News

Dover C-5 makes historic flight into Bagram

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  A crew from Dover Air Force Base flew their C-5 Galaxy into Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, Sept. 22, which introduced the largest Air Force airlifter to operations there and increased the capability to move enormous amount of cargo into the war zone.

For the crew from Dover's 9th Airlift Squadron and the Airmen at Bagram AB, the landing was historic and promised to open the door for future operations there.

Until recently, landing a C-5 at Bagram AB was not possible, due to the amount of clear runway needed to land the Galaxy. For that reason, the task was being accomplished almost exclusively by C-17 and C-130 airframes.

However, construction at Bagram changed that, giving larger crafts, like the C-5, the ability to land.

"A brand-new runway was completed here last December," said Lynda Williams, the Bagram AB airfield manager, in a telephone enterview. "Now, we have the ability to host C-5 landings, like the one from Dover. We are ready to see more C-5 landings here in the future."

Previous landings have required the movement of other aircraft on the flightline to accommodate the massive plane.

The C-5 has the ability to carry 36 pallets of cargo and has an almost unlimited range through aerial refueling. In comparison, a C-130 Hercules can only carry six to eight pallets of cargo, depending on configuration.

"Until recently, Team Dover has only been flying C-17 missions into Bagram," said Lt. Col. Darren James, 9th AS commander. "Now, with Team Dover able to combine our two workhorses and fly both C-5s and C-17s into Bagram, bypassing the main U.S. Central Command area of responsibility hubs, we can directly deliver needed cargo to the warfighters."

Team Dover was at the lead of yet one more successful, cutting-edge Air Force initiative, he said.

"Though it's true that the 9th Airlift Squadron and all of Dover consistently leads the command in operational and lean initiatives, this accomplishment goes beyond being first or best," explained the colonel. "What we did with this mission was increase the operational capabilities of our warfighters in Afghanistan. Captain (Thomas) Boyle and his crew brought them the cargo they needed and did it quickly - that is what counts. We provided the cargo - the force multiplier."