On Guard: The 179th

THE
TH
Reviewing the value

and the history
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
CONTENTS
PROVIDED BY:
COVER PHOTO BY JASON MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL
TOM BRENNAN
NEWS JOURNAL EDITOR
The News Journal recognized in 2014 that the loss of the

179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard would significantly harm Mansfields economy and its community pride.
The Mansfield-based guard unit has survived two significant
threats to its existence from federal budget cuts, but was facing
a third threat in 2014 that could take months or even years to
overcome.
To begin this third and latest effort on behalf of the unit and
its nearly 1,000 full and part-time employees, the News Journal
published a six-month series of articles on the value the unit
holds for Mansfield. That series and accompanying photographs
are re-published in this magazine.
The articles described the threat to the unit and the magnitude of its local economic impact. Also described are the C-130
airplanes flown by the unit on overseas military and domestic
relief missions. Numerous members and supporters of the unit
are profiled.
The employment provided by the guard unit would be critical to any town, but is of particular significance to the Mansfield
market that has been rocked by job losses, including the closing
179th AIRLIFT WING
of a huge General Motors plant.

The main authors of this project were News Journal reporters Lou Whitmire and Todd Hill. The outstanding photography
was the work of News Journal staffers Dave Polcyn, Jason
Molyet, Dan Melograna and Lisa Bernheim. The magazine was
designed by News Journal creative artist Melonie Tackett.
In addition to the nuts and bolts and the dollars and cents
connected to the guard unit, the News Journal worked to reflect
the spirit of the unit and the pride it generates in Mansfield. Residents here are very proud to be connected with such an effective
and efficient military unit. Patriotic feelings well up as residents
watch the big airplanes lumber across the local horizon.
These patriotic feelings may not be measurable with dollar
signs or other statistics, but they are real and so very important.
Part of what motivated the News Journal was its ongoing
role to hold public officials, at the federal level in this case,
accountable for their actions. But, the News Journal is also an
engaged member of this community and wants to protect it from
potential harm. We live and work here, too.
As already indicated, it may take years before the results of
this fight on behalf of the 179th are known. But, the reporting
and historical documentation done by the News Journal and
presented in this magazine will stand forever.
tbrennan@gannett.com
419-521-7340
www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com
PHOTO BY DANIEL MELOGRANA / NEWS JOURNAL
INSIDE FEATURES:
THREAT
THE HISTORY
THE BASE
THE PROMISE
THE FIGHT
THE PLANE
THE MISSION
THE DRILL
THE HELP
THE IMPACT
THE SPIRIT
THE
179th would benefit from house measure

Upgrades to C-130H would keep base viable
Col. McCue wanted to be close to mission
179th adapts, avoids shutdown
Many assignments for wing over years
Gorman recalls units early years
Air base like a small town
179th dedicates the Spirit of Mansfield
179th is part of Chandlers family story
179th navigates political winds
Siblings love life with Air National Guard
179th optimistic about its future
Maj. Ford always dreamed of being a pilot
Servant of the skies / History of the Herk
C-130H aircraft do job well, but need upgrade
Bulanda enjoys diversity, camaraderie of crew
179th: From Mansfield to Afghanistan
Eggeman has seen much of the world with the 179th
Drill Weekend: Preparing the 179th
Guard group seeks public help on C-130H alert
Lt. Col. Kevin Stanich, a dentist, is doing his part
Missions of mercy
179th humanitarian efforts encompass the globe
Meet Capt. Devin Conway, a 179th nurse
A healthy relationship
Mechanic fixes planes in Antartica
C-130H upgrade stalls in Congress
179th is pride of Mansfield
City, airlift wing share special relationship
Tech Sgt. Roarks mission to keep citys 179th secure
4
9
16
21
27
33
40
47
52
58
66
179th AIRLIFT WING
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
PART
ON GUARD
THE
THREAT
179TH WOULD
BENEFIT FROM
HOUSE MEASURE
179th Airlift Wing C-27J cargo aircraft makes touch-and-go landings at Lahm Airport.
179th AIRLIFT WING
DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL
THE THREAT
The 179th Airlift Wing recently celebrated the 21st annual Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work day. Children were able to job shadow their parents and participate in lots
of activities, including touring a C-130 aircraft.
Upgrades to C-130H would keep base viable
By Lou Whitmire
News Journal, originally published June 15, 2014
Legislation recently passed by the U.S.

House could help save the 179th Airlift
Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard.

Rich Green, who leads the Mansfield
Military Affairs Council, said the bill contains provisions that would greatly benefit
the Air National Guard and the local unit.
The Mansfield Military Affairs Council
is working to protect the 179th from future
national spending cuts.
The bill is the National Defense Authorization Act, which affects military spending
for one year beginning Oct. 1, 2014.
One key provision would direct the U.S.
Air Force to upgrade the national fleet of

C-130H airplanes. This is the aircraft now
flown by the 179th. They are among the
oldest aircraft flown by the U.S. military.
A second provision asks the Air Force
to prepare an implementation plan that recognizes the efficiencies of the Air National
Guard and makes it a more critical part of
the national air defense system.
Missing from the bill is another Base
See BENEFIT Page 6
179th AIRLIFT WING
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
An C-130 aircraft rests on the tarmac at the 179th Airlift Wing.
BENEFIT
continued from page 5
Realignment And Closure (BRAC) initiative. The 179th survived a similar initiative several years ago. Green said a BRAC
measure is not in the bill because House
members believe the process has not saved
money in the past.
The upgrades to the C-130H airplanes
include major upgrades to the engines and
pilot instrument panels. Green said without
such upgrades the planes would soon no
longer be able to fly over oceans.
Reason for optimism

Green added his optimism is enhanced
by a similar supportive bill that has started
moving through the U.S. Senate.
Theres a lot of ground covered in
large pieces of legislation like the National
Defense Authorization Act, and the FY15
6
179th AIRLIFT WING
version is clearly good news for the Air

National Guard, Green said.
However, theres still a long way to go,
but with the strong support we are seeing
from our Ohio delegation and Congress, the
light at the end of the tunnel appears to be
getting brighter, he said.
Green, a former commander of the
179th and formerly the legislative director
for the National Guard Association of the
United States, traveled to Washington, D.C.,
recently to meet with key legislators as part
of the local effort to save the Mansfield unit.
While in Washington, Green said the
House Armed Services Committee passed
the National Defense Authorization Act
that was then sent to the full House where it
was approved.
The separate Senate bill could ultimately
differ from the House version when it is
passed. A conference committee would
resolve the differences before a final bill is
enacted.
DANIEL MELOGRANA / NEWS JOURNAL
Green emphasized a lot can happen

to the legislation before it is finalized. He
expects the process to conclude by this fall.
So theres still a long way to go and
more opportunities, Green said. The
National Guard Association of the United
States will also be helpful from this point
forward as they will normally provide
some good analysis of where the legislation
stands.
Protecting the base

Earlier this year, the Richland Community Development Group called together
community and business leaders to formulate plans to protect the 179th. Green is
spearheading the effort.
While in the nations capitol, Green met
with several elected officials staff and a potential lobby firm, the Franklin Partnership,
which has experience working BRAC issues.
He also met with military legislative staff
members for Sen. Sherrod Brown, Sen. Rob
THE THREAT
Portman, Rep. Michael Turner and Sen. Roy
Blunt.
In a nutshell, all are very supportive ...
and keeping them in the loop as to what is
happening with the C-130s and National
Commission on the Structure of the Air
Force that, if implemented in a responsible
manner, would go a long way to ensuring
the future of the Air National Guard and
specifically the 179th ... is always good,
Green said.
The base has avoided closure twice.
In 2012 the 179th, adjacent to Mansfield
Lahm Airport, was faced with closure after
the federal budget for 2013 recommended
divestiture of the nations fleet of C-27J
military aircraft.
We were due to close in 2005, and then
we find out six to eight years later that were
going to close again, Col. Gary McCue,
commander of the 179th, said earlier. We
will never consider ourselves completely
safe.
Larger aircraft
The 179th lost its four C-27J planes as
planned, but they have been replaced with
twice that number, eight larger C-130H
aircraft.
Theyre the oldest in the inventory, and
the feeling is the Air Force is not in a position or doesnt want to put any more money
into them and were vulnerable, Green said.
Probably it will be in four to six years until
the Air Force decides were going to retire
these airplanes.
He said the Air Force is supposed to
maintain an inventory of not less than 300
combat coded C-130 H&J aircraft but currently has around 350.
We are in the worst position, as our
airplanes are the oldest in the inventory.
The Guard has 24 C-130H1 aircraft, Green
said. We dont want to see our mission going away soon, so we thought we would be
proactive.
Green said the short-term goals the
committee set include what can be done to
get these older aircraft modified.
Green said the second goal is to make
sure Congress directs the Air Force to take
action on the recommendations contained
in the recent Commission on the Structure
of the Air Force Report.

The issue of maintaining capabilities at
a lower cost is the bottom line, Green said,
noting the guard also is responsible for
homeland security and natural disasters.
This bill on the House floor is for FY
2015. What to me is the big-ticket way forward for the guard is if the Air Force actually
does something positive about the commission report. The commission report would
mean that some portions of forces would
shift to the guard and the Air Force would
work closer with the guard on a day-to-day
basis as an operational force and not as a
strategic reserve, Green said.
The commission also is looking at fielding of airplanes to the air guard. Historically
the Air Force gets new airplanes and puts
them in the active forces, while cascading
the older aircraft to the Guard, Green said.
However, the commission recommends
concurrent and proportional fielding of
new aircraft, which would mean the Guard
would receive new aircraft at the same time
as the active force.
RCDG earlier this year invited CBD
Advisors, consultants hired by the governor,
to address the group and to present their
Community Guide for Federal Asset Partnerships.
CBD Advisors has been contracted by
the State of Ohio to analyze the economic
impacts of federal defense assets in Ohio
and to work with stakeholders to retain and
grow federal investments in the state. The
group from Dayton will provide tools for
effective advocacy, assist stakeholders in
creating strategies to enhance the military
value of their bases and enable communities
to be proactive during this era of military
downsizing.
Green is a former U.S. Air Force command pilot. After his retirement from the
military after 35 years as a brigadier general,
he served as legislative director for the
States for seven years.
Groups and individuals are encouraged
to send letters to members of Congress in
support of the 179th and its mission, he
said.
We dont want
to see our mission
going away soon,
so we thought
we would be
proactive
- Rich Green
lwhitmir@nncogannett.com
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
179th AIRLIFT WING
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
Col. Gary McCue, commander of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio National Guard.
Col. McCue wanted to

be close to the mission
By Lou Whitmire
Col. Gary McCue, commander of the

179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National
Guard, became interested in aviation, and
flying, when he was about 12 years old.
We went to the Geauga County Fair,
and my dad bought an airplane ride for
my brother and me. I was hooked. It also
sparked my interest in the Air Force, and
culminated in me joining the 179th right
out of high school, and Ive been here ever
since, McCue said this week.
8
179th AIRLIFT WING
A childhood friend of mine, from when

I lived in Ashland, (his) stepfather was
assigned to this unit, so after talking with
him, it was an easy step to drive out here to
Mansfield Lahm and gather info. I enlisted
soon after.
McCue said when he first joined, he
chose aircraft maintenance, so he could be
assigned to the aircraft and close to the mission.
I was enrolled full time at Kent State,
taking advantage of the tuition program
offered by the National Guard. To this day,
we still offer 100 percent scholarships, for

a six-year commitment in the ANG, McCue said.
While at KSU, he obtained his private
pilots license.
Ive been flying aircraft for nearly 30
years, McCue said.
McCue said the 179th unit is filled
with highly dedicated and motivated
people who want to serve the state and
nation.
We are still a voluntary military, so
the folks who live and work in our communities and serve in the ANG are here
because they love what they do, period.
This is a very valuable asset our nations
best and brightest, willing to deploy and
perform the mission, he said proudly.
Ive been blessed to serve with some
of the finest airmen in our Armed Forces,
and they are stationed right here in Richland County, McCue said.
Born in Fremont, McCue lived for 10
years in Ashland and 10 years in Warren.
My dad was a state trooper, so we
moved about every 10 years, he said.
McCue joined the 179th Airlift
Wing in 1983, where he was assigned to
the Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance
Squadron as a C-130B crew chief. He
graduated from Kent State University in
1988 with a bachelors degree in history
and English. He attended undergraduate
pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base
in Mississippi from 1989 to 1990.
Upon completion of C-130 flight
training, he returned to Mansfield and
began flying the C-130B and C-130H2.
In 1995, he became a full-time technician and supported the wing as operations
plan officer.
In 2010, he was sworn in as the commander of the 179th.
He has participated in Operations
Southern Watch, Joint Forge, Coronet
Oak, Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom
and Iraqi Freedom, serving as an aircrew
member, staff officer and commander at
the squadron level.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
THE HISTORY
PART
ON GUARD
THE
HISTORY
RIGHT: Frank P. Lahm, for whom Mansfields

airport is named, was instrumental in acquiring the land that would eventually become
the base for the 179th Airlift Wing of the Air
National Guard, although his efforts to bring
a base here were delayed by World War II.
This is one of the four photo panels on display at the 179th illustrating its history.

179TH AIRLIFT WING
179th AIRLIFT WING
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
179 ADAPTS,
AVOIDS
SHUTDOWN
TH
Many assignments for wing over years

By Todd Hill
On the sprawling grounds of the 179th Airlift

Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, Department of Defense signs proclaiming LGBT Pride
Month could be found in the hallways and lobbies
recently, a marked departure from the days when
dont ask, dont tell was the U.S. militarys policy
10 179th AIRLIFT WING
toward members with a same-sex sexual orientation.

Those signs are just the latest indicators of
change for a Mansfield reserve unit that has weathered a dizzying array of modifications since its
creation in the years immediately following World
War II. But while much has changed for the 179th,
from its personnel to its aircraft, from its missions
and even to its name, the 179th Airlift Wing is still
THE HISTORY
While much has

changed for the
179th, from its
personnel to
its name, the
179th Airlift Wing
is still here.
Two C-130s returned to the 179th Airlift Wing from Alaska.
here.
The base, adjacent to Mansfields Lahm
Airport, has avoided closure twice, and is
home today to eight C-130H aircraft, the
oldest planes in the Air Forces inventory.
But if the eventual retirement of the aircraft
means yet another new mission for the
179th in the coming years, it certainly wont
be the first time.
The first signs of activity on the bluffs
overlooking the north side of the city date
from the years before World War II.
The property was laid out in the 1930s. Col.

