COMMENTARY>>1855: a special ‘tale’

2nd Lt. Mallory Glass
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. – Chief Master Sgt. Mark Marson, 314th Airlift Wing command chief, wrote in permanent marker, “she is an Airman,” on the 47-year-old skin of aircraft C-130E 62-1855 at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group here. The Vietnam-Era C-130E was delivered to AMARG, commonly known as the “bone yard,” following its retirement and change of the 314th AW flagship ceremony at a Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., Sept. 20. The event marked the end of a 47-year relationship between the 314th AW and the C-130E.

Tail 62-1855 not only tells her own C-130E combat and training story but also represents the closing of an era for the wing. The retirement of 62-1855 to AMARG marked the departure of the C-130E model from the 314th AW’s inventory.

As the flagship, 62-1855 embodied not only the other 314th C-130s, but more importantly, the Airmen who maintain, fly and support the combat airlift training mission. Col. Mark Czelusta, 314th AW commander, stated during the retirement ceremony, “This airplane is as much of an Airman as I am. She has seen it all. Yet, as special as 1855 is, she is not unique for she actually represents the entire C-130 fleet old and new.”

At the retirement ceremony on Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., retired Airmen who were crew members or maintainers for 62-1855, the 314th AW or other C-130Es were in attendance. Several are Sliver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross recipients. “Their presence really shows the impact the C-130E model had and has on United States Airmen,” said Senior Airman Blake Lyles, a 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief.

The wing’s new flagship, C-130J 98-1358, was unveiled at the ceremony and toured by 314th Airmen, civic leaders, retirees and base leaders. The C-130J represents a new era for combat airlift; however, at the same time the Air Force never forgets its legacy.

The 314th AW has been flying C-130s since 1957 and C-130Es since 1964. When the wing was mobilized for service in Vietnam in 1966, C-130E 62-1855 began its years in combat operations, training missions, and Air Force competitions. During Rodeo 2011 at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Wash., the 314th AW won Best Air Mobility Wing in the world with 62-1855, the oldest C-130 in the competition. “Everyone agrees that 1855 is a special tail … Team Little Rock and, indeed, the entire nation watched with pride as she earned a perfect maintenance inspection (during RODEO 2011), one of only two planes to do so,” said the colonel.

Tail 62-1855 didn’t receive a grand welcome when it landed smoothly at AMARG. It joined the scores of other C-130s that had been delivered to the desert to be preserved in the nearly perfect conservation climate. As the crew looked out of the cockpit Staff Sgt. Sean Ryan, a 62nd Squadron flight engineer, observed, “I thought Little Rock had a lot of C-130s.”

Staff Sgt. Shawn Larson, a 314th AMXS crew chief, added as he looked out at the retired fleet of C-130s, “If it has a blue tail and has been through Little Rock in the past 10 years, I’ve probably seen it or worked on it.”

AMARG is 1,400 acres and hosts more than 5,000 government aircraft, including planes from all branches of the military. These aircraft remain an important part of the U.S. arsenal. About 1,000 can be returned to service, while the rest are on stand-by for parts, propped on pieces of wood or others even completely cut in half.

All Team Little Rock wings continue to fly legacy C-130Hs, and the 314th AW and 19th Airlift Wing also operate J-models. The 19th AW still utilizes a dozen C-130E models, which they will be gradually retiring to AMARG in the coming year. “So why do we feel nostalgic as if we are saying goodbye to an old friend?” the colonel asked. “Tail 1855 is a reflection of our ideals and the very best attributes we know are in eachof us. She is a great tail, but only because her crews, maintainers and support teams made her so … [she] shares the same source of greatness as our Air Force--its Airmen.”

Every crew member of 62-1855s retirement flight had a special tale about how she impacted his career as an Airman. The retirement flight was crewed by:

Pilot- Col. Mark Czelusta, 314th AW commander

Co-pilot- Lt. Col. James Schartz, 62nd Airlift Squadron director of operations

Navigator- Capt. Chris Stapenhorst, a 314th Operations Group evaluation navigator

Loadmaster- Tech. Sgt. Joshua Mackey, a 62nd AS loadmaster

Flight Engineer- Staff Sgt. Sean Ryan, a 62nd AS flight engineer

Crew Chiefs- Staff Sgt. Shawn Larson, a 314th Maintenance Squadron crew chief, and

Senior Airman Blake Lyles, a 314th Maintenance Squadron crew chief.

Chief Master Sgt. Mark Marson, 314th AW command chief, also attended 62-1855’s retirement ceremony and delivery to AMARG.

The 314 AW received their first C-130 on 19 May 1957.

