MAFEX takes off

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kenneth W. Norman
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
Seven C-17 Globemaster IIIs and eight KC-135 Stratotankers practiced executing airlifts and airdrops in medium threat environments Nov. 17 as part of the Mobility Air Force Exercise, a biannual Air Force-wide training opportunity hosted by the Air Force Weapons School at Nellis AFB, Nev.

The exercise is used to simulate a hostile environment with simulated surface-to-air missiles and global positioning system jammers, said Maj. Donald W. Schmidt, 58th Airlift Squadron director of operations.

"Six of the C-17s from Altus will simulate an airdrop mission and one will land on a semi-prepared runway and simulate an airlift at Keno airstrip, near Nellis AFB," Major Schmidt explained. "The SPRO runway is a dirt runway 90-feet wide and 6,000 feet long."

"We don't get to practice landing on SPROs very often," said Maj. Darren E. Bates 97th Training Squadron C-17 co-pilot of THUG 90 during MAFEX. "Landing on SPROs is very rough on the aircraft and can be expensive if done frequently."

Meanwhile Mighty 97th KC-135s conducted airborne refueling for aircraft participating in the exercise. Student boom operators practiced air refueling during the exercise.

"This exercise is vital to validate to not only the weapons instructor course students, but also the aircrew involved, as well as the support agencies that you can bring a large-force package of heavy MAF aircraft together in a confined space, survive the threat, and offload the needed supplies to the guys on the ground who must have it to continue the fight," said Tech. Sgt. Phillip L. Landram, 54th Air Refueling Squadron NCO in charge and lead boom operator during MAFEX. "We like to show all the new pilots and booms that without the gas, the war stops."

Sergeant Landram has not only not missed a MAFEX in six years, he was also born and raised at Nellis AFB where his father retired as Command Chief of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School.

Numerous bases took part in this exercise along with Altus. The other bases that participated were McConnell AFB, Kan., Fairchild AFB, Wash., McGuire AFB, N.J., Charleston AFB, N.C., Hickam AFB, Hawaii, McChord AFB, Wash., Elmendorf AFB, Ala., Dover AFB, Del., March Reserve AFB, Calif., Travis AFB, Calif., Dyess AFB, T.X. and Nellis AFB, Nev.