3 AS returns

Family members and Team Dover Airmen gather to welcome members of the 3rd Airlift Squadron back to Dover Air Force Base Sept. 2. The 3rd AS deployed to Southwest Asia in April as the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron to provide combat airlift and airdrop, aeromedical evacuations, humanitarian relief and distinguished visitor movement in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jason Minto)

3 AS returns

(From left) Therese Cooley and her sons Ty, 7, and Gavin, 5, family of Maj. Dan Cooley, 3rd Airlift Squadron assistant operations officer and aircraft commander, walk out to greet Major Cooley as he returned to Dover Air Force Base Sept. 2. Major Cooley and the nearly 120 members of the 3rd AS deployed to Southwest Asia in April as the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron to provide combat airlift and airdrop, aeromedical evacuations, humanitarian relief and distinguished visitor movement in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jason Minto)

3 AS returns

(On right) Tech. Sgt. Donny Washam, 3rd Airlift Squadron, embraces his wife Leslie after returning to Dover Air Force Base Sept. 2. Sergeant Washam and nearly 120 members of the 3rd AS deployed to Southwest Asia in April as the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron to provide combat airlift and airdrop, aeromedical evacuations, humanitarian relief and distinguished visitor movement in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jason Minto)

3 AS returns

Maj. Dan Cooley, 3rd Airlift Squadron assistant operations officer and aircraft commander, hugs his son Gavin, 5, after returning to Dover Air Force Base Sept. 2, while his wife Therese, and oldest son Ty, 7, look on. Major Cooley and the nearly 120 members of the 3rd AS deployed to Southwest Asia in April as the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron to provide combat airlift and airdrop, aeromedical evacuations, humanitarian relief and distinguished visitor movement in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jason Minto)

3 AS returns

Airmen from the 3rd Airlift Squadron return to Dover Air Force Base Sept. 3, after their four-month deployment to Southwest Asia. The 3rd AS deployed as the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron to provide combat airlift and airdrop, aeromedical evacuations, humanitarian relief and distinguished visitor movement in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tom Randle)

3 AS returns

3rd AS returns from deployment

Published Sept. 9, 2009
By 1st Lt. Brian Maguire
436th AW Public Affairs

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- With flowers, banners, presents and balloons, family members and Team Dover leadership welcomed the members of the 3rd Airlift Squadron back to Dover Air Force Base Sept. 2 and 3.

The 3rd AS deployed from Dover as the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron to provide combat airlift and airdrop, aeromedical evacuations, humanitarian relief and distinguished visitor movement in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

"While deployed, you move so much cargo," said Staff Sgt. Thomas Zahner, 3rd AS loadmaster. "You know that the guys that are deployed into Afghanistan or Iraq - we're moving the cargo for them. Their job is getting done, because we can move cargo so fast, so frequently and so much of it."

According to Brig. Gen. Stephen Wilson, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, the 816th EAS flew an average of 175 C-17 Globemaster III sorties each week, moving almost 80 million pounds of cargo and more than 54,000 people.

"We carried more in the last four months than we have in the last two years, so it was pretty amazing," said Lt. Col. Kevin Gordon, 3rd AS commander. Colonel Gordon was also the 816th EAS commander while deployed.

One of the primary missions the 816th EAS supported was the build-up of forces in Afghanistan, Colonel Gordon said. The first month of their deployment included moving the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade into Afghanistan, prior to the MEB executing their mission in Helmand Province.

"Our typical mission would be to head to Iraq, pick up cargo there and move it to Afghanistan," Colonel Gordon said. "We had a real big part in building up Camp Bastion in Helmand Province. We moved a lot of Marine units prior to their big offensive this summer."

Moving cargo and personnel to support the warfighter may have been the main focus of the deployment, but members of the 3rd AS got to fly some memorable missions as well, said Colonel Gordon. A 3rd AS crew transported a soldier, who literally had hours to live, from Iraq to Germany, where he could receive the specialty surgery needed to survive.

The 3rd AS was also able to transport a Delaware native to the Central Command AOR to visit the troops. "We had a crew that carried Vice President (Joe) Biden into Iraq and then back out again," Colonel Gordon said.

The deployed Airmen focused on the mission, but also sought to remain in contact with their families back in Dover, said Sergeant Zahner.

"This was the first deployment that he made, and it went really well," said Hayley Ward, wife of 1st Lt. Jordan Ward, 3rd AS command post flight operations officer and pilot. "We didn't get to see each other on the Internet, but we were able to talk frequently over the phone."

The spouses also held events and get-togethers to check on everyone and make sure families were taken care of during the deployment, said Mrs. Ward. "The squadron commander did keep in really good touch with us, as well as his wife."

Keeping in contact with family was important, because of the family milestones some of the Airmen missed, said Sergeant Zahner. The sergeant deployed shortly after his daughter was born, and he was anxious to return to Dover to be with his family.

"It gets pretty hectic, because it is a lot of flying," said Sergeant Zahner. "We flew about every other day, so it gets pretty crazy. It keeps the time going, making the four months go by easier."

With the completion of their first deployment as a squadron, the 3rd AS will focus on their home station mission of moving cargo so that their replacements in the 816th EAS can effectively support the warfighter.