-On 31 May 1971 the 314 Tactical Airlift Wing transferred from Ching Chuan Kang (CCK) Air Base, Taiwan to Little Rock AFB.

-Since August 1971, the wing served as the primary training organization for all Department of Defense agencies as well as training aircrew members from selected foreign nations.

-From 1971 - 1997 while still responsible for aircrew and international training, the wing also served as a principal airlift unit involved with worldwide tactical airlift operations. In the end, the men and women of the 314 AW can cite dozens of operations where they contributed to American war efforts such as: Urgent Fury (US intervention in Grenada, 1983), Just Cause (US intervention in Panama, 1989), Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Iraq, Provide Comfort (humanitarian aid airdrops to Kurdish refugees in Iraq, 1991), Restore Hope (US intervention in Somalia, 1992), Southern Watch (enforcement of the no-fly zone over Iraq, 1992) and Northern Watch (1997), Uphold Democracy (US intervention in Haiti, 1994), and Joint Endeavor (NATO intervention in Bosnia, 1995) to name a few.

-The wing was the base host-unit from May 1971-Oct 2008.

- Over the years the 314th has trained International students from 42 different nations.The 314 AW received their first C-130 on 19 May 1957.

-On 31 May 1971 the 314 Tactical Airlift Wing transferred from Ching Chuan Kang (CCK) Air Base, Taiwan to Little Rock AFB.

-Since August 1971, the wing served as the primary training organization for all Department of Defense agencies as well as training aircrew members from selected foreign nations.

-From 1971 - 1997 while still responsible for aircrew and international training, the wing also served as a principal airlift unit involved with worldwide tactical airlift operations. In the end, the men and women of the 314 AW can cite dozens of operations where they contributed to American war efforts such as: Urgent Fury (US intervention in Grenada, 1983), Just Cause (US intervention in Panama, 1989), Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Iraq, Provide Comfort (humanitarian aid airdrops to Kurdish refugees in Iraq, 1991), Restore Hope (US intervention in Somalia, 1992), Southern Watch (enforcement of the no-fly zone over Iraq, 1992) and Northern Watch (1997), Uphold Democracy (US intervention in Haiti, 1994), and Joint Endeavor (NATO intervention in Bosnia, 1995) to name a few.

-The wing was the base host-unit from May 1971-Oct 2008.

- Over the years the 314th has trained International students from 42 different nations.irst assigned to the 516th Troop Carrier Group in July 1963. Joined the
314 TCW in Nov 1965 and went to CCK, Taiwan with the 50 TCS. Moved over to
the 345 TCS (still 314 TCW) in 1970 and stayed with the 345th when they were
transferred to the 374 TAW in May 1971. This aircraft served in Taiwan and Vietnam from 1966- 1974 (deployments to Cam Ranh Bay AB Vietnam, Don Muang AB Thailand, Tuy Hoa AB Vietnam, Naha AB, Tan Son Nhut AB Vietnam, and U
Tapao RTAFB Thailand)

There is no mention of which aircraft served in any particular operation,
but the aircraft likely served in the following Operations: Air Evacuation
of Kham Duc(possible, but maybe not plausible as there were only eight
C-130s involved), Re-supply operations at Khe Sanh, Dak To, A Shau Valley,
and An Loc to name a few.

In May 1971 the 314th transferred to LRAFB minus aircraft and personnel. The aircraft stayed in the 345 TAS under the 374 TAW at CCK. From 1976-79 it was
with the 21st TAS at Clark AFB, Philippines.

‘It showed up again in the 314th
in 1980 and stayed in the 314th until late 86. The Aircraft was transferred
to 1 SOW from 87-88 at Hurlburt, and then back to the 314th for a few months
before going to the 8 SOS at Hurlburt from 88-93. When this aircraft was
with the 8 SOS they participated in Operation Just Cause- Panama 1989,
Operation Desert Shield/ Desert Storm 1990-1991, Operation Southern Watch,
and Operation Provide Promise 1992.

The 8th SOS played a pivotal role in the success of coalition forces as they liberated Kuwait by dropping 11
15,000-pound BLU-82 bombs and 23 million leaflets and conducting numerous aerial refuelings of special operations helicopters.

The aircraft then went to the 16 SOS from 93-01 (Hurlburt, Operation Restore Hope- Somalia Dec 92- May 03; Operation Deny Flight Bosnia 93-95, Operation
Uphold Democracy Sep 94 Mar 95; Operation Deliberate Force- Bosnia 1995). Next it was with the 17 SOS 01 - 04 at Kadena AB, Japan, then retired to AMARC from Dec 2002 - 2005, and then back to the 62 AS at LRAFB in Feb of
05. Last C-130E retiring from 314 AW in September 11.