Alan Tappan was instrumental in getting this
air strip out here, literally a grass strip. Frank
Lahm, of course, was too, said Col. Gary
A. McCue, commander of the 179th Airlift
Wing.
Lahms influence
Lahm was much more than an airport
namesake during his lifetime. The son of a
See ASSIGNMENTS Page 12
179th AIRLIFT WING
11
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
Four Ohio Air National Guard C-130 Hercules cargo planes from the Mansfield-based 179th Airlift Wing assist after the Haiti earthquake in 2010.
ASSIGNMENTS
balloonist, and a Mansfield native, Lahm

had the honor of becoming just the second
licensed pilot in Ohio, following Orville
Wright, and was the first Army aviator to
become a licensed pilot in the U.S.
By the time World War II started, Lahm
had hit the Armys mandatory retirement
age, but he continued working on bringing a military unit to this area, and shortly
before the U.S. dived into that global conflict
an aviation company out of Cleveland flew
some planes down to Mansfields landing
strip to get the new facility of sorts off the
ground.
They didnt stay though, and then the

war happened. There was nothing here during the war. Just prior to the war was when
they said, Hey, we want a National Guard
flying unit here, and lets use that company
up in Cleveland. Well, it didnt really take
place because of the war, McCue said.
When the war ended we all came
home. The National Security Act was passed
in 1947, which made the Air Force a separate service, and that was really big. When
the Air Force became its own air force, we
became our own Air Guard, underneath the
auspices of the governor.
After being deactivated in Europe as
the 363rd Fighter Squadron when the war
ended, the unit was reactivated in Mansfield
as the Ohio Air National Guard 164th Tacti-
SUBMITTED PHOTO
cal Fighter Squadron, then expanded to the

179th Tactical Fighter Group in 1962. Its
command was shifted from tactical to airlift
in 1976.
Early aircraft
During those years three fighter aircraft
called the 179th home, P-51s, F84s and
F-100s, the latter two of which can be found
on sticks on the base today, followed by C130s, then C-127s and then back to C-130s
after the unit was converted to airlift.
But when we had fighters, we had support aircraft, so we had DC-3, I think we had
C-46 at one point, we had B-26, McCue
said.
And then the base expanded in 2008
with the addition of the 200th RED HORSE
THE HISTORY
...our goal has

always been to
be absolutely
ready at the
same levels of
active duty ...
- Col. Gary A. McCue
Tech Sgt. Patrick McNamara of the 179th Airlift Wing maintains equipment at the base.
(Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers) detachment.

They were up at Port Clinton, thats
their main unit, and they had another squadron added. When they needed a place to put
them, we raised our hands and said, Wed
love to have them down here. The city gave
us extra property, McCue said.
After President Harry S. Truman radically reduced the American militarys numbers
following World War II, reserve operations
like the Air National Guard grew in importance, only to be found lacking in readiness
when war broke out in Korea in 1950.
The readiness levels were different back
then, but since Ive been in, and I got in in
1983, the readiness levels for the Guard have
always been the same as active duty. The
Guard does everything the Air Force does,
the colonel said.
Unit goes to France

After the Berlin Wall went up in East
Germany in 1961, the unit left Mansfield
for Etain-Rouvres Air Base in France, just in
case.
France was a forward location to meet
the Russians if they came across Europe. The
Cold War was at its height. No matter where
JASON J. MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL
World War III started, it was a foregone

conclusion that it would culminate in battle
on the European continent, McCue said.
World War III, of course, was avoided,
but when the Iron Curtain came down
with the collapse of the Soviet Union at the
beginning of the 1990s the 179th had to
adapt yet again, to new kinds of conflicts and
a variety of different missions.
We found ourselves very busy in the
Balkans, in southeast Europe, because when
they took the lid off the pot the rest was
history, as they say. And then we went to
Somalia in 1992, McCue said.
The 179th was not involved in the first
Persian Gulf war, also in the early 1990s,
because it was in the midst of transitioning
from C-130B aircraft to C-130H planes,
but it was on hand for the second one. The
unit also has responded in a long line of
humanitarian missions, from Haiti to various
hurricane relief efforts in the States.
Big picture, our goal has always been
to be absolutely ready at the same levels of
active duty, McCue said. We have the same
qualifications as they do, so thats the beauty
of it.
thill3@nncogannett.com
419-521-7283
Twitter: @ToddHillMNJ
179th AIRLIFT WING
13
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
Jim Gorman polishes the propeller dome of his 1941 Beech Stagger Wing biplane that he still flies.
THE HISTORY
Gorman recalls units early years

90-year-old served as Army Air Force pilot
By Lou Whitmire
Jim Gorman is a charter member of the

179th Airlift Wing of Air National Guard
at Mansfield Lahm Airport, having joined
the unit when it was initially formed as the
164th Fighter Squadron in June 1948.
The 90-year-old Gorman is retired,
but he still can be found in his office at the
Gorman-Rupp Co.
He celebrated his 21st birthday overseas
while an Army Air Force pilot.
After World War II, he served the Air
Force Reserves until the guard unit was
opened in June 1948. He served there until
1956.
He left the guard to dedicate his time to
working at the pump company.
Between the end of World War II and
the establishment of the guard, the Air Force
Reserve had three or four airplanes parked
at the airport for pilots to fly, including
Beach C-45s and a couple North American
Aviation airplanes or T-6s. Once the guard
was established, that disappeared, he said.
Early years
Gorman said Richland Aviation was
Harrington Air Service at the time.
Thats where we started, he said. In
one of Richlands hangars. The 164th Fighter
Squadron. The Air Force keeps changing all
sorts of designations as you go along, and it
ends up being the 179th.
Around 1949, the 164th got the first
P-51 Ds, a fighter aircraft and an aircraft that
was used primarily in Europe during World
War II. Gorman said the guard unit here
later got P51-Hs, which were designed as a
high-altitude interceptor.
They only built about 300 of them
before the war ended. When Korea started,
we expected to be activated but somebody

said we dont have enough parts for those
old 300 airplanes we built. We were never
activated for Korea, Gorman said.
The British wanted North American
Aviation to build P-40s under license. They
said, Look we have a better idea for an
airplane. In 120 days they came up with a
prototype P-51. It had an Allison engine in
it. It was a very good airplane except you
couldnt get much above 15,000 feet because
it wasnt super charged.
Alan Tappan was in Europe with the
Air Force and was part of the group which
suggested they take the Rolls Royce Merlin
engine out of the Spitfire and put it in the
P-51. It turned out because it had a super
charger on it that they could get the altitude.
Packard built more Rolls Royce Merlin
engines than Rolls Royce did, Gorman said.
Gorman said Alan Tappan, president of
the Tappan Stove Co., is responsible for the
guards existence in Mansfield.
I grew up next to him. He was a World
War I pilot. He kept his interest in the Air
Force. Of course, back in those days it was
the Army Air Force and it was very small
group of people and Alan Tappan knew
every one of them, Gorman said. Tappan ended up a colonel. Alan was a little
younger than my father. He and his wife
never had any children. I think his children
were the Air National Guard.
The Air Force said the little town of
Mansfield cant support a guard unit. He
(Tappan) guaranteed we would be able to
fill up the unit. The Mansfield guard unit
was the last one to be established and the
first one to be 100 percent manned, he said.
The community from Day 1 supported the
guard unit, much better than any other city
in the United States. Its one of the things
that kept the guard unit here when they

were trying to close up everything. There
were 25,000 letters written.
Gorman said Tappan and Gil Baird set
up a recruiting office in the Farmers Bank
building downtown, which got many World
War II veterans who were still interested in
aviation to join the guard.
Gormans high school graduation present prepared him for war.
Ready to fly
When I graduated from Mansfield
Senior High in 1941, my grandmothers
present was 10 hours of dual flying time,
Gorman recalls. Of course that did it.
So when he joined the Army in 1942,
Gormans assignment was to train as a pilot.
He became a C-47 cargo plane pilot.
General MacArthur and myself toured
the Pacific together, except he was leading,
he said.
According to the 179th base history, the
164th Fighter Squadron first had 41 officers
and 177 airmen.
Recalling his days in the 164th unit,
Gorman said guard members flew to Grayling, Michigan, for training and the active
Air Force would come to observe the guard,
amazed at the units abilities.
He said Capt. Bill Ash was brought to
Mansfield to run the 164th. Tappan asked
Gorman to take Ash around town and introduce him, which he did.
When Marge and I got married, he
ended up being my best man, Gorman said.
Gorman still flies his personal plane, a
1946 Beech Stagger Wing, whenever he can.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
179th AIRLIFT WING
15
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
PART
ON GUARD
THE
BASE
AIR BASE
LIKE A
SMALL TOWN
179th dedicates the

Spirit of Mansfield
News Journal, originally published July 6, 2014
The 179th Airlift Wing dedicated

one of its C-130 aircraft 83-0488
to the city of Mansfield Saturday
during 2014 Mansfield Lahm Airport
Day festivities.
The 179th Airlift Wing designated
the aircraft the Spirit of Mansfield.
The name is painted over the aircrew

door. Underneath the name is painted
an Air Force Outstanding Unit ribbon,
an award the 179th Airlift Wing has
been awarded on numerous occasions.
Special guests at the event included Rep. Bob Gibbs and Mansfield
Mayor Tim Theaker. The offices of
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Pat
Tiberi also were represented.
Col. Gary McCue, 179th Airlift
Wing commander, presented a special
memorial shadow box of the C-130
dedication ceremony to the city of
Mansfield in gratitude for all of the
support the city provides to the airlift
wing and its members.
ABOVE: Lt. Col. Darren Hamilton and his son Wade, 3, watch the
dedication of the Spirit of Mansfield C-130 on Saturday, July 5,
2014, at Lahm Airport.
JASON MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL
THE BASE
Staff Sgt. Dante Cheatham walks the wing of a C-130 at Lahm Airport while doing a pre-flight inspection on one of the newest aircraft assigned to the 179th Airlift Wing.

179th a huge, full-time operation

By Lou Whitmire
The 179th Airlift Wing of

the Ohio Air National Guard is
a city in itself, with its own fire
department, medical building,
headquarters, communications
facility, gym, dining hall and
more.
College classes are offered at
the base, too.
The 179th Airlift Wing, off
Harrington Memorial Road, is
located at Mansfield Lahm Airport on 289.87 acres, land leased
from the city of Mansfield.
Capt. Kiet Chung, deputy
base civil engineer at the 179th,
is in charge of maintaining faciliwww.mansfieldnewsjournal.com
ties and infrastructure. He said

the original hangar was built in
1949. It was shipped in pieces
from the Pacific back to the United States and re-assembled at the
base. Initially it was designed to
store a much smaller P-51 Mustang. A second hangar at the base
was built in 1978, Chung said.
Chung said the historic
hangars doors have been retrofitted a couple of times to fit larger
planes over the years, including
the C-130s. It would cost $32
million to construct a new hangar to replace the existing one, he
added.
They had to cut into the
walls there to allow the wings to
actually pass through, Chung

said. When the aircraft actually
comes in here, it goes all the way
pretty much wall to wall.
There are 34 buildings at the
base, including the two hangars.
The newest building constructed was the RED HORSE
building. It started operations in
2010. A security forces building
was built in 2001.
The operations/communications building was built in 2003.
There are people who work
every day at the base 190 Department of Defense technicians,
51 state employees, 70 active
guard reservists. There are 982
traditional reservists who work
two days a month, for a total of

1,293 employees.
Chung said state staff is
responsible for maintaining all
aspects of the buildings, from
the lights, roofs, plumbing and
air conditioning. Other maintenance projects are contracted
out.
Mark Daugherty, Mansfield Lahm Airport manager,
said area companies, including
ArcelorMittal, Schmidt Security
Pro, Manairco, Chandler Water
Systems of Ashland and Gorman
Rupp Co., take advantage of the
airport to move their products
See OPERATION Page 18
179th AIRLIFT WING
17
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
An aerial photograph of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard. At the bottom, to the left, is the RED HORSE and Army Installations, bottom right is the fuels section
of the 179th and the main section near the tower is the 179th Airlift Wing and Mansfield Lahm Airport.
179TH AIRLIFT WING
OPERATION
and people on a daily basis.

The main runway is 150 feet wide and
9,001 feet long. A secondary runway, also 150
feet wide, is 6,800 feet long. No commercial
flights are scheduled here, but corporate and
charter flights come in and out.
Mansfield Lahm Airport has demonstrated capability to handle large commercial
and military aircraft, including the USAF C-5
and the Antonov 124-100. In 2012, President
Barack Obama landed in Air Force One at
Mansfield Lahm.
The airport has a Garden of Heroes,
which includes a family pavillion honoring
the people who were instrumental in building
the airport. The airport has its own Federal
Aviation Administration control tower.

