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About 140 Airmen from Ramstein travelled to Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 – 38 of them aboard an 86th Airlift Wing C-130J aircraft – for the 41st annual Airlift/Tanker Association Convention and Symposium at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, a sprawling resort complex on the banks of the Cumberland River.
The convention provides a forum for discussing the history, current state, challenges and the future of air mobility. It is not just for Airmen with an airlift/tanker background – the organization is open to everyone and provides Airmen from other disciplines the opportunity to gain insight into the air mobility community and offer diverse perspectives.
“Global air mobility is critical to America’s ability to project air power,” said Lt. Col. Bryan Huntsman, president of the Rheinland-Pfalz chapter of the A/TA. “This venue gives us the opportunity to share and network with each other so we can continue to promote global air mobility far into the future.”
Approximately 4,500 people attended the two-day convention, which featured presentations by several of the Air Force’s top leaders, including Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff; Gen. Duncan McNabb, commander of U.S. Transportation Command; and Gen. Arthur Lichte, commander of Air Mobility Command. Gen. Roger Brady, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander, participated in two panel discussions: one on Mobility Air Forces and one on the Berlin Airlift.
General McNabb’s Saturday morning keynote address provided an overview of the role USTRANSCOM plays in implementing the United States’ security strategy. He focused on the U.S.’ logistical excellence, and the importance of what the command brings to bear in Afghanistan.
“This really is about light over darkness and freedom over tyranny,” he said of the Afghanistan fight. “For all those people in need, you bring them hope, and that is so very, very noble. This really is your time … thanks for what you do for your country. Thanks for raising your hand for freedom.”
General Schwartz also discussed Air Force support of the joint effort downrange. There are many factors that make operating in Afghanistan difficult, including limited infrastructure, harsh geography and isolated Forward Operating Bases. The air mobility provided by the Air Force, however, is key to overcoming those challenges, he said.
“Our Air Force, all of us, are all-in,” he said. “We are contributing in very substantial ways to today’s fight.”
The Airlift/Tanker association started in 1963 when a group of Vietnam veteran C-130 pilots started getting together and realized they had some lessons learned that they should capture, Colonel Huntsman said. The organization soon started to include the other airlift platforms, then brought in the tankers when they became part of AMC. The A/TA continues to expand and lately has been drawing in more mobility Airmen from the United States’ international allies.
“The focus of the organization, in summary, is global mobility for America, and now its allies,” Colonel Huntsman said. “The annual convention is a great opportunity to find out what’s going on in the mobility world, where we’re going and how we can contribute.”
Revisiting the historic Berlin
An iconic figure in the airlift and tanker communities, retired Col. Gail Halvorsen, the original “candy bomber” from the Berlin Airlift, sat on a panel at the 2009 Airlift/Tanker Association convention and symposium in Nashville, Tenn., to revisit the historic effort that redefined what humanitarian airlift is capable of.
Now 89 years old, Colonel Halvorsen sat on the panel alongside Gen. Roger Brady, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander; retired Senior Master Sgt. Bill Morrissey, who also participated in the airlift; and author Andrei Cherny, who recently wrote “Operation Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America’s Finest Hour” about the U.S. role in that operation.
The Berlin Airlift of 1948 and 49 was the Western Allies’ response to the Soviet Union’s blockade of West Berlin, which was under Allied control. Their aim was to force the Western powers to allow the Soviets to start supplying West Berlin with food and fuel, thereby giving the Soviets control over the entire city.
The more than 4,000 tons per day required by Berlin was an enormous logistical challenge for the Allies, and its ultimate success proved critical to the Allied role in shaping the recovery of post-World War II Germany.
A central figure from the operation was Colonel Halvorsen, who was a lieutenant at the time and dubbed the original “Candy Bomber” for dropping candy attached to parachutes to the children below. His actions caught on with other aircrews, and their efforts gained widespread attention in the press. By the end of the airlift, the crews had dropped 23 tons of chocolate, chewing gum and candy over Berlin.
The success of the operation fundamentally changed the United States’ relationship with Germany, said Gen. Duncan McNabb, commander of Air Mobility Command, in his keynote address the following day.
“Gail Halvorsen’s efforts really captured the American people’s imagination,” he said. “What he provided was a beacon of hope.”
The gesture went a long way toward winning the hearts of the defeated Germans and inspired people around the world to believe in America’s fundamental goodness. Colonel Halvorsen and Sergeant Morrissey recounted their stories from the famous airlift, talking at length about how touched they were by the gratitude of the German children.
Panel members also discussed what lessons could be learned. In light of what the effort represented, General Brady talked about the importance of the United States maintaining a robust presence in Europe.
“Trust among allies must be earned by every generation,” he said. “I’m pretty passionate about this. Just as Colonel Halvorsen’s generation earned the trust of Europeans – and Germans in particular – our generation must do the same.”
