services as well. No fewer that 13 separate units are represented within the group.

As the crew members strap in they consult their codes, maps and flight briefings that ensure they are well prepared for today’s mission. Operational and intelligence planners have worked for days to give the crew the best chance of success. Careful route planning has seen a path plotted into Baghdad that will minimise the risk.

Another aspect that contributes to mission success, according of the C-130’s commander, is the quality of training behind the crew. “While we’ve adapted to local conditions, our training has been validated in operations over Iraq and elsewhere. This affects the whole process, from the initial task order to integration with the coalition forces, ‘prepping’ the aircraft, planning, briefing, and executing the mission in order to fulfil our objective,” he says.
The take-off is flawless; a steep climb has the aircraft high by strip’s end to avoid the possibility of ground-fire. The Herc breaks out into the blue above as swirling dust clouds emanate from the north, the direction of Iraq.
Coming into land at the first stop before heading into Iraq, the radio crackles with clearances for medical dust-off aircraft carrying casualties from “up north”. It’s a hectic day at the staging base as Russian-built air transporters line up with American, British and Australian aircraft. Loads are rapidly loaded and dispatched. Passengers lend a hand. On today’s trip a total payload of 34,820 pounds, 10 pallets and 27 coalition passengers will be carried over four legs.

On the ground, the air in the Herc heats up rapidly. Waiting for clearance to take-off, aircrew and passengers alike sweat profusely. Destination is given as “tactical to the north.”

On take-off, one of the engines suffers a power fluctuation. Centred behind the pilots, the flight engineer monitoring the instruments reacts quickly to correct the situation; this allows the pilots to concentrate on the take-off. The experience and cool professionalism of the crew is showing – this is their 18th mission over Iraq and, before that, they undertook many thousands of hours in training and on other operations. The ubiquitous Hercs and their crews have done everything in recent years from medical emergencies in Bali to flying soldiers into Timor.

As the Iraqi border approaches, the crew kits up with body-armour vests and helmets. Banter subsides, the concentration of aircrew is evident. Crossing the “fence”, the Tigris River and Basra can be seen below. The loadmasters buckle into harness so they can maintain their observation posts should a missile launch be detected. This is a “crewed” environment, the loadmasters communicating evasive actions to the pilot and crew on the flight deck if required to ensure our flight is a safe one.

On the radio, we pick up a recording of an Aussie giving flight information about Baghdad International Airport (BIAP). There’s a fierce dust storm brewing ahead. Coming into Baghdad the dust kills lateral visibility. The pilots are forced to do an instrument landing – the least favoured method; they prefer to fly tactically, manoeuvring over open areas. At least the dust offers some cover from hostile elements.

Once on the ground, the tower looms up quickly. The friendly Australian voices of the air traffic controllers are reassuring in their tone. Helicopters buzz the airfield. There’s a VIP on board, a senior diplomat, so the ASLAVs arrive to escort him into town. The presence of armour is reassuring protection and deterrence to hostile action.
Weary American, Brit and Australian passengers troop on board, help with the load, strap in and fall asleep. Again heat and waiting – BIAP is busy. The controllers move aircraft around like chess pieces.

A few tense moments after take-off and it’s up into the blue – Iraq a dirty brown cloud below.

About an hour later we cross the “fence”, body armour comes off and we all drink tea.

Dusk falls quickly as the sun hangs dead on the horizon. The talk is of State of Origin and a competition to guess the ground temperature outside – it’s 37.3. The world is sepia as we descend and the crew focuses on landing.

On landing the ground crew are all over the aircraft like ants – the load comes off and the crew are away in the back of a ute to debrief. An American medic whose hitched a lift takes a moment to wave. “If it weren’t for those guys, I’d have been stuck,” he says – another friend made.

While the Aussie Hercs may only number two in a long line of coalition C-130s, the Aussie contingent is gaining a huge amount of respect for the RAAF and Australia throughout the coalition.

.