The control tower operates from 6 a.m. to
11 p.m. 365 days a year.
The 179th Airlift Wing used to operate
its own air traffic control. The tower, located
atop a building on the base, has since been
taken down, Chung said.
Other changes over the years at the base
include the main gate being relocated.
Chung said he could say only that the
base is built to standards when asked if it
has any special re-enforced safety features to
withstand a tornado. If there is, I wouldnt
be able to say anything about it, he said
when asked if there is a safe house built
underground.
Changes
Master Sgt. Lisa Haun, who works in
the public information office at the base and
who has served 17 years with the 179th, said

she can remember when all the buildings
were painted brown. Now base buildings
are painted three interior colors blue, offwhite and gray.
Capt. Travis Fox, 179th Civil Engineering commander, said there hasnt been any
new construction recently, but several of
the older buildings have been renovated for
energy efficiency.
The last building renovated was the
Logistics Readiness Squadron building that
hosts all the supplies for 179th. The next
building for renovation is the Civil Engineering building. This building holds CE troops
and equipment to maintain the base, Fox
said.
The 179th Civil Engineering Squadron
Facility is set to be renovated at an estimated
$1.65 million; the project has been fully
THE BASE
Col. Gary McCue, commander of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, swears in 32 airmen for
full-time positions in support of the wings new C-130 aircraft mission.
funded by National Guard Bureau through

its restoration and modernization program.
The 10,000-square-foot project will restore
and modernize the 35-year-old facility to
meet the most current building standards
and meet the NGBs Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design standards. Most
importantly, this project will prolong the facilitys lifespan, saving more than $3 million
to $4 million in new construction, Fox said.
The project will encompass a removal
and resurfacing the facade, reconfiguring the
interior, reinforcing the structure, adding
natural light through exterior windows and
upgrading or replacing the mechanical systems. All of the projects work has estimated
a LEED Silver certification, which is one
classification higher than required, while
remaining under budget. The renovation will
also incorporate infrastructure, like a new fire
suppression system, replacing load-bearing
members and the roof, and the removal of asbestos to mitigate major safety concerns and
be compliant with todays Anti-Terrorism/
Force Protection (AT/FP) measures, securing the Squadrons most valuable asset its
people, Fox said.
The project is set to kick off mid-summer
and should take a little under a year to complete, Fox added.
The 179th is a
city in itself,
with its own
fire department,
medical building,
headquarters,
communications
facility, gym,
dining hall
and more.
The mission
The 179th unit fulfills its airlift mission by transporting personnel and cargo
throughout the United States and supports
the U.S. Air Force in performing military
airlift functions throughout the world. In
addition, the 179th Airlift Wing participates
in disaster relief efforts and other domestic
emergencies.
Col. Gary McCue, commander of the
179th, said it was an incredible year for recruiting and retention as the 179th operates
at 108.6 percent in manning and the highest
in the state of Ohio.
Recruiters had the most accessions in the
nation with 217 members and were awarded
Top Accessions for three quarters and Critical Accession for two quarters in a row, McCue said. In support of our federal mission,
126 members deployed to Afghanistan in
support of Operation Enduring Freedom and
supporting deployments to Gulfport, Mississippi, as well as in England, working with
the RAF at Mildenhall and Lakenheath to
enhance their readiness for state and federal
missions and nation.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
179th AIRLIFT WING
19
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
179th is part of Chandlers family story

By Lou Whitmire
Senior Master Sgt. Ralph Chandler IV

has been a member of the 179th Airlift Wing
of the Ohio Air National Guard since 1997.
He is the fabrication supervisor in the
maintenance squadron, overseeing three
shops where unit members make parts and
equipment needed for the C-130s. His staff
includes full-time Guardsmen in each shop,
and on drill weekends there are traditional
Guardsmen there, too. A total of 26 members work in all three shops.
Chandler explained the base has a
non-destructive inspection shop. There is a
machine shop where unique fabrication is
done for the airplanes.
We are fitting the airplanes with things
we need, he said, showing a visitor overhead
racks that machine shop employees are making and installing.
There is a sheet metal shop where work
includes aircraft skin repairs, riveting and
more.
There also is a paint shop.
Chandler, who grew up in Norwalk, previously worked for the Springfield Air Guard
Unit. Before that, he was active duty Air
Force, stationed at Holloman Air Force Base
in New Mexico in the early 1990s, where he
worked as a weapons specialist on F-15s and
F-117s, or stealth fighters.
Chandler said his father was an Army
Guard technician working out of Norwalk.
His grandfathers brother Ralph served in
World War II and was killed in action in
France during the Normandy invasion.
One of Chandlers three daughters, Madison Chandler, 18, a 2014 graduate of South
Central High School, in January joined the
179th. On July 15, she will go to Lackland
Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, for
basic training. She will work in Aviation
Resource Management at the 179th.
Ive been bringing my girls out here. I
made them feel like this was part of the family, too. They grew up watching us transition,
Senior Master Sgt. Ralph Chandler
watching the C-130s, the C-27Js and back to

the 130s, he said.
Daughter Madison Chandler said she
signed a six-year contract with the 179th
because it has always been a part of her life
and she grew up coming to the base.
And I wanted to serve my country, she
said.
Madison said one of the benefits of
being in the 179th Guard unit is she will be
able to have her tuition at Kent State University paid for.
Madison said the base is like her second
family.
Im very excited. They take you in like
a second family and theyre always there for
you if you need anything, she said
Ralph Chandler works Mondays
through Fridays at the base. He has been
deployed several times, the last time to
Afghanistan in 2012 with the C-27Js.

Any of us can be deployed at any time,
he said.
The 179th, in my opinion, has come a
long way. We have had our trials and tribulations, so to speak, over the last several years.
Right now there are exciting times. Theres
great energy with all the new recruits coming in. Its been exciting to come out to drill.
I see everybody so re-engaged, he added.
Whats been exciting to me is not only
the guys in the fabrication section, but
everyone in maintenance and around the entire wing has re-engaged and really attacking
the mission we have before us, to get stood
up to be ready to go at a moments notice if
need be. I actually really love it, Chandler
said.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
THE PROMISE
PART
ON GUARD
THE
PROMISE
President Barack Obama stopped in Mansfield for a campaign stop August 1, 2012. Air Force One landed at Lahm
Airport, and he was motorcaded downtown for a short speech. He is greeted at the airport by 179th Airlift Wing
Commander Col. Gary McCue.
NEWS JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
179th AIRLIFT WING
21
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
President Barack Obama stopped in Mansfield on August 1, 2012.
NEWS JOURNAL PHOTO
The Congress shall have Power to provide for organizing, arming, and
disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be
employed in the Service of the United States.

-Article1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution
THE PROMISE
THE 179
NAVIGATES
POLITICAL
WINDS
TH
By Todd Hill
National Guard units like the 179th

Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National
Guard in Mansfield owe everything to a
single line in Americas most important
founding document.
The Pentagon may have oversight
over the five branches of the U.S. military,
but it was Congress and its hundreds
of senators and representatives that
organized the states often sketchy militias
of the 1800s into the National Guard in
1916. The legislative branch of the federal
government has taken that responsibility
We had a severalyears campaign to

bring awareness to
the public, to our
congressional
delegation, to fight
for our cause in
Washington, and it
worked. We were
removed from the list
- 179th Commander
Col. Gary A. McCue
seriously ever since.

But tensions between the Pentagon and Congress over what to do with
the Guard continue to this day. In this
centurys era of tightening budgets, the
attention has largely focused on where to
trim the Guard, along with the rest of the
military. And with eight C-130 aircraft that
are now pushing 30 years old, the 179th
Airlift Wing is worried about its future on
its base adjacent to Lahm Airport.
Its a state of mind that has come naturally to members of the 179th for nearly a
decade now.
In 1988 the National Defense Authorization Act called for military base realignments in five iterations, taking place in
1989, 91, 93, 95 and 2005.
Basically, we knew even then that
things werent looking good for the Soviet
Union and that if they ceased to exist in
See NAVIGATING Page 24
179th AIRLIFT WING
23
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
President Barack Obama touched down in Mansfield for a campaign stop Aug. 1, 2012. Air Force One landed at Lahm Airport, he was motorcaded downtown for a short speech.

NEWS JOURNAL PHOTO
NAVIGATING
their current form we knew wed have a

lot of excess capacity in our bases, 179th
Commander Col. Gary A. McCue said.
Thats what happens after any conflict.
The Cold War was our longest ongoing
conflict, so to speak, because we built up
for 60 years almost. Downsizing was going
to be a huge issue.
And yet, the Air Guard went practically
untouched until the Base Realignment and
Closure, or BRAC, commission of 2005
came along.
They wanted to use 2005 as an infra24 179th AIRLIFT WING
structure BRAC to save money. They used

that vehicle to move things around. Us
and Springfield, two units out of the four
Air Guard wings in Ohio, were slated for
closure. We found out on Friday the 13th,
2005, that we were on the closure list, McCue said.
But then the communitys forces were
marshaled.
We had a several-years campaign to
bring awareness to the public, to our congressional delegation, to fight for our cause
in Washington, and it worked. We were
removed from the list, McCue said.
We did lose our aircraft, the C-130s,
but we were given a new mission, the C-27J
(following a C-21 bridge mission). It took
about three years for that to completely

unfold. It was community support that did
it.
Washington then appeared to have left
the era of BRACs behind, although never
saying never is probably the wisest policy
when it comes to defense cuts.
Its been shown that previous BRACs
had not saved the money projected, but
in fact cost money, Rich Green, leader of
the Mansfield Military Affairs Council and
a former commander of the 179th, said.
I dont think theres going to be a BRAC
introduced this year when both chambers
of Congress have a similar feeling about it.
However, it didnt take a BRAC to once
again threaten the 179th with closure two
THE PROMISE
years ago, a move that really caught the
unit off guard. It already had learned it was
going to be losing the C-27Js, but it was
assumed the unit would just get another
mission, even if it wasnt a flying mission.
Well, they also said they were going to
close the wing, and that was very shocking
for us because nobody else was being slated
for closure in the Guard. That was a wakeup call, McCue said.
But 2012 happened to be a presidential
election year. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio,
also was up for re-election that year. And
it wasnt long before the 179ths fate got
caught up in a bit of political theater in its
own backyard.
President Barack Obama, running for
re-election, was scheduled to make a campaign appearance in downtown Mansfield
on Aug. 1, after landing at the 179th Airlift
Wing. During a White House news conference days earlier, the Obama administration was surprised, and a bit embarrassed,
to be reminded that the wing where Air
Force One would be landing was slated for
closure.
Later, while in the air en route to
Mansfield, Obamas press secretary began
damage control.
There is a redundancy in terms of the
aircraft that this National Guard air base is
home to at this point, but the president is
committed to finding another mission for
the National Guard unit at this particular
air base, spokesperson Jay Carney said,
referring any further, more detailed, questions about that alternate mission to the
U.S. Defense Department.
By then we were all in. We pushed all
our chips across the table. When youre
at that point you have nothing to lose, because youre going to lose everything if you
dont keep up the pressure, McCue said.
When he came, we met him, it was a
great day, it was really neat. That was the
first time Id ever done that. He came to
the unit and then he went downtown and
spoke, and he said he would do everything
he could to keep a mission here in Mansfield, was what he said to us.
It wasnt a done deal, however, for
several more months. Before years end,
between Christmas and New Years Day,

Browns office announced that the 179th
would be getting eight planes with which it
already was familiar, the C-130, the oldest
aircraft flown by the U.S. military.
Whether the presidents campaign
stop here was the tipping point that made it
happen, I dont know, it could have been,
Green said. But the community involvement was unprecedented, I had never seen
a response like that. That email campaign
generated 30,000 letters, and that got Congresss attention.
Brown had been involved in the process. The National Commission on the
Structure of the Air Force recently made
recommendations that could help maintain
the current status of the 179th. I continue
to urge the Administration to support
these recommendations and work toward
implementing them. Last year, I met with
the Air Force Secretary, then a nominee,
and explained to her the importance of
maintaining a long-term flying mission for
the base. Not only would this strengthen
the economy of north central Ohio, but it
would help to keep our nation safe.
Given the age of its aircraft, the 179th
isnt resting easy, and its members still have
work to do.
We just hold up our heads and keep
working and focus on safety, doing the mission. We were deployed when all that went
down two years ago, we were deployed
back in 2005. We had people overseas. Its
very damaging to morale, it hurts because
youre serving your country and then you
find out your units going to close. Its very
difficult stuff, McCue said.
But Im just so impressed how they
just keep coming to work and finish the
mission.
Everybody gets concerned, but Ive
been amazed that the morale in the 179th
is as high as it is despite the threats, Green
said. The resiliency they have to these cuts
is amazing. Hats off.
...Ive been amazed

that the morale in
the 179th is as
high as it is despite
the threats.
The resiliency they
have to these cuts
is amazing.
Hats off.
- Rich Green
419-521-7283
179th AIRLIFT WING
25
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
Siblings love life with Air National Guard

By Lou Whitmire
Three siblings from Shelby are seeing the

world and serving their country after joining
the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National
Guard as a way to get a college education.
Now all three siblings Tech Sgt. David
Amert, Tech. Sgt. Jason Amert and Tech
Sgt. Rebecca Neuenschwander said they
wouldnt want to work anywhere else.
David Amert is now a member of the 200th
RED HORSE unit based at Mansfield Lahm
Airport, while his brother Jason Amert and
sister Rebecca Neuenschwander remain members of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air
National Guard, also located at Lahm.
The Shelby natives and their parents, Butch
and Patty Amert, this year were awarded Family
of the Year by the State of Ohio Airmen and
Family Readiness Program.
All three siblings were recruited by Chief
Master Sgt. Mark Dyer, who is the chief of
Logistics Readiness.
Dyer said it actually started back at the
Shelby YMCA.
Becky Amert was one of the lifeguards on
my staff at the Shelby Y, and we talked about the
Air National Guard all the time. She came out
for a visit and eventually joined, which led to
her bringing her brothers out as well. They are
such an amazing family and very deserving of
this award, Dyer said.
David Amert joined the 200th RED
HORSE (Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy
Operational Repair Squadron Engineer) in
December 2002. He is a state employee and
operates heavy equipment with the 200th RED
HORSE unit. He originally joined the 179th
but moved to the 200th RED HORSE because
of downsizing in the 179th.
Davids work includes operating heavy
equipment, from excavators to scrapers and
cranes. On deployments he has helped set up
entire bases; repair runways; and repair, replace
or put down new asphalt and concrete.
While in the guard, David was deployed
to Iraq operating heavy equipment at Camp
Speicher for 3 1/2 months. He then traveled
to Baghdad for 3 1/2 months. In 2010 he was
deployed to Afghanistan. Last year he traveled
David Amert, his sister Rebecca Neuenschwander, and his twin brother Jason are all
technical sergeants. David is a member of the 200th RED HORSE unit and Becky and Jason
are members of the 179th Airlift Wing.
to Panama and Romania, and this year he

traveled with the RED HORSE unit to the
Dominican Republic, Guam and Michigan.
Jason Amert joined the 179th in October
2002. Jason is an aircraft mechanic on the
C-130s and lead crew chief of the aircraft.
Jason has traveled with the unit in
Qatar, Kurkistan, Puerto Rico, Germany
and Afghanistan, the latter country on three
separate times. In 2013, Jason worked with
his unit in Antarctica, from Thanksgiving to
Christmas Day.
Neuenschwander said she joined the
179th in January 2000, her senior year at
Shelby High School.
She works in the communications/flight
office as knowledge operations manager
for the base. She makes sure all records are
stored correctly anywhere from one to 56plus years. She works with the Freedom of
Information Act and she is the webmaster
for an internal website called Share Point.
Initially she worked in services in cooking.
Her first deployment was in 2002 at
Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean where she
worked in lodging and the CQ Office, sending planes directly to Iraq.
In 2003, she went to Qatar, and also
worked in lodging. In 2006, she traveled
to Guam at Andersen Air Force Base and
worked in lodging and flight kitchen. She

also has traveled to the Dominican Republic
last May with the RED HORSE.
The siblings have a brother Chris who is
not in the military.
Their parents have been a huge influence
on them, Neuenschwander said. Their father
was a crew chief in Vietnam.
They definitely help tie the family
together, she said.
David Amert said the guard is an extended family. Our spouses are all supportive,
he added.
The siblings said they keep re-enlisting
because of the traveling, the people they
meet and the family environment.
When were deployed, it makes it that
much easier. You are with people who you
work with every day, David said.
Neuenschwander said the experiences in
the guard and people she has met have been
awesome.
Deployments are not without sacrifices,
leaving behind their spouses, and for Jason
and David, their children.
Two of the three siblings have been
deployed at the same time over the years.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
THE FIGHT
PART
ON GUARD
THE
FIGHT
Mechanics Staff Sgt. Ray Hernandez and Tech Sgt. Jeff Burgett make connections on a T-56 Turbo Prop aircraft engine after it was
installed on one of the units C-130 Hercules aircraft.
179 OPTIMISTIC
ABOUT ITS FUTURE
TH
By Todd Hill
News Journal, originally published August 3, 2014
The clock is ticking for the eight C-130H

aircraft stationed at the 179th Airlift Wing of the
Ohio Air National Guard.
Under current federal regulations, the 179ths
planes will be prevented from flying across much
of the globe in six years unless enhanced communication gear, technically known as Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast-Out, is installed
on them.
As presently drawn up, the militarys avionics modernization program for the hundreds of
C-130 Hercules transport aircraft in use across the
nation does not include this technology, which
would render the planes and possibly by extension the units whose mission it is to fly them
irrelevant by 2020.
Just in the Guard we have them in about 18
different states. Were up to around were down
See FUTURE Page 28
179th AIRLIFT WING
27
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
Mechanics from the 179th Maintenance Squadron install T-56 Turbo Prop aircraft engines on one of the units C-130 Hercules aircraft.
FUTURE
to, I should say about 350 aircraft, said

