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POWIDZ AIR TRANSPORT BASE, Poland — Ramstein Airmen were involved with members of the Polish air force Oct. 14 through today during the fiscal year’s first rotation of aircraft to the U.S. Air Force Aviation Detachment in Poland.
U.S. and Polish air force members trained and learned from each other on several airlift functions, including flight controls and aircraft maintenance. As part of the continued partnership, this is the second time this year Airmen from the 37th Airlift Squadron trained with the Polish air force.
“It’s great being able to work with our Polish counterparts because they deal with some of the same issues we do,” said Capt. Scott Vander Ploeg, 37th Airlift Squadron Av-Det Rotation 14-1 mission commander. “It is nice to be able to help each other out with those issues.”
The events that took place were personnel drops, as well as Joint Precision Air Delivery System and Container Delivery System bundle drops. Additionally, air force members teamed for grass-strip landings, low-level routes and observation flights.
“The Polish forces put together their own bundles for us to drop,” said Capt. Ben Spain, 37th AS instructor pilot. “This is the first time we have ever done that. It will be good to be able to work together in a different way.”
As long-time allies, the U.S. and Poland continue to build partnership capacity together at the Av-Det, and missions like this help to strengthen that important alliance.
“By working with our counterparts, we are able to increase the capabilities of ourselves and our allies around us,” Vander Ploeg said. “It’s important to do because if we go to war together we already know how things will work.”
