Active duty Airmen deploy from Air Guard base

  • Published
  • Wyoming Military Department
CHEYENNE, Wyo. --  More than 70 security forces members from 14 different active duty Air Force bases deployed out of the Wyoming Air National Guard base, on Monday.

The Airmen had been fulfilling their pre deployment training at the Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center in Guernsey, Wyo., in preparation for deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, said Chief Master Sgt. Roger Larsen, 153rd Logistics Readiness Squadron small air terminal superintendent.

This is the first time the Wyoming Air National Guard has assisted in deploying a unit consisting only of active duty members. The Wyoming Air National Guard received information that the members were going to deploy out of Cheyenne with only two weeks' notice. With the assistance of several units from around the base, Larsen said he and his staff were able to coordinate accommodations, ground transportation, entertainment activities, deployment processing and air transportation.

Working with the active duty is not new to the Wyoming Air Guard. In July 2006, Wyoming became the first U.S. Air Mobility Command unit to host an active associate, providing operational support and aircraft to the 30th Airlift Squadron, an active duty unit. By integrating the 153rd Airlift Wing and Active Duty operations and maintenance personnel, both organizations benefit from each other's experiences and skill levels and provide mutual understanding and respect greatly enhancing the mobility process.

Maj. Darren Hanzlik, base installation deployment officer, said, he hopes to continue assisting the active duty Air Force with these types of joint operation requests since the training at Camp Guernsey is invaluable and helps ready the war fighter.

"The training in Guernsey was better than I expected and I can't recommend any improvements for the out processing, it's all been great," said 1st Lt. Kirsten Coty, troop commander stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, in Cheyenne, Wyo.

The Salvation Army was on scene at the Wyoming Air National Guard providing food, drinks and friendly conversation to the deployers.

"We've been doing this for a good number of years and we feel that all service members need our support and it's a little thing we can to let them know we care about them," said Rod Phillips, emergency disaster coordinator for the Laramie County Salvation Army.

Bases represented in the group were Buckley Air Force Base, Colo.; Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.; F. E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.; Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Kadena Air Base, Japan; Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Langley Air Force Base, Va.; Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.; Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.; Randolph Air Force Base, Texas; Schriever Air Force Base, Colo.; Travis Air Force Base, Calif.; Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.; and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.