Col. Gary McCue, commander of the 179th
Airlift Wing.
The Guard has the predominant number, but theyre older. Active duty has fewer
but newer. Ours are all about 30 years old.
Theyre all very viable airframes.
However, the future, for both the C130H and the 179th, is looking brighter by
the week, if legislation moving through both
the U.S. House and Senate thats expected
to coalesce into the latest National Defense
Authorization Act maintains its momentum.
Rich Green, former commander of the
179th and now leader of the Mansfield Mili28 179th AIRLIFT WING
tary Affairs Council, is certainly optimistic.

Its hard to say on the timing with an
election year, but I think we could see something before the new fiscal year starts Oct. 1.
The bill is pretty far along. Its completed in
the House and through the Senate Armed
Services Committee, he said.
Im optimistic because, in my experience, when the House and Senate have
similar language, it usually makes it through.
When its the same it looks pretty good. It
shows theyre thinking along the same lines.
Republican Sen. Rob Portman believes
the Air Force and Congress are in agreement
that something needs to happen to keep the
C-130H fleet viable.
Both the House and Senate drafts of
the Defense Authorization for 2015 contain
provisions that press on the Air Force to
spend money that Congress has already

appropriated for C-130 upgrades. They also
make clear to the Air Force that Congress
supports the recommendation of the National Commission on the Structure of the
Air Force that new aircraft should be fielded
across the active and reserve components
something that the Air Force is not doing
with their C-130 fleet, Portman said.
Unfortunately, we dont yet have a clear
plan from the Air Force on how they plan
to modernize the fleet with much needed
airframe, avionics and propulsion improvements that would give our Guardsmen and
reservists more capable aircraft and also save
the taxpayer significant money.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from
Mansfield, also pointed to the National
Commission on the Structure of the Air
THE FIGHT
Senator
Sherrod Brown,
a Democrat from
Mansfield, also
pointed to the
National Commission
on the Structure of
the Air Force as
the best place
to start.
Mechanics Staff Sgt. Ray Hernandez and Tech Sgt. Jeff Burgett make connections on a T-56 Turbo Prop aircraft
engine after it was installed on one of the units C-130 Hercules aircraft.
Force as the best place to start.

It is up to Air Force leadership, Congress and the (Obama) administration to
closely review and act on these recommendations, Yianni Varonis, a spokesman for
Sen. Brown, said.
Our reservists and members of our
National Guard have proven their professionalism for the last decade in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Sen. Brown hopes the commissions recommendations are received
and implemented with the same manner of
professionalism.
Commander McCue expressed gratitude for the support for the unit that routinely emanates from Congress, which has
constitutional oversight over the National
Guard, and has saved the 179th from closure
in the past, most recently two years ago.
Without it we wouldnt be here, we
simply wouldnt be here, because thats what
does it. Were very grateful, he said.
See FUTURE Page 30
179th AIRLIFT WING
29
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
Staff Sgt. Dennis Ward and Airman First Class Nathan Hall inspect for cracks in the airframe.
FUTURE
The same, alas, cannot be said for the Air

Force.
While Air Force units are largely confined to just a handful of states, every state,
as well as most U.S. House districts, is home
to members of the National Guard, which
helps explain the support it receives in
Washington. The Air Force, meanwhile, is a
creature of the Pentagon.
Unfortunately, the budget pressures of
the last few years have brought out the Pentagon rivalries for all to see and with some
serious consequences for our forces. It takes
leadership to fix this. I think Gen. (Mark)
Welsh (U.S. Air Force chief of staff) and
(Air Force) Secretary (Deborah Lee) James
have improved things, but there is still much

work to be done, Portman said.
The Pentagons perspective is it wants
to keep the active-duty strong, plus they
dont have direct control over the Guard.
Twenty, 30 years ago the Guard may not
have had as good a reputation, but today its
just as good at a quarter of the price, Green
said.
The Air Force trims its fleet of aircraft
nearly every year, and today its less than half
the size of what it was in the 1980s, which at
that time was half of size of what it had been
30 years before that. But the 179th is no
stranger to lean times either.
We are living in the moment now of
shrinking budgets. Its the status quo until it
changes. The goal now is to stay ready, its all
about readiness here at the unit, keeping our
folks ready to go, McCue said.
The commander said the unit has in
place a continuous process improvement

program, modeled from the civilian sector,
which teaches members how to do more
with less.
Were always given more stuff to do,
so we always have to look at that. Too
much stuff, not enough drills, we already
know that. We have to get lean because our
requirements are getting larger and we arent
making any more time, he said.
For just a fraction of the cost of an
active-duty unit, were very cost-effective.
Sixty, 70 percent of this unit are drill-status
Guard members. We arent paying them
unless theyre out here working; when they
leave and go back to their jobs and their
lives, were not paying them. What better
measure is there than that?
419-521-7283
THE FIGHT
Maj. Ford always dreamed of being a pilot

By Lou Whitmire
Maj. Jeremy Ford served 4 1/2 years

in the U.S. Air Force before joining
the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air
National Guard in 2006.
Ford, a pilot who was born and
raised in Athens, Ohio, has deployed to
Afghanistan a few times; lived in Germany and Budapest; and flown military
aircraft in Asia, Africa and Europe along
with flights for humanitarian missions.
He met his wife, Melissa, at Ohio
University in the ROTC program when
both were active duty Air Force. They
did their first assignment together at
Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany
after he finished pilot training.
Melissa grew up in a military family.
She served as a personnel officer.
His wife decided to separate from
the Air Force and went back to school
to become a registered nurse. They
decided to return to Ohio, where both
had family.
The Lexington couple have two
children, Clara and James, and are
expecting their third child in October.
Becoming a pilot, specifically an
Air Force pilot, is the only thing Ford
can remember ever wanting to be. He
started out flying C-21s, a small business jet for the Air Force, flying highranking officials including senators,
congressmen and generals around
Africa, Asia and Europe. He learned
to fly at Vance Air Force Base in Enid,
Oklahoma.
He earned his private pilots license
while at OU in 2000. He flew his first
Air Force plane in 2002.
My grandfather ( James Ford, of
Coolville) had his own small private
plane on his farm, and he would take
us for flights when we were little kids,
he said. A big part of my passion came
Maj. Jeremy Ford is a C-130 pilot in the 179th Airlift Wing at Lahm Air Base.
from that.
His father, Richard Ford, had been in the
Air Force in the intelligence field, he said.
I grew up with his library of books about
the Air Force, Ford said. So my brother
and I were always drawn to the military. My
brother became a Green Beret.
He is a full-time employee at the base and
enjoys flying the C-130s using night-vision
goggles and sometimes landing on dirt air
strips on missions to remote locations. He
also flies the C-130s to allow for supplies to
be air dropped onto the ground.
Its rewarding, he said.
Ford also has been a part of disaster relief/humanitarian efforts and has flown planes
to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina, the

Haiti earthquake and Hurricane Sandy.
The most dangerous flights have been in
Afghanistan, where he deployed the most.
From 2009 to 2010 my family and I
spent a year in Budapest, Hungary, serving as
a liaison officer at the embassy, he said.
Ford said he appreciates the community
support the 179th has had from local residents. He would like to continue to have interaction with the people of Richland County
in the future.
For me its about communications, relations we have in the community, he said.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
179th AIRLIFT WING
31
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
Airman Second Class Zach Garcia checks a light in the cockpit of the Spirit of Mansfield, C-130H.
THE PLANE
PART
ON GUARD
THE
PLANE
SERVANT
OF THE
SKIES
C-130H aircraft do job well, but need upgrade
By Todd Hill
Its a workhorse.
The C-130 Hercules isnt the newest
transport aircraft the U.S. military has in the
skies right now. The eight planes stationed
at the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air
National Guard have some years on them.
Crucially, theyre not loaded with the latest avionics technology, equipment that will
soon become essential to keep the 179ths
fleet and by extension, its current mission
viable. But with it installed and folks
associated with the base are optimistic it will
be the C-130H will be hard to top when it
comes to military transport.
We can do it all. We can drop in the

weather. You never see C-130s having any issues getting into anywhere. We can train and
be ready to go in three days. Were all ready to
go now, Capt. James Law, a C-130H navigator at the 179th Airlift Wing, said as he stood
in the planes loading bay.
This plane has several configurations.
We can load up six pallets, we can do up to 54
paratroopers that are combat-rigged. We can
do litters, put patients in here, we can basically stack about 50. This can be turned into
a flying medivac station. Weve reconfigured
three or four times in a day to get the mission
done.
The 179ths fleet is more than 30 years
old, but its age doesnt concern Law.
If you fix the wing boxes you can probably add 20 years to the life of the aircraft.
The engines are getting better. You just swap
the engines out and there you are. These
planes can fly for a long time, you just have to
take care of them. Its like a car. Replace some
stuff, theyll run forever, Law said.
Its just a matter of money. Right now

were in good shape. We could get some
things fixed, but were in pretty good shape
as far as keeping these planes flying. Theres
nothing that would ground these aircraft.
Except for its soon-to-be-outdated avionics gear, that is. Without installation of the
enhanced communication gear known as Automatic Dependent Surveillance BroadcastOut, or ADS-B, the 179ths C-130H aircraft
could be obsolete in six years.
If the legislation currently drawn up for
the next National Defense Authorization
Act continues to move through Congress,
that shouldnt be an issue. And with the new
avionics, the C-130H will be just effective as
the later, more advanced C-130J aircraft, only
better, in Laws opinion.
Most active-duty units in the Air Force
are now going to the J model, which began
production in 1999, whereas the Guard
and Reserve units like the 179th are
See UPGRADE Page 35
179th AIRLIFT WING
33
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
Airman Second Class Zach Garcia performs duties in the cargo bay of the Spirit of Mansfield, C-130H.
FACTS ABOUT THE C-130 HERCULES
SOURCE: U.S. Air Force
Engines: Four Allison T56- A15 turbo props, 4,591 horsepower

Length: 97 feet, 9 inches
Height: 38 feet, 10 inches
Wingspan: 132 feet, 7 inches
Speed: 366 mph at 20,000 feet
Ceiling: 23,000 feet with 42,000 pounds payload
Maximum takeoff weight: 155,000 pounds
Date deployed: June 1974
Inventory: Active duty, 145; Air National Guard, 181; Air Force Reserve, 102
THE PLANE
UPGRADE
charged with maintaining the Hercules. The

J model can climb faster and higher than
the Hercules, fly farther at a higher cruising
speed, and is able to take off and land within
a shorter distance, although the Hercules
doesnt do too shabbily in that regard, with
the ability to take off and land from the
same land strip if need be at the 179ths base,
across the street from Mansfields Lahm
Airport.
The C-130H flies with two pilots, a navigator, flight engineer and loadmaster. The J
model, considerably more automated, is able
to get by with just two pilots and a loadmaster.
That works in peacetime. It sounds good
on paper, less people on the plane, but youre
not just flying A to B. This isnt the airlines
where you just load em up, take em over,
Law said.
Were doing air drop, were doing a lot
of specialized training, high-altitude halo,
which is dropping Army guys anywhere from
10,000 up to 20,000 feet. There are a lot of
calculations going on, which is what a navigator does. Things change in theater, anything
can happen and its nice to have those extra
people delegating all those duties.
If or when the C-130H fleet gets ADS-B,
however, the result will be a manpower savings down the line.
Under the countrys air traffic control
system, radar sweeps determine whats in the
air at 15-second intervals, which is pushing it
if there are a lot of planes flying. For safetys
sake, several controllers are needed to get
the job done. In addition, aircraft over large
bodies of water like the Gulf of Mexico arent
picked up by the sweeps.
They dont know where you are. You
have to constantly do position reporting and
its hard to hear so youre repeating yourself.
And you have to tell them how fast youre
going so they can predict where youre going
to be. See how archaic that is? Law said.
ADS-B, already in use by the U.S. militarys fighter aircraft, essentially utilizes GPS
to talk to the satellite and the ground station,
not much different in theory from the locator
app you probably have on your smartphone.

