C-17 mission to Hickam highlights Operation Air Force

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Eric Burks
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, Air Force Academy Cadet Third Class Carly Olsowski stood in the cockpit of a C-17 Globemaster III from McChord and looked out across the vast expanse of blue. With a vision to fly jets for the Air Force after graduation, she spoke with C-17 pilots Lt. Col. Douglas Patterson and Maj. Rob Luzader from the 313th Airlift Squadron. 

"My dream aircraft was the A-10 Warthog," said Cadet Olsowski, "but since I have been at McChord, I have begun to think that flying heavies is the sort of lifestyle that I would like to have." 

If one day in the future she finds herself behind the controls of a McChord C-17, she would be following in the footsteps of Colonel Patterson, who graduated from the academy in 1989. Laughter filled the cockpit when Cadet Olsowski noted that she was born the same year. 

Cadet Olsowski is one of 18 academy cadets visiting McChord during the first phase of Operation Air Force, a career-broadening program. Sunday and Monday, they took part in a C-17 mission from here to Hickam AFB, Hawaii and back. The flight was a combined effort of the 62nd and 446th Airlift Wing, as the mission was planned by the 7th AS and ultimately flown by pilots from the 313th AS. 

The mission served several purposes, said Capt. Ian Ostermiller, the 10th AS facilitator who accompanied the cadets. 

"It's a great location, so in a sense it's an advertisement for the mobility mission," he said. "You see a lot of the world, and Hawaii is a good way to get somebody's attention." 

However, the captain added, it's more than just a day at the beach. "Local training sorties can't capture the complexity involved in leaving home station and going overseas," he said. 

"An off-station trainer that crosses the ocean is a great way to get cadets close to the mission in a controlled environment," said Capt. Ostermiller. "They get to see all aspects, from working with the aerial port troops to interacting with the aircrew." 

"Hopefully they come away from the experience with a smile on their face, but also with a better understanding of all the moving pieces involved in getting from A to B, especially when B is across the ocean," he said. 

Saturday, the cadets experienced an event neither frequent nor uncommon in modern aviation - a flight delay. Before an aircraft from McChord is cleared to fly, there are numerous safety procedures and checklists that must be completed. One minor issue kept the mission's C-17 grounded that day. However, it served as a teaching point for the cadets - how important safety is to the Air Force and its mission. 

Safety is paramount, said Capt. Dale Moree, 7th AS. "The purpose of checklists is to ensure all systems are operating correctly, enabling the success of the C-17's diverse missions," he said. 

The cadets and crew arrived back here Monday evening. Cadet Third Class Daniel Venable said the off-station trainer showed him the real diversity and complexity of Air Force missions. 

"Operation Air Force has really opened my eyes to many new career fields," he said. "It has given me a really good perspective on how things work outside of cadet life at the academy." 

Phase one of Operation Air Force here concludes Saturday.