by Col. Ty Thomas
86th Operations Group commander
When most people think of an operations group, they think of squadrons and airplanes.
At least, that is what I did when I received the welcome news that I was to become the next 86th Operations Group commander. But as I prepared for the new job, I learned there is much more to the 86th OG than just flying.
Fly airplanes? That we definitely do. The 37th Airlift Squadron operates USAFE’s only permanently assigned C-130 squadron, and does an exceptional job flying E-model aircraft that are quite often decades older than the crewmembers who fly them.
The 38th Airlift Squadron (Provisional) gets the same results using relatively newer H-model aircraft and is typically manned by Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard crews deployed to Ramstein.
At the same time, the 76th Airlift Squadron operates a diverse fleet of C-20, C-21, and C-40 aircraft to provide world-class airlift for distinguished visitors and regular passengers, aeromedical evacuation and movement of small, but time-sensitive, cargo.
The 309th Airlift Squadron operates one C-37 aircraft dedicated to providing the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe with flawless airlift support.
Yet, your operations group here does much more than fly airplanes.
The 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron provides the professionals who ensure our wounded military members, as well as dependents and occasionally even military members from partner nations, receive top-notch lifesaving care during airevac flights.
The 86th Operations Support Squadron backstops the other squadrons by providing intelligence, weather, tactics, current operations and life support functions while also keeping the “Gateway to Europe” open by providing airfield management and air traffic control services to aircraft transiting Ramstein.
You might have known that about the AES and the OSS already, but did you know this group operates not one, but three different airfields? Besides running operations at the busiest military airfield in Europe, this group also operates airfields at Chievres, Belgium and Morón, Spain. As geographically separated units, the 309th Airlift Squadron and the 496th Air Base Squadron, respectively, do an incredible job of keeping those important airfields running at top speed with a full spectrum of support services.
So, next time you see a patch from one of these squadrons, or a patch from the 86th OG itself, remember that we fly airplanes, but we also do a lot more than that. Our motto is, “Ops Never Stops” and that’s something that you can always count on from the Airmen of the 86th OG.
Editor’s note: Colonel Thomas took command of the 86th OG July 27. He was previously assigned as the deputy commander of the 603rd Air and Space Operations Center here at Ramstein.
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by Col. Ty Thomas
86th Operations Group commander
When most people think of an operations group, they think of squadrons and airplanes.
At least, that is what I did when I received the welcome news that I was to become the next 86th Operations Group commander. But as I prepared for the new job, I learned there is much more to the 86th OG than just flying.
Fly airplanes? That we definitely do. The 37th Airlift Squadron operates USAFE’s only permanently assigned C-130 squadron, and does an exceptional job flying E-model aircraft that are quite often decades older than the crewmembers who fly them.
The 38th Airlift Squadron (Provisional) gets the same results using relatively newer H-model aircraft and is typically manned by Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard crews deployed to Ramstein.
At the same time, the 76th Airlift Squadron operates a diverse fleet of C-20, C-21, and C-40 aircraft to provide world-class airlift for distinguished visitors and regular passengers, aeromedical evacuation and movement of small, but time-sensitive, cargo.
The 309th Airlift Squadron operates one C-37 aircraft dedicated to providing the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe with flawless airlift support.
Yet, your operations group here does much more than fly airplanes.
The 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron provides the professionals who ensure our wounded military members, as well as dependents and occasionally even military members from partner nations, receive top-notch lifesaving care during airevac flights.
The 86th Operations Support Squadron backstops the other squadrons by providing intelligence, weather, tactics, current operations and life support functions while also keeping the “Gateway to Europe” open by providing airfield management and air traffic control services to aircraft transiting Ramstein.
You might have known that about the AES and the OSS already, but did you know this group operates not one, but three different airfields? Besides running operations at the busiest military airfield in Europe, this group also operates airfields at Chievres, Belgium and Morón, Spain. As geographically separated units, the 309th Airlift Squadron and the 496th Air Base Squadron, respectively, do an incredible job of keeping those important airfields running at top speed with a full spectrum of support services.
So, next time you see a patch from one of these squadrons, or a patch from the 86th OG itself, remember that we fly airplanes, but we also do a lot more than that. Our motto is, “Ops Never Stops” and that’s something that you can always count on from the Airmen of the 86th OG.
Editor’s note: Colonel Thomas took command of the 86th OG July 27. He was previously assigned as the deputy commander of the 603rd Air and Space Operations Center here at Ramstein.