They can shrink you down to 5 nautical
miles separation, which is huge. They can get
more aircraft launched, its less manpowerintensive and youre saving fuel. And you can
get instantaneous weather. It would be nice
to know 200 to 300 miles out if the weathers
bad and youll have to divert. The airlines
cant wait for it, Law said.
If the 179th, with its fleet of eight C130H aircraft, wants to continue working
with the FAA, it will need ADS-B.
Otherwise, were constantly going to be
in their way and vectored around. Theyre
not going to say you cant fly, but its just going to be a hassle, the navigator said.
Rumors that the 179ths planes wouldnt
be able to fly over the oceans without the
new avionics, essentially grounding them,
probably arent far from the truth.
It would probably get to that point
because they cant see you, which makes it
dangerous. Were going to get it, because
we need to go overseas. Its almost missionessential. Theyre not going to ground the
C-130H fleet for that, Law said.
Laws affection for the Hercules is evident. He gushes over the sight of watching
heavy equipment such as Jeeps and Humvees
dropping off the planes extraction sheet. He
brags about the fighter intercepts they handle
on occasion.
We cant shoot back at them, but one
fighter you can defeat. We can go slower than
a fighter so they have a hard time getting
onto us. Theyll get tired of playing with you,
theyre like, I cant get this guy, Law said.
From the cockpit, the Hercules hardly
compares with, say, an Airbus 350 WXB,
but to a navigator like Law, thats the beauty
of his plane. And hes hardly alone in that
opinion.
Airlines have a lot more glass in the
cockpits. Theres a lot of information in that
glass that tells the pilots a lot of things. They
like it, but it also takes away some of the
piloting, the heritage that they love to have,
Law said.
Thats why a lot of pilots love to fly this
plane. They say this is a pilots airplane, they
call it that all the time.
...a lot of pilots

love to fly this
plane. They say
this is a pilots
airplane, they call
it that all the time.
- Capt. James Law
419-521-7283
179th AIRLIFT WING
35
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
HISTORY
OF THE HERK
By Todd Hill
The aeronautics company Lockheed-Martin claims

theres a C-130 Hercules in the air somewhere in the
world every minute of every day.
Given the dozens of Hercules variants that have
been produced since the end of the Korean War, the
claim is hardly a stretch.
In the wake of that conflict it was evident the
American militarys fleet of transport aircraft wasnt
ideally suited for modern warfare. The C-46 Commando, C-47 Skytrain and C-119 all had limitations. Enter
the Herk.
Its four turboprop engines provided the power
to fly at higher altitudes, while a stronger airframe
addressed the pressurization issues that arose at those
altitudes. And since its creation, the C-130H has fit the
bill in multiple scenarios.
The aircraft have been flown into the center of
hurricanes for decades now, as part of the Air Force
Reserve Commands weather reconnaissance squadron, without a single crash. Theyve delivered supplies
to Antarctica and Greenland. They fought wildfires in
the West until a crash from stress grounded the fleet in
2004.
In addition to its many humanitarian missions,
the Hercules has filled countless military roles over
the years as well, with its gunship version, the AC130, having taken part in virtually every U.S. combat
scenario since the Vietnam War.
During that conflict, the Hercules was modified
into a gunship, and took out 10,000 enemy trucks. In
recent years, the U.S. Marine Corps even fitted its KC130J tankers with missiles to take out targets on the
ground.
419-521-7283
Bulanda enjoys
diversity,
camaraderie
of crew
Pilot joined 179th Airlift Wing at 17 years old
By Lou Whitmire
Capt. Matt Bulanda, a pilot for the 164th Airlift Squadron

based at the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard,
said he loves the diversity of the C-130 missions, including medical evacuation, air drops, hauling troops and cargo.
Cargo has included everything from dog food to wounded
people to fire trucks.
Bulanda came to the 179th in 2001 and initially served as
a crew chief. He later cross-trained to be a flight engineer and
within the last couple of years became a C27-J pilot and later a
C-130 pilot.
One of the things I enjoy most about being a pilot is the
people that I fly with and the camaraderie I have with the other
crew members and, of course, all the other agencies on base that I
have had the opportunity to get to know and work with, Bulanda
said.
Its exciting about every time we get to go fly, he said. We
always joke about how were getting paid to go do this.
The thing about this airplane when were deployed, is it can
do just about anything. We land in a certain place and, unfortunately, a wounded Army guy, but then well drop him off and pick
up ammo to drop to the troops. The diversity of what we can do
and the mission is exciting, he said.
He had been deployed to Afghanistan and Kuwait and has
flown to Germany, Puerto Rico, Africa and South America.
As a crew chief he spent 30 days in Antarctica.
His days start at 6:30 a.m. Flights begin at 11 a.m. after checking
the weather and coordinating with the other crew members.
He said everything is a team effort.
We always talk about you never want any surprises in the
air, Bulanda said. We brief. We talk about what the plan is for
the day. We talk about everything on the ground, he said.
Flight crew members talk about potential mock threats along
the training route and potential emergencies on a mission, for
example, in Afghanistan.
Training is constant. He is one of the pilots who flies over
Mansfield residents houses. Practice flights last between two to
THE PLANE
Its exciting about

every time we get to
go fly. We always
joke about how
were getting paid
to go do this.
- Capt. Matt Bulanda
Capt. Matt Bulanda came to the 179th in 2001 and initially served as a crew chief.
six hours.
We are getting ready for real-world
missions, he said.
There are currently 13 pilots, he said.
Were short-handed, so we are getting to fly
a lot, which is nice, he said.
After a flight everyone sits down and
debriefs, talking about the good things and
bad things.
The nice thing about this world of aviation and Air Force, we sit down and rank is
not a player, no one is in charge of anyone.
If I mess something up I would expect a
two-striper or a very young airman to tell
me I screwed up. Its a very open, honest
discussion, Bulanda said.
He also has additional duties on days he
is not flying. He is unit deployment manager. He is the squadron flight safety officer,
working as a liaison between the leadership
and the men and women who pack the
parachutes and helmets and survival equipment.
Bulanda, of Parma, resides in Lexington
with his wife, Kathryn, and their 17-monthold son, William.
He joined the 179th his senior year at

age 17 at Holy Name High School in Parma
and started off as a crew chief.
Theyre the ones (crew chief) who do
the minor maintenance, changing of the
tires and the brakes and doing inspections
prior to the flight, he said.
Bulanda said he came to the base one
weekend a month while he was in high
school in a delayed entry program, before
he went to basic training.
To be a pilot, a Guardsman can have any
bachelors degree, he said. He has a degree
in business, starting first at Kent State
University and finishing at Mount Vernon
Nazarene University. He also has a private
pilot license, which also is required.
He said he always wanted to be a pilot,
and shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, he came to
the base and enlisted.
He never tires of landing a C-130 on a
dirt landing strip in the dark with special
night glasses.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
179th AIRLIFT WING
39
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
PART
ON GUARD
THE
MISSION
164th Airlift Squadrons Loadmaster Staff Sgt. Alex Galat, from the 179th Airlift Wing, prepares for an airdrop over Afghanistan.

THE MISSION
179TH: FROM MANSFIELD
TO AFGHANISTAN
... or anywhere else
theyre needed
By Lou Whitmire
How do members of the 179th Airlift

Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard get
assigned to a job in Afghanistan?
Senior Master Sgt. April Gunnoe said
there are two ways the 179th Airlift Wing
can get its assignments:
One way is called involuntary
tasking, in which the National Guard
Bureau (the liaison from the active-duty
Air Force to the Guard) tells the 179th it
needs to fulfill specific tasks. Then its up
to the 179th to determine who has the
qualifications to fill the job, she said.
The other way is more of a volunteer
basis.
Theres different units deploying at
different times, and were in a group of
deployment availability windows. They
kind of send those out to the different
units who either continually fill those
deployments, have people who are ready
to deploy or people who are volunteering
and saying, I do want to deploy when a
specific tasking comes down, Gunnoe
said.
She said the Guard is a buffer for the
active Air Force, which has many airmen
and others deploying.
Between deployment cycles, the
179th fills short-notice tasking for active duty, replacing people who can not
deploy for any number of reasons, from a
broken leg to having a baby.
Gunnoe said Tech. Sgt. Jacob
Hergatt, 34, of Lexington, recently filled
an active-duty shortfall, traveling to
179TH AIRLIFT WING

DEPLOYMENTS
Country and number of personnel
FY12
Afghanistan, 93
Antarctica, 10
Germany, 1
Kuwait, 1
United Arab Emirates, 1
Kuwait, 2
Afgahanistan (2nd deployment), 31
Guam, 1
Puerto Rico, 1
United States, 1
FY13
Afghanistan, 2
Antarctica, 16
Kuwait, 1
Kyrgystan, 9
Panama, 97
Qatar, 1
Current FY14
Afghanistan, 3
Antarctica, 9
Kuwait, 18
Total: 298

SOURCE: U.S. Air Force
See 179TH Page 42

179th AIRLIFT WING
41
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
Tech. Sgt. Jacob Hergatt of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard returned from Afghanistan this summer after he spent a 2.5-month deployment working in air
terminal operations on an undisclosed base. Jones Potato Chips of Mansfield sent him a box of goodies while he was stationed overseas.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
179TH
Afghanistan to fill a position in air terminal

operations.
Basically, I handled senior controller
duties, he said. ... We were basically the liaison between aircraft, aircraft commanders
and the users, the people sending the cargo
or people, Hergatt said. In May, Hergatt
went to Afghanistan for two months.

I got ready in two weeks, he said.
Lots of preparation occurs before anyone goes anywhere, from computer training
and hands-on training to weapons qualifications.
Serving in Afghanistan on a base, Hergatt worked in a secured building and was
the only Guardsman from the 179th on this
assignment.
You make the best of it, he said. He
spent his time in a base operations center.

A full-time Guardsman at the 179th, in
Afghanistan Hergatt worked 12 hours a day,
six days a week.
Ive been to Afghanistan before, the
same base. It was a lot less exciting. ... You
do your job, sleep and you work out, he
said. Its easy to describe. You stay safe.
He was able to communicate with loved
ones via Facebook, Skype, email and Facetime.
THE MISSION
Hergatt said when he arrived in Afghanistan, it was overwhelming at first.
Ive met some of my really good
friends who I still talk to today who I deployed with eight years ago, he said. You
have to be open to all new ideas. All leaders
are different, all supervisors are different,
and you have to be understanding of that
when you go into a situation. ... Everyone
is there for the same reasons. We basically
just come together because thats what
were there for.
In 2011, Hergatt traveled to Afghanistan with the C-27J with about 48 members of the 179th.
The National Guard Bureau obligates
Guard members and resources to AEF, or
Aerospace Expeditionary Force, taskings to
help relieve active duty from over-committing, Gunnoe said. The National Guard
is committed by contract to fill individual
deployments to different areas. NGB assigns those tasks to the Air National Guard
or Army National Guard. From there, the
tasks filter out to the 88 flying units in the
Air National Guard and each wing asks
for volunteers to fill them. AEF rotations
are nice because it allows the Plans office
to have an idea of when those tasks might
come down so each troop can be ready,
compared to a Crisis Action deployment
that is a rush to action whenever an emergency happens.
The AEF rotation construct is predictable so that airmen know when to expect
deployments, and the Plans office can
watch for those coming from the Guard
Bureau, Gunnoe said.
Come April 2015, the 179th Airlift
Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard
would deploy as a whole instead of deploying in small numbers, which has historically
been the norm.
Even though the 179th is converting
aircrafts from the C-27J to the C-130H
right now, we are still deploying people.
That is a demonstration of the caliber of
our troops. Our unit is not tasked to deploy
in 2015, Gunnoe said. Were in line to go
within the next few years. The year 2015 is
going to be the start of where wings will go
as a whole.
Instead of having security forces
deploy in these months and aerial port

deploy in these months, the 179th is going
to deploy together, Gunnoe said.
When the whole wing goes on a deployment, traditional Guard members will
come in to back fill for full-time employees
at the base, Gunnoe said.
Tech. Sgt. Katie Casto, who works
directly for Sgt. Gunnoe, came into the
logistics plans office about a year ago from
force support services.
One of the things I appreciate most
in the position Im in now is we can really
take care of our airmen, that they get the
training they need to be safe where theyre
going and get to where theyre going when
theyre supposed to be there and get there
in a timely manner and get back home,
back to their family, she said.
There is a lot of paperwork involved.
Its a great job. And its awesome
knowing at our level we have such an
impact on so many things worldwide, and
I think we can only see that from our office
and see how a citizen soldier can make an
impact in Afghanistan or wherever we go,
she said.
Airman 1st Class Breanna Oswalt, of
Mount Vernon, who works in personnel
readiness, works hand-in-hand with the
plans office, planning for cargo and equipment.
Her job is working with the personnel
side, medically and financially, and coordinating with all the different functions.
Im coordinating to make sure the
member is ready to go, she said.
Oswalt is the wings final set of eyes on
every checklist, from immunizations and
gear to payroll and insurance.
In 2010, 860 members of the 179th
deployed in small groups at various times
during the fiscal year, from October to
September, with the C-27J, Oswalt said.
There are fewer deployers in 2013
because of the change in mission. But the
179th still deployed 126 members to seven
different locations, including two locations
in Afghanistan, Antarctica, Kuwait and
Panama.
Its a great job.

And its awesome
knowing at our
level we have such
an impact on so
many things
worldwide...
- Tech Sgt. Katie Casto
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
179th AIRLIFT WING
43
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
Two C-130s returned to the 179th Airlift Wing from Alaska.
Eggeman has seen much of the world

with the 179th Airlift Wing
By Lou Whitmire
Master Sgt. Zak Eggeman has been

deployed overseas several times, having
served the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio
Air National Guard for 19 years.
Initially working in the aerial port loading planes as a traditional Guardsman, he
traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2001, Kuwait in
2002 and two deployments in Afghanistan
in 2011, the latter deployment carrying into
2012, delivering goods to war fighters.

