Liberty Wing helps prepare Canadian Reserve unit for deployment

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Andria J. Allmond
  • 512th Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Members of the Liberty Wing's 709th and 326th Airlift Squadrons along with its Airlift Control Flight participated in Exercise Southbound Trooper VIII at Fort Pickett, Va. from Feb. 8 to March 16. 

This exercise, performed annually since 2000, prepares Canadian Army reservists from the 36th Canadian Brigade Group for possible mobilization and deployment to Afghanistan. 

This year, the exercise simulated peace keeping operations, said Master Sgt. Adam Black, 512th ALCF loadmaster and mission support team chief for the exercise. 

Dover's Airmen joined Army companies from Virginia, New Hampshire and North Carolina in the exercise by hauling more than 320 troops and 1 million pounds of cargo back and forth from the U.S. and Canada, said Sergeant Black. 

But, the Liberty Wing did more than transport in support of the exercise. Tech. Sgt. Tim Harrington, 512th ALCF loadmaster and ESBT VIII participant, said Liberty Wing members instructed the Army troops about packaging and preparing the cargo for the exercise, including the Humvees, mobility gear and rations. 

"With the C-5 there, we cut down on how many missions were needed to get all the cargo where it needed to go," said Senior Master Sgt. Tim Ward, a 512th Operations Group standarization loadmaster who participated in the exercise. "The (512th Airlift Control Flight) really played a huge role in this exercise. They were involved with all the planning and coordination of troops and cargo. This exercise would not have been nearly as successful without them."