He also has traveled to Korea, Hawaii,
Alaska, Dover and Delaware.
A 1995 Ontario High School graduate,
Eggeman said he was 17 when he graduated
and decided to head to the base looking for
a way to pay for his college education. He
began his education at the University of
Toledo and completed it at Mount Vernon
Nazarene University, majoring in business
administration, taking night classes.
I dont even think I knew about this
base when I was in high school. My buddys

dad was former Marine Corps. My friend
was the one who told me about it, so we
came to the recruiting station and asked
about a job here and decided to do it, he
said.
Eggeman said at first it was mainly to
pay for college.
He liked what he found and made the
Guard his career.
I fell in love with what I was doing,
he said of his first tour in Dover, Delaware.
THE MISSION
I saw the mission
we were running was
helping the cause,
delivering the goods
to the war fighters,
maybe not on the
very front lines, but
we were getting it to
where it needed to go,
Eggeman said of
his first tour in
Dover, Delaware.
Master Sgt. Zak Eggeman has been deployed overseas several times, having served the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio
Air National Guard for 19 years.
I saw the mission we were running was

helping the cause, delivering the goods to
the war fighters, maybe not on the very
front lines, but we were getting it to where
it needed to go.
Eggeman said he worked at UPS as
a supervisor after college before he was
able to become a full-time employee at the
179th.
In April, he married Second Lt. Jez
Eggeman, who is a logistics officer at the
200th RED HORSE unit, also based at
Lahm Airport. The couple met at work. His
wife was formerly with the 179th before

transferring to the 200th RED HORSE.
Since May 2013, he has been assigned
to the 179th Command Post as superintendent, a job he said he loves.
The secured area is a focal point for all
information coming in and going out of the
base, including monitoring missions, any
type of emergency actions and disseminating any and all necessary information.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
179th AIRLIFT WING
45
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
PART
ON GUARD
THE
DRILL
Tech. Sgt. Mark Dulworth does sit-ups during his PT test during drill weekend at the 179th Airlift Wing.
THE DRILL
DRILL WEEKEND:
PREPARING THE 179TH
Members of the 179th Airlift Wing are briefed at the start of drill weekend on the base.
179th Airlift Wing always prepared for deployment

By Lou Whitmire
News Journal, originally published Sept. 14, 2014
Drill weekend had just begun at 8 a.m. Saturday, and Lt. Col. John Snags Bletner of Bellville
was standing front and center, receiving an honor
very few members of the 179th Airlift Wing of the

Ohio National Guard have received.
Bletner, a navigator, received a flying-hour
milestone, having flown 10,300-plus total hours
See DRILL Page 48
179th AIRLIFT WING
47
ON GUARD: THE 179TH

Training includes
PT, or physical
training, which
includes a 1.5-mile
run, push-ups,
sit-ups and a waist
measurement. All
requirements must
be met to remain in
the military.
DRILL
during his career.

Saturday morning he received a standing
ovation from his peers.
Bletner joined the guard in 1994, having
completed missions since 1989 to Desert
Shield/Desert Storm and Somalia, Sarajevo
and Haiti. Since 2001, he has participated in
11 deployments to the combat zone, Lt. Col.
Jeff Charette said.
The last time anyone from the 179th
received such an award for flying 10,000 or
more miles was 1992, Charette said. That
individual was Lt. Col. James Smith, lauded
for 15,000 hours then.
Saturday and today, the 179th Airlift
Wing base is a flurry of activity with a surge
of personnel on base, an increase from the
regular weekday core group of about 200 personnel to roughly 1,200-plus Guard members,
all participating in drill weekend at the 179th
Airlift Wing base at Mansfield Lahm Airport.
On drill weekends, Guard members pause
their civilian lives and resume their military
careers. Guard members spend two days a
month at drill weekend and 14 days a year
on annual training. There is no time to waste.
They have 24 days a year to complete the
same amount of training required by the Air
Force that active duty has in 365 days.
Maj. Kelly Shifflet, director of personnel
at the base, said the main job of base personnel during the week is to get ready for the
surge and have Guard members schedules
ready for drill weekends.
It is action-packed. We only see them
two days a month, and we have to fit everything in, Shifflet said.
Our main job is to get them trained,
qualified and ready for deployment should
that occur, she added.
Shifflet said training includes a newcomers briefing for all of those who have never
been to the base before.
This base, our manning is in surge mode
because were converting aircraft and we
received additional manpower, Shifflet said.
We have had 239 new members into the
military this year. That makes all of our offices
busier, she said.
Lauren Winters, 18, of Toledo, was on

hand Saturday for the drill weekend. She has
yet to go to basic training, and joined the
179th after graduating from Southview High
School in June. This was her third drill.
Winters, who will be part of the public affairs office, said she joined to help pay for her
future college education. She enjoys photography and graphic design.
Drill is getting to know the Air Force,
she said. Drill is a whirlwind of learning for
me.
She said her dad was active-duty Air
Force and she liked what he told her about
the military while she was growing up. My
grandpa and my great-grandpa were in the
Army, and Im the first female to join the
military in my family, she said
Training includes PT, or physical training, which includes a 1.5-mile run, pushups, sit-ups and a waist measurement. All
requirements must be met to remain in the
the military. The culture of the Air Force has
offered a fit-to-fight mentality in bringing PT
to the limelight, officials said.
Lt. Tim Gribble, a Galion native now living in Delaware, was on hand overseeing the
testing in a crowded room of 15 to 30 Guard
members at a time, all wearing T-shirts, tennis
shoes and sweat pants or shorts.
Even though were the Air Guard in
Mansfield, weve got to be fit to fight, Gribble
said.
Col. Jodie Harvey of Lucas has spent
many drill weekends at the base, reaching the
30-year mark come December.
An outpatient recovery room nurse at
OhioHealth MedCentral Mansfield Hospital
for the past 24 years, Harvey is the commander who oversees the clinic that makes sure
every Guard member is medically qualified to
deploy.
The medical clinic was a very busy place
Saturday with doctors and nurses, many of
whom participate in humanitarian efforts.
Saturday they were assisting Guard members
with everything from dental exams to blood
draws.
The Guard members ended work Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and later attended an awards
banquet. Today they will report back at 8 a.m.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
THE DRILL
Guard group seeks public help on C-130H alert

By Todd Hill
The time is now to contact your local

representatives in Washington about the
need to upgrade the fleet of C-130H planes
that call units like the 179th Airlift Wing
home, according to Rich Green, former
commander of the 179th and now leader of
the Mansfield Military Affairs Council.
Its very much a timing thing. This is
the right time to make your input, he said.
While we definitely have the support of
our senators and locally elected members
of Congress, it never hurts to keep the cards
and letters coming.
Under current federal regulations, the
179ths eight C-130 Hercules aircraft will
be prevented from flying across much of the
globe in six years unless enhanced communication gear, technically known as Automatic Dependent Surveillance BroadcastOut, is installed on them.
As presently drawn up, the militarys
avionics modernization program for the
hundreds of C-130H transport planes in
use across the nation does not include this
technology, which would render the planes
and possibly by extension the units
whose mission it is to fly them irrelevant
by 2020.
This would make Guard aircraft
incapable of global operations, ultimately
restricting airlift capability and diminishing
the Guards role as an operational reserve
of the active component, said Pete Duffy,
legislative director for the National Guard
Association of the United States.
But legislative language coalescing into the
next National Defense Authorization Act
could save the nations C-130H fleet from
obsolescence.
Im optimistic because, in my experience, when the House and Senate have
similar language, it usually makes it through.
When its the same, it looks pretty good.
It shows theyre thinking along the same
lines, Green said.
Congress was in recess for five weeks,
what it calls district work periods, before
Airman Second Class Zach Garcia checks a light in the cockpit of the Spirit of Mansfield, C-130H.

returning to a lightly scheduled two-week

session Monday. That will be followed by
another recess lasting past Election Day on
Nov. 4. And there are signs the authorization act could be running out of time.
Its supposed to be done before the
end of the fiscal year, which is the end of
this month, but this is an election year and
members are focused on getting re-elected, Green said.
While every plane in the sky will be required to install ADS-B by 2020 if it wants
to continue flying everywhere it does now,
installation costs for most private general
aviation planes will run about $5,000.

Putting the new avionics on a C-130H will
cost closer to six figures.
The NGAUS has a pot of money Congress gives it that it can use for upgrades,
so hopefully it can modify the planes using
money from that fund, Green said. That
has to help a little bit.
People can write their U.S. representative and senator by visiting their elected
officials websites or www.ngaus.org, which
has a link to do so set up on its home page.
419-521-7283
179th AIRLIFT WING
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ON GUARD: THE 179TH
Lt. Col. Kevin Stanich gives a member of the 179th an examination during drill weekend.
179th honors top-flight members

The 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard awards banquet was held Saturday night.
Outstanding Airmen of the Year winners were:

Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year: Master Sgt. Dennis Folk
Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year: Master Sgt. Todd Ashcroft
Airman of the Year: Sr. Airman Jordyn Discenzo
Company Grade Officer of the Year: Capt. Ryan McMaster
1st Sergeant of the Year: Sr. Master Sgt. Rachelle Newson
Base Honor Guard Member of the Year: Staff Sgt. Kurt Dieringer
THE DRILL
Lt. Col. Kevin Stanich,

a dentist, is doing his part
By Lou Whitmire
Dr. Kevin Stanich is a dentist on many

fronts, working in his Jackson Township
practice for the past 15 years while also
serving as a lieutenant colonel in the medical clinic at the 179th Airlift Wing of the
Ohio Air National Guard.
Stanich graduated from The University
of Akron in 1994 for his undergraduate
education, where he received a bachelor of
arts degree in classical civilizations and a
minor in anthropology. He then graduated
from The Ohio State University College
of Dentistry in 1999. He has served at the
179th Mansfield military base since 2001.
On Saturday he had a busy schedule,
providing comprehensive dental exams
to numerous guard members during drill
weekend at the 179th base at Mansfield
Lahm Airport.
Today, his work to make sure everyone
is deployable continues at 8 a.m.
Stanich, who is a native of Barberton,
said he was sworn in as a member of the
179th on Sept. 26, 2001, shortly after the
terrorist attacks on the United States. His
wife, who was eight months pregnant with
their first child, was by his side.
While Stanich works in the 179th
medical clinic, he too will perform his PT,
or physical training test, like all the other
179th members this weekend.
They even make a dentist run, he said
with a laugh.
Stanich said his father and his uncles
were all World War II veterans. His brother
Ronald Stanich was a fighter pilot with the
179th, who also became the base dentist
and medical group commander before retiring with 33 years of service.
I kind of grew up knowing about the
service, he said.
The friendly dentist has spent a lot of

time helping others.
With the 179th, he traveled to northern
California to provide care to at-risk children
on the Hoopa Indian reservation. He has
helped the homeless in Hawaii with dental
care.
We took the at-risk kids (on the Indian
reservation) and sedated them, and did full
mouth rehabs for them. Sometimes were
doing 18 restorations in a child with only
20 teeth, he said. They were the more
extreme cases that the dentist there could
not do because they had high anxiety, they
could not get them to sit still.
That experience required a team of
medical personnel from the 179th clinic,
including nurses and nurse anesthetists.
This summer he traveled to England to
do full dental treatments on U.S. service
members on a deployment where there was
a shortage of dentists.
As part of his job, Stanich is responsible for dental examinations on service
members at the 179th, members of 200th
REDHORSE Detachment unit in Mansfield and 200th REDHORSE members at
Camp Perry.
I feel like Im giving back to a wonderful country that we have. This is my contribution, he said. Freedom is not free, and
we forget about that sometimes. Im here to
support everybody that is here.
In his spare time, he is busy in his dental
practice. He and his wife have three children. He is a Cub Scout leader and coaches
baseball and football.
I like working with the positive people
on base, thats why I keep coming back,
Stanich said.
I like working
with the positive
people on base,
thats why I keep
coming back.
- Lt. Col. Kevin Stanich
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
179th AIRLIFT WING
51
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
PART
ON GUARD
THE
HELP
RIGHT: In 2008, members from the

179th Airlift Wing Medical Group traveled
to northern California to provide assistance to the Hoopa Indian Reservation.

PHOTOS BY AIR NATIONAL GUARD

MASTER SGT. LISA HAUN
THE HELP
MISSIONS
OF MERCY
In 2009, members from the 179th Airlift Wing Medical Group performed hundreds of physicals for children in Hawaii on a trip for humanitarian efforts.

PHOTOS BY AIR NATIONAL GUARD MASTER SGT. LISA HAUN
179th AIRLIFT WING
53
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
179th Airlift Wing humanitarian

efforts encompass the globe
In 2008, members from the 179th Airlift Wing Medical Group traveled to northern California to provide assistance to the Hoopa Indian Reservation.

PHOTOS BY AIR NATIONAL GUARD MASTER SGT. LISA HAUN
THE HELP
By Lou Whitmire
While members of the 179th Airlift

Wing of the Ohio National Guard have
served the United States on numerous
deployments since 1948, guard members
also assist on missions within U.S borders and humanitarian efforts around the
world.
The 179ths cargo planes have been
used to haul grain to Third World countries
and have helped in the aftermath of natural
disasters, such as flooding in southern
Ohio in 1996.
Only the governor can call upon
reserve units like the 179th to respond
to state emergencies. The president can
activate or place a reservist on active duty
for federal purposes, usually in the case of
a war-time event.
The National Guard is a state asset and
belongs to the governor.
The 179th Airlift Wing at one time
was primarily focused on fighting planes,
but it gradually became cargo-oriented.
And those changes may be what has kept it
open as other military installments across
the country closed. Cargo planes can be
used during peacetime as well as war.
Often, the Mansfield units humanitarian
efforts include its C-130s.
Around the world,

across the nation
The 179th participated in Operation
Buckeye Guardian in support of the U.S.
Border Patrol. Thirteen sorties, 180 troops
and 14 tons of cargo were ferried to the
U.S.-Mexico border. Members from the
179th were used in medical services and as
part of the security force.
From 2003 to 2009, during Operation
Iraqi Freedom, members of the 179th put
in more than 3,000 flying hours and hauled
33,000 passengers and 3,800 tons of cargo.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New
Orleans and the local unit contributed
46 missions, 265 hours of flying time and
moved 1,300 people in and out of the area.
Thirteen missions brought in more than
500 Ohio Army Guard troops to secure
the area.
More than 300 tons of equipment,
food and supplies were delivered in 28
days.
Lt. Col. Jeff Charette recalled three
C-130s were activated to fly to Springfield
to pick up Army Guard troops and deliver
them to New Orleans, where they were
sent to places such as the Superdome to
provide security.
The C-130s and 2 KC-135s from
Rickenbacker were the first to land, after
two days of no support from federal agencies. The C-130s were brought in because
it was dark, landing at 1 a.m. with night
vision goggles. The airport runway lights
were out, there were no facilities, the tower
was out and there were no controls. It was
significant that six Air National Guard
units were the first to respond, Clarette
said.
In 2005, 10 service flight workers at
the 179th traveled to Gulfport, Mississippi, another area ravaged by Hurricane
Katrina. Local airmen helped provide
meal service for thousands of military
members and aided residents in Katrinas
aftermath. News Journal staff accompanied
the guard on this trip.
Also in 2005, members of the 179th
Airlift Wing traveled to Uzbekistan, to
Karshi-Knanabad Air Base, and made a
pinpoint drop of more than 13,000 pounds
of supplies. Packed with food, medicine
and other humanitarian supplies, the
Ohio Air National Guard C-130 Hercules
flew over an Afghan mountainous region,
successfully dropping cargo to the remote
area, according to an article in the News
Journal.
In 2008, the 179th was recognized for
achieving more than 140,000 accidentfree flying hours over a 40-year period.
Additional awards have included The
In 2008,
the 179th was
recognized for
achieving more
than 140,000
accident-free flying
hours over a
40-year period.
See MERCY Page 56

179th AIRLIFT WING
55
ON GUARD: THE 179TH

MERCY
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the

ANG Comptroller of the Year, the MAC
Outstanding Intelligence Branch of the
Year, the ANG Maintenance Effectiveness
Award, as well as the Col. Alan P. Tappan
Outstanding Unit Award for Superior
Performance.
For many years, 179th supported
Operation Cornet Oak in Puerto Rico, in
support of the command located there.
The C-130s were used to respond to events
all over Central and South America and
moved people, equipment and supplies
to different locations. Because the C-130s
were in Puerto Rico, they were quick to
respond to the earthquake in Haiti in 2010.
In 2012, after Hurricane Sandy hit New
York, three C-27J Spartans responded,
including one from the 179th, one from
Maryland and one from Mississippi. The
aircraft met at Akron Airport and transported Ohio Army troops to help secure
the area.
In 2011-12, during Operation Enduring
Freedom, the 179th used aircraft to support
the Army and flew more than 2,100 hours,
transported more than 21,000 passengers
and moved 1,200 tons of cargo.
If it appears recently that the 179th is
lacking in humanitarian efforts its because

during the conversions to different aircraft,
the aircraft and flying teams spend most of
their flying time retraining for the new mission.
Teams need to be highly qualified
before attempting to enter into devastated
areas, according to the base.
Medical care on the way

Many humanitarian efforts involve the
Medical Group at the 179th.
Col. Jodie Harvey, who has worked
with the 179th for almost 30 years, has
taken part in many of those missions.
An outpatient recovery room nurse at
OhioHealth MedCentral Mansfield Hospital for 24 years, Harvey is the commander
who oversees the clinic that makes sure
every guard member is medically qualified
to deploy.
The Medical Group is comprised of 56
health care professionals that manage the
Individual Medical Readiness status of all
179th Airlift Wing and 200th Redhorse
Squadron personnel.
This year, the Medical Group organized a multi-unit annual training event
to Lakenheath Royal Air Force, near the
town of Suffolk, England. Members from
the 180th Medical Group in Toledo and
the 121st Medical Group in Columbus
joined the Mansfield unit in accomplishing

annual training objectives. While deployed,
members worked in the military treatment
facility and received on-the-job training
while working side-by-side with active-duty
counterparts, Harvey said.
The Medical Group also participated in
Guard Care 2014, Harvey said.
This annual event allows medically
underserved communities within Ohio to
receive free health screening services. The
program provides Ohio National Guard
personnel Army and Air National Guard
with an innovative readiness training opportunity while supporting our community
mission, Harvey said.
Clinton County was selected by the
Ohio Department of Health to host this
years event, which marks the 20th year of
the Guard Care Program.
We will continue supporting this
program annually; next years event will be
held in Williams County in 2015, Harvey
said.
The most memorable experiences of
my career have been serving on humanitarian missions. Whether serving stateside
or in a Third World country, providing
assistance to the medically under-served is
very rewarding, Harvey said.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
AT A GLANCE
A glimpse at some of the 179th Airlift Wings humanitarian efforts:
Operation Provide Relief (Somalia Humanitarian Airlift, 1992-1993)

Operation Provide Promise (Bosnia Humanitarian Airlift, 1993-1994)
Operation Restore Democracy (Haiti Operational Airlift, 1994)
Operation Southern Watch (Saudi Arabia Operational Airlift 1991-2001)
Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan Operational Airlift 2001-2008)
Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq Operational Airlift 2003-2008)
THE HELP
Capt. Devin Conway, a clinical nurse at the 179th Airlift Wing, works at her desk.
Meet Capt. Devin Conway, a 179th nurse

By Lou Whitmire
Capt. Devin Conway loves her job as a

clinical nurse with the 179th Airlift Wing of
the Ohio Air National Guard.
She joined the guard 15 years ago, after
graduating from Lakewood High School.
For patriotic reasons, to be a part of
something bigger than myself, I joined the
medical group because I enjoy caring for
others and working in the medical field. I
also took advantage of tuition assistance and
used it to obtain my BSN in nursing from
Cleveland State University, she said.
Conway also is a registered nurse with
the Cleveland Clinic. Her focus is nursing education and the cardiopulmonary
resuscitation department, where she teaches
multiple life-support and lifesaving courses.
She and her husband, Neil, also a veteran,
and their children live in North Olmsted.
We have a very supportive family in

which we would not be able to do all of this
without. I have had many great opportunities
in the guard that include working on humanitarian trips and assisting with community
events such as Guard Care (public health)
and Special Olympics, she said.
Humanitarian efforts she participated in
include going to Belize in Central America,
where 179th personnel performed more than
6,000 procedures that included bringing the
equipment needed to give a young girl a hearing aid.
I will never forget witnessing the young
girl having the ability to hear for the first time
and the tears that were brought to her eyes.
The physicians were able to perform many
physicals and procedures to help the population there, along with dental care, and passed
out hundreds of eyeglasses, she said.
Conway went to two Indian reservations in California, where she assisted with
immunizations, education and home visits.

The dentists there also performed multiple
procedures.
Among other things through her job at
the 179th, she has worked with public health
officials in immunization clinics, giving shots
to many adults and children.
Conway has attended the Special Olympics in Columbus multiple times, where
members of the 179th have assisted with
medical support and first aid.
It was an honor working at Special
Olympics and being apart of such a big
event, she said.
Her roles through the years at the 179th
include being an emergency medical technician. Currently she is a clinical nurse overseeing emergency resuscitation training on the
base and oversees the units EMTs.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
179th AIRLIFT WING
57
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
PART
10
ON GUARD
THE
IMPACT
One of two additional C-130 cargo planes arrives at the 179th Airlift Wing.
THE IMPACT
A HEALTHY
RELATIONSHIP
179th AIRLIFT WING
59
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
Capt. Beth Maclellan works at her desk at the 179th Airlift Wing.
THE IMPACT
179th, community gain

from bases economic impact
By Todd Hill
News Journal, originally published Oct. 12, 2014
It would be perfectly understandable

if Beth Maclellan and her husband, Jerimy,
chose to spend much of their free time in
Columbus, since his family is from there.
But the Lexington residents, both of
whom are part of the Air National Guards
179th Airlift Wing, can be found more often
in the Mansfield area. Theres a good reason
for that.
Our babies dont like car seats, so
I dont like to drive really far, said Beth
Maclellan, a captain in the Guard and a fulltime employee at the base.
Actually, theres a little bit more to it
than that.
Its actually kind of a hidden gem
almost, Mansfield is. I didnt know too much
about Mansfield, but after we drove around
in that square and the carrousels down there
and theres events going on, I was like, How
did we not know about this? Maclellan
said.
We didnt really realize how involved
Mansfield was and how involved the base
is with Mansfield itself. I think its a pretty
profitable and healthy relationship.
Its also a mutually beneficial one.
While the 179th is populated today with
full-time staffers who, during their weekend

Guard drills at the base, liked what they saw
enough to eventually move here, Mansfield,
along with many other communities in
Richland County, benefits from their presence financially.
I cant overestimate the impact the
179th has on the local economy, from hotels
to retail businesses, and of course it makes a
huge dent in overall payroll, said state Rep.
Mark Romanchuk, R-Ontario.
They have a very big impact, and we
will continue the fight to keep them here,
said Tim Bowersock, economic development director for the city of Mansfield.
They work with local businesses as much as
they can, although they have larger contracts
through Columbus and the military depots.
When you factor in their procurement
of local goods and services, every full-time
job at the base represents half a job in the
supply chain.
Although the number routinely fluctuates, the 179th presently has 280 to 290
full-time workers at the base, according to
its commander, Col. Gary McCue. During monthly drill weekends, the number of
personnel there soars to 1,050 to 1,100.
We have a contract with an area hotel,
but were about to change that because we
like to share the love, the colonel said.
Specifically, the 179th Airlift Wing, together with the 200th Red Horse Squadron,
also based at the facility that sits across from
Lahm Airport on Mansfields north side, was
responsible for 318.37 indirect jobs in the
community last year, according to the wings
latest annual report. The estimated annual
dollar value of those indirect jobs was $10.6

million.
Simply put, if the 179th werent here, it
would be missed.
From a city standpoint we would lose
the income tax, and we would lose on the
utility end of it, water and sewer. And out in
the community, the jobs that support base
activities would be lost, Bowersock said.
Their impact is actually similar to what
GMs was, although its a whole different set
of factors.
Might Mansfield actually be at risk
of losing its Air National Guard men and
women?
Were here at the pleasure of the state,
so theres a little bit less of that permanence,
but as far as myself, I feel that my role here
is solidified because the leadership here on
this base does talk about everyones role and
how it fits into what were doing here as a
wing, Maclellan said.
The Guard expands and contracts, and
it moves a bit differently than active duty
does, but as far as the wing goes, the leadership here is very good about ensuring that it
takes care of its folks.
Although Air Guard units like the 179th
have faced threats of mission loss and even
closure in the past because of military realignments and drawdowns, Mansfields base
has a seemingly solid transport mission right
now with eight C-130H aircraft, the last two
of which arrived at the base from Arkansas
last week.
But that mission will remain solid only
See IMPACT Page 62
179th AIRLIFT WING
61
ON GUARD: THE 179TH

IMPACT
We work hard,
were family,
and were going
to get the mission
done. Thats why
we came here.
- Capt. Beth Maclellan
if Congress decides to modernize the C130H fleets avionics by 2020. Otherwise,

the planes will essentially be rendered
obsolete.
Heaven knows we need the Guard.
Theyre vital in natural disasters, and
they did a great job in Toledo providing
the residents there with fresh water over
the summer (during an algal outbreak),
Romanchuk said.
Every chance we get, we tell officials
at the federal level of the importance of the
179th. The mayor has meetings regularly
with state and federal representatives,
Bowersock said. Mark Romanchuk is on
the same committee that Im on at (the
Richland County Development Group),
and we meet every month. We participate
in every letter-writing campaign.
Its a never-ending battle to keep them
here.
Its a battle that takes up a lot of Col.
McCues time as well.
We reach out to the community constantly; its most of what I do. I think people
have a pretty good idea of what we do,
especially here in the city, he said.
Maclellan and her husband moved
to the Mansfield area after they both left
active duty in the Air Force earlier this
year. Beth works full-time at the 179th in
the inspector generals office, while Jerimy
serves as a weekend warrior as he trains to
become a pilot for Delta.
Beth originally joined the military after
the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
It made me mad. I thought, you know,
Im not going to let them do that so Im going to do my part in my little corner of the
world, and so thats why I wanted to join
the military, she said.
After she and Jerimy left active duty,
however, it wasnt sitting very well that
we would no longer be in service to our
country, Beth said. That was rubbing us
a little bit wrong, so we decided wed really
like to join the Air National Guard.
Maclellan observed that, while some
of the civilians she meets in the Mansfield
area might not initially be familiar with the

179th or its mission, theyre very curious,
they want to talk about it, they may have
family members who have served. Its nice.
It feels very patriotic.
In fact, when it comes to patriotism,
the 179th Airlift Wing is second to none,
literally. For the second straight year, the
unit has recruited more new members into
the Air National Guard 251 than any
of the other 110 units across the U.S.
I feel really good that we broke the record
again. Im very proud of that. Folks in Ohio
are very patriotic, McCue said.
The colonel noted that the Ohio National Guard Scholarship Program makes
recruitment an easier job for the 179th.
Under the program, which is funded anew
each year by the Ohio General Assembly,
six-year enlistees in the Army and Air
Guard see 100 percent of their college
tuition paid for over eight semesters.
Some states dont do that. Ohio does
it. Getting your college tuition paid for is
unbeatable, McCue said.
The reality, however, is that, with
Washington always looking to cut corners
wherever possible, marketing has now
become a major part of the 179th Airlift
Wings mission as well.
During a ceremony Thursday, for example, the base is going to dedicate the rest
of its C-130H fleet for cities and villages in
Richland County; the Spirit of Mansfield
was christened last summer.
Its a special thing were doing,
dedicating these birds for the surrounding
community, the colonel said.
That teamwork mentality, Maclellan
said, was a big reason why she and her
husband wound up at the 179th and,
by extension, Richland County four
months ago.
We work hard, were a family, and
were going to get the mission done, she
said. Thats why we came here.
419-521-7283
THE IMPACT
LEFT: Tech. Sgt. Justin Flores

inspects an engine at the 179th
Airlift Wing.

Mechanic fixes planes in Antarctica

By Lou Whitmire
Tech Sgt. Justin Flores works on propulsion systems including the engines and
propellers of the C-130Hs at the 179th
Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard
base at Mansfield Lahm Airport.
His mechanical skills are put to work in
some faraway places, too.
Flores, 27, who lives outside Mansfield
near Charles Mill Lake, has deployed to
Germany, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Afghanistan
and Antarctica since joining the wing in
2005. Come January, Flores will return to
Antarctica.
Guard members from the 179th support
the 109th Stratton Airlift Wing out of New
York in Antarctica. The C-130s are equipped
with skis to land on ice and snow.
We help because there is high demand,
a lot of people that have to go year in and
year out, and thats why we help. Weve developed such a good relationship with them.
We deployed with them to Afghanistan in

2009, and shortly after that, we started going
to the ice, he said. It started with a few of
us going, and now 25 to 30 from maintenance go to give them a break from having
to go so much.
The mission formerly belonged to the
Coast Guard.
Flores said the deployment rotation to
Antarctica is for anywhere from a month to
2 1/2 months. In January, he will go with several others from maintenance at the 179th
working 12- to 14-hour shifts, working and
sleeping in 24 hours of daylight.
Flores said he and other mechanics fix
things, working six or seven days a week.
Temperatures are sometimes like Ohio,
as January is the dead of their summer, he
added.
(The 109th) is tasked to help the
National Science Foundation, Flores said.
That could be hauling workers, scientists,
equipment.
The open season for the scientists and
for us is typically October through the end

of February.
He said the 109th also does search and
rescue and mapping the path for all the
vehicles that travel on the ice.
Flores said the scientists study the
worlds southernmost volcano, at McMurdo
Station on Ross Island in Antarctica. Scientists also study migration of animals and
more.
I like going there, he said. Its pretty
fun to go to Antarctica, he said.
Originally from Texas, Flores has been
full time since 2008 as an aircraft mechanic
at the base.
In April, he completed his bachelors
degree in technical management and is
studying toward his MBA.
He works with several other guard members in the shop, building up spare propellers and engines.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
179th AIRLIFT WING
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ON GUARD: THE 179TH
Two C-130s returned to the 179th Airlift wing Friday from Alaska.
C-130H upgrade stalls in Congress

By Lou Whitmire
Language in the U.S. House and Senate versions of the next National Defense
Authorization Act suggests that the 179th
Airlift Wings fleet of eight C-130H transport aircraft will likely receive its essential
avionics upgrade before time runs out for
the planes.
Under current federal regulations, the
179ths aircraft will be prevented from flying
across much of the globe in six years unless
enhanced communication gear, known technically as Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast-Out, is installed on them.
While that now appears likely, estimating a time frame for the upgrade is a fools
errand at best. And with midterm elections
less than a month away, assuming how Congress will act in the future also is a sketchy
proposition.
The legislative body was unable to pass

the NDAA before leaving for an electioneering recess on Oct. 1, settling for a continuing
resolution instead. Although that expires
Dec. 11, its possible Congress will kick the
NDAA can further down the road then and
pass yet another continuing resolution.
I believe we can be safe to assume that,
as it stands now, Congress is supportive of
ensuring the reserve component C-130H
fleet is modernized and in a position to
operate well into the future. However, there
are some that think that, if the Senate was
to shift leadership after the November election to Republican control, that the NDAA
might change significantly, said Rich Green,
former commander of the 179th and now
leader of the Mansfield Military Affairs
Council.
Although this might be true from a
technical perspective, and the Republi-
cans may invoke some changes, logic tells

us that support for the fleet will probably
survive any potential changes. But until the
president signs the NDAA, anything can
happen.
In the meantime, Green is encouraging
Richland County residents to contact their
representatives in Washington, D.C., about
the need to upgrade the fleet of C-130H
planes that call units such as the 179th Airlift
Wing home.
People can write their U.S. representative and senators by visiting their elected
officials website or the website for the
States, www.ngaus.org, which has a link to
do so set up on its home page.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
THE SPIRIT
PART
11
ON GUARD
THE
SPIRIT
Rodney Snyder, a member of the 179th Airlift Wing, removes the last strips of tape covering up the Spirit of Clear Fork Valley on
an airlift place during a dedication ceremony at the Mansfield Lahm Airport.
LISA BERNHEIM / NEWS JOURNAL
179th AIRLIFT WING
65
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
179th is
PHOTO: One of two additional C-130 airplanes arrives at the 179th Airlift Wing.
THE SPIRIT
pride of
Mansfield
179th AIRLIFT WING
67
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
City, airlift wing share

special relationship
By Lou Whitmire
There is something special about the

relationship between the 179th Airlift Wing
and Mansfield-area residents.
It is akin to a spiritual connection. Maybe it
is simply patriotism, or maybe it is a sense
of security or awe from seeing the big planes
in the sky.
While members of the 179th Airlift
Wing of the Ohio National Guard have
served the United States on numerous deployments since 1948, guard members also
assist on missions within U.S. borders and
humanitarian efforts around the world.
They also help out here at home.
Guard members are our neighbors and
friends. They volunteer in the community at
United Way of Richland County agencies,
Earth Day and more.
Kevin Nestor, former Richland Area
Chamber of Commerce president, said
military aviation is in Mansfields blood.
Our city is directly connected to
the very beginning of powered flight and
military aviation through native son Frank
Lahm, who was the first American military
officer to fly with the Wright brothers and
also Americas first military aviator, Nestor
said.
You look at today and the continued
outstanding performance and success of the
179th Airlift Wing as recognized through
the many awards theyve received, its sort of
a continuation of that legacy of flight excellence that Frank Lahm started, Nestor said.
Nestor said the patriotism of people in
this area is also reflected in the high manning level, high retention level and overall
excellence in performance of the 179th.
I believe the air base broadens our local
communitys understanding of liberty and
sacrifice, said Mansfield pilot and businessman Bill Schmidt.
Many of the enlistees live and work
here and make protecting our country seem
very close and personal. We shed tears when
they leave to war, and again when those
big planes return safely from their overseas
missions. Also, guard members provide
excellent role models for our youth, who
may then be inspired to seek out similar
careers. These are good and often hard to
come by opportunities, which may not have
happened had there not been direct contact
with local airmen and women.
Finally, and on a personal note, our
daughter married a 179th pilot, and without
the air base, well, Pat and I might not have
the four wonderful grandchildren which that
union produced. Yes, we certainly support
the 179th.
Local resident Mike Green, who worked
to save the base when it was threatened with
closure in 2005, said the 179th had a lot of
support from the community then as community members wrote letters to elected
officials in Washington.
It was the best example of an economic
development campaign where people came
together for a common cause, said Green,
who then headed Richland Economic Development Corp. It was a joy to be part of
it.
Bridget McDaniel, executive director of
Richland Community Development Group,
said, The News Journal has done a great job

in summarizing the impact of our guard unit
on the community. The employment and
economic impact are substantial and easily
recognized. We also need to recognize the
importance this base and the folks serving
there have to the fabric of our community.
These are dedicated, patriotic women
and men who are demonstrating those attributes every day. Their presence around the
community, in our stores, in our restaurants,
on our streets is a constant good example
to us all and especially to our youth. These
hundreds of folks in uniform remind us of
the greatness of our nation, of the preparedness of our government and of our personal
duty to be good citizens.
In addition, McDaniel said, the guard
members are constantly engaging with the
community supporting our schools,
working with our United Way and involving
themselves in numerous other causes. The
value of these direct services cannot be measured, yet we all recognize the partnership
the guard formed with Richland County.
These intangibles are the reason that our
community has often rallied to support the
guard and will continue to rally when political pressures threaten our base.
Gayle Gorman-Green, one of Mansfields biggest supporters of the 179th, said,
In addition to providing a very significant economic impact for Mansfield and
Richland County, having the presence of
the 179th Airlift Wing and the 200th Red
Horse Squadron at Mansfield Lahm Airport
helps create a sense of patriotism and pride
in our community as unit members respond
to both the defense of our country and the
well-being of our citizens when called to
assist with natural disasters.
The flying mission of the 179th also
THE SPIRIT
LEFT: One of two additional C-130

airplanes arrived at the 179th Airlift
Wing this fall.

provides a foundation for continuing the

proud aviation heritage of Mansfield dating
to Brig. Gen. Frank Purdy Lahm, who was
our nations first military aviator, she said.
More personally for me, my father, Jim
Gorman, who is a charter member of the
unit and my husband Brig. Gen. Rich Green
(retired), former commander of the 179th.
Our Air National Guard unit is one of the
best in our country and well worth doing everything we can to keep them in Mansfield.
Jeff Gorman, like his sister Gayle, is also
a proud supporter of the 179th.
The 179th is a top-of-the-class organization. A real plus for our city, state and
country, he said.
Ellen Haring, a member of the Mansfield
Airport Commission, said, We are very fortunate to have the Air National Guard and
179th Airlift Wing stationed at Mansfield
Lahm Airport. Not only are they one of the
areas largest employers, but the personnel
are actively engaged in community leadership. Almost every board or commission
meeting I attend, there is a man or woman in
uniform eagerly committing their time and
resources to board projects that support area
agencies and nonprofits. As volunteers, they
seem passionate and sincere about helping
the community with whatever resources

they can provide. It is a good feeling knowing the job will be well done.
The 179ths cargo planes have been
used to haul grain to Third World countries
and have helped in the aftermath of natural
disasters, such as flooding in southern Ohio
in 1996.
Several people responded to an online
News Journal request for their thoughts on
the base:
Joshua McLaughlin commented, Because they feel like our planes, love seeing
em out, flying!
Courtney Nabb said, We love that the
planes fly right over the house. I love it that
my mom can name the different types and
teach my kids about them.
Charles Leach commented, Its patriotic. The love for our military and all that
they do for us it never gets old seeing them
fly over top of us every day. I love em. My
kids love em and I found it really cool today
witnessing one flying low over my home. I
felt the ground rattle, it was awesome, he
said.
Kathy Eby said, Rumbling through the
sky practicing maneuvers, there is a sense of
security in knowing that the 179th is right
here, and ready; for whatever wicked this

way comes, they are Oath Keepers, they are
our service men and women, always vigilant
and protecting our freedoms.
Shannon Zeigler commented, Being
born and raised in Mansfield, I have grown
up watching the C-130s circle the skies
and it is second nature to see them. It is the
feeling of both security and pride having the
179th in our hometown. Much respect to
the men and women, not only of the 179th,
but to all of our military personnel, past and
present. Thank you all for your service to
our country.
Sue Lowery said, We have watched
these planes fly over our house for almost
30 years. They say practice makes perfect,
and I know that when they have been called
for special duty, they always make our area
proud with their high standard of professionalism.
Dale Gates Au said, Each time I hear
a C-130 flying over, I run to the window to
look out, awestruck by its presence. I never
tire of them. Thank you to the brave souls
who serve and have served, putting themselves in harms way to keep us safe and free.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
179th AIRLIFT WING
69
ON GUARD: THE 179TH
Tech Sgt. Roarks mission to keep

citys 179th secure
By Lou Whitmire
Security Forces troop Tech Sgt. Michelle

Roark protects the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio
Air National Guard base.
She conducts building checks, helps control
who enters the base and handles all facets of security.
A 2003 Shelby High School graduate, Roark
is a shift supervisor for Security Forces, protecting
the borders of the base and the flight line.
Among Roarks many duties, she is an instructor for active shooter and pepper spray
classes for guard members at the 179th, as well as
members of the 200th REDHORSE Detachment.
Active shooter classes train guard members on how
to respond to on-base threats. During her pepper
spray classes, she exposes student-volunteers to the
spray and then sends them through the gauntlet.
Students are taught how to endure the pain and
discomfort of not being able to see and still arrest
their attacker.
Roark, of Shelby, has worked full time at the
base for almost 11 years.
I wasnt sure what I wanted to do. A friend
of mine told me to come out here and I signed up
immediately, she said. Ever since I was little I
wanted to be a cop.
While a member of the 179th, Roark deployed to Iraq in 2006 and Afghanistan in 2012. In
Afghanistan she supervised about 50 security force
members and worked in security at an entry control point as Afghans entered and departed from a
U.S. military base.
Roark said she learned about the Afghan
culture while deployed, noting people with no
basic necessities were thankful for things such as
Neosporin and aspirin.
I love Diet Mt. Dew and my dad sent me some
each week, she recalled. It was the only pop you
couldnt get on the base.
Roark said she plans to make the 179th her
career. She plans to pursue a degree in radiology
sciences so she has a job after she retires. She is a
new volunteer at the Richland County

Domestic Violence Shelter and is training
to be on call to respond to sexual assaults
in Richland County. She has volunteered
at Richland Leader at the campus of The
Ohio State University/North Central
State College and Madison schools
Touch a Truck event for elementary-aged
students.
She enjoys helping the community on
Earth Day and has organized Take Your
Child to Work Day, where she painted
childens faces and many other community projects.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir
Staff Sgt. Michelle Roark shows girls how to don military gear as the 179th Airlift Wing and 200th
REDHORSE participate in the Leader Richland event at Ohio State Mansfield/North Central State College
campus in May.
U.S. AIR NATIONAL GUARD PHOTO BY TECHNICAL SGT. JOE HARWOOD
MANSFIELD MILITARY
AFFAIRS COUNCIL
The Mansfield Military Affairs
Council (MMAC) was formed by
the RCDG in response to ongoing
threats of downsizing the military
that could affect our local base.
Rich Green, former commander of
the 179th is leading the group which
RICH GREEN
has representatives from all Ohio
state and federal officials, city officials, media representatives and business leaders. The bi-monthly meetings focus on ways to promote our federal assets in the
community and in Washington, DC.
The Richland Community

Development Group (RCDG) is
a non-profit agency working to
improve the economic vitality
of the county. Led by Executive Director Bridget McDaniel,
the organization acts as a cataBRIDGET MCDANIEL
lyst for the improvement of the
community. RCDG focuses on attracting new business, retaining/expanding current businesses and
improving the quality of place. The RCDG website
is www.ChooseRichland.com.

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THE

Reviewing the value

ON GUARD: THE 179TH

COVER PHOTO BY JASON MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL

NEWS JOURNAL EDITOR

The News Journal recognized in 2014 that the loss of the

179th AIRLIFT WING

of a huge General Motors plant.

PHOTO BY DANIEL MELOGRANA / NEWS JOURNAL

179th would benefit from house measure

179th AIRLIFT WING

ON GUARD: THE 179TH

179th AIRLIFT WING

DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

Upgrades to C-130H would keep base viable

Legislation recently passed by the U.S.

Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard.

Air Force to upgrade the national fleet of

ON GUARD: THE 179TH

An C-130 aircraft rests on the tarmac at the 179th Airlift Wing. 

continued from page 5

Reason for optimism

179th AIRLIFT WING

version is clearly good news for the Air

DANIEL MELOGRANA / NEWS JOURNAL

Green emphasized a lot can happen

Protecting the base

of the Air Force Report.

ON GUARD: THE 179TH

DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

Col. McCue wanted to

Col. Gary McCue, commander of the

179th AIRLIFT WING

A childhood friend of mine, from when

we still offer 100 percent scholarships, for

RIGHT: Frank P. Lahm, for whom Mansfields

179th AIRLIFT WING

ON GUARD: THE 179TH

Many assignments for wing over years

On the sprawling grounds of the 179th Airlift

toward members with a same-sex sexual orientation.

While much has

Two C-130s returned to the 179th Airlift Wing from Alaska. 

DANIEL MELOGRANA / NEWS JOURNAL

The property was laid out in the 1930s. Col.

ON GUARD: THE 179TH

continued from page 11

balloonist, and a Mansfield native, Lahm

They didnt stay though, and then the

cal Fighter Squadron, then expanded to the

...our goal has

(Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers) detachment.

Unit goes to France

JASON J. MOLYET / NEWS JOURNAL

World War III started, it was a foregone

ON GUARD: THE 179TH

14 179th AIRLIFT WING

DAVE POLCYN / NEWS JOURNAL

Gorman recalls units early years

Jim Gorman is a charter member of the

we expected to be activated but somebody

that kept the guard unit here when they

179th AIRLIFT WING

ON GUARD: THE 179TH

An C-130 aircraft rests on the tarmac at the 179th Airlift Wing.

Two C-130s returned to the 179th Airlift Wing from Alaska.

Senior Master Sgt. Ralph Chandler

President Barack Obama stopped in Mansfield on August 1, 2012.

FACTS ABOUT THE C-130 HERCULES