12 top stories from 2014: The 512th Airlift Wing's year in review

  • Published
  • By Capt. Bernie Kale
  • 512th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AFB, Del --  2014 was a year of highs and lows for the Air Force, and the 512th Airlift Wing was no different. From heartache and loss, to deployments and upgrades. The 512th AW remains as a strong fighting force of Reservists, in sync with active duty Air Force. Here's our top 12 stories from the year that helped define our wing:



1: Experienced Airmen wanted (January)
Help Wanted
2014 brought a lot of uncertainty for the Active Duty Air Force, and Dover AFB was no different. With this story, the 512th Airlift Wing wanted to get the word out on the many benefits that the Air Force Reserve has to offer.

Reserve service provides a benefits package highlighted by programs familiar to most Airmen such as tuition assistance, the Post 9-11 G.I. Bill and the opportunity to work toward a military retirement plan. Additionally, low-cost healthcare insurance is available to most reservists at significantly lower rates than comparable plans.






2: Memorial service held for 512th CES firefighter (February)

Liberty Wing also had it's share of heartbreak and loss, early in the year. Approximately 100 Liberty Wing reservists gathered for a memorial service for Senior Airman Alberto Soto Feb. 8, 2014 at Chapel 1 on Dover AFB. Soto, a 512th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, had been with the 512th Airlift Wing since last August. He died from brain cancer Jan. 31.The hour-long service began with an invocation by 512th AW Chaplain (Maj.) Mark Flores, followed by remarks from Col. Gretchen Wiltse, 512th Mission Support Group commander.

Wiltse recalled Soto's positive attitude and his willingness to assist his unit, even while he was sick. She praised he and his wife's determination to get the best quality of medical care by keeping meticulous notes of his treatment and being vocal with his doctors to ensure they received the attention they deserved.



3: Patriot Sands pairs reserve Airmen with federal and state agencies (March)

Operation Patriot Sands, which is an annual exercise, tests the FBI, FEMA and FAST's ability to deploy using military airlift and allows Airmen to train and practice their ability to assert command, control and communication in bare-base conditions.

The 512th Airlift Wing Control Flight and the 46th Aerial Port Squadron from Dover AFB staged out of Homestead and worked with Airmen from Westover AFR, Mass., Charleston AFB, S.C., Joint Base San Antonio, Texas and March ARB, Calif. during the training exercise. The additional Airmen and the federal agencies practiced loading and transporting cargo during the exercise.





4: The fleet is complete (April)

Lt. Gen. Brooks L. Bash, Air Mobility Command vice commander, delivered to Team Dover its 18th and final C-5M Super Galaxy. The C-5 series of aircraft have been in service for over 40 years, and with these upgrades they will be able to continue their service for the next 40 years with the modernizations onboard.

The first C-5M Super Galaxy was delivered to Dover AFB in February 2009, and since then, newly upgraded C-5M after C-5M have been delivered like clockwork. Originally a C-5B Galaxy, 87-0040 underwent upgrades at Lockheed Martin Corporation in Marietta, Ga. With the completion of these upgrades, it will now be designated as a C-5M Super Galaxy.




5: Liberty Wing hosts job fair to combat unemployment (May)

According to a 2013 White House report, the military separates between 240,000 and 360,000 service members yearly. Also, a Bureau of Labor statistics report identified a growing number of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with an unemployment rate surpassing both their civilian counterparts and veterans of former conflicts. The 512th AW decided to reach out and lend a hand with Reservists looking for full-time work on civilian side.  The 512th Airlift Wing Airman & Family Readiness office's Master Sgt. Laura Coseglia said she won't sit back and watch her fellow reservists join that trend.

"With leadership support, this is our effort to bring resources to the military member and their family (in order) to meet an expressed need," she said. "This job fair is taking place over the (unit training assembly), because this has been one of the top reasons that people come to see us."



6: Deployed reservist attends son's graduation via video call (June)

This good-news story is on a 512th Maintenance Group reservist who was deployed to Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, was able to video-call in to see his son graduate kindergarten. The power of technology.

Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Hamilton (on tablet screen), tunes in live to witness the kindergarten graduation of his son Cody (left) at Lake Forest East Elementary June 5, 2014. School officials assisted Hamilton's wife Jessica in arranging the video call for her husband, who's a 512th Maintenance Group reservist currently deployed to Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania. Their son Colton also shared the experience with his family. (Submitted photo)









7: Liberty Wing stands down for Wingman Day (July)

The 512th Airlift Wing hosted Wingman Day July 12 at Eagles Nest on Dover AFB. The messages of "Airmen taking care of Airmen 24/7" and "finding the good" continued into a wing-wide commander's call by Col. Raymond A. Kozak, 512th AW commander.

"I loved that there were so many activities for children," said Staff Sgt. Latasha Falkey, a 512th Aerospace Medicine Squadron member who brought her mother and son. "I've attended the last few Wingman Day events, and this was a great turn out."

More than a thousand Airmen and family members could also peruse a row of resource tables, including the USO, Heroes to Hired and Psychological Health Advocacy Program.



8: Dover reservists build homes for Navajo Nation (August)

Civil engineers from the 512th Airlift Wing deployed on a two-week deployment to Gallup, New Mexico, where the 26-person team constructed homes as part of the Department of Defense's Innovative Readiness Training Program.

"It's a great experience," said Tech. Sgt. Chris Panico, a 512th Civil Engineer Squadron electrician. "It's not every day you can use your craft to help people, it's very humbling. Being from the East Coast, I didn't take into account that our country has people in need just as much as third world countries."

In Gallup, members of the Navajo Indian tribe make up 57 percent of the population which still lives below poverty with an average annual income of $6,218, according to Southwest Indian Foundation Director Joseph G. Esparza.


9: Daughter of missing Air Force pilot shares story of loss (September)

The name, rank and service of Col. Kelly Cook are imprinted on POW/MIA bracelets to this day. He has been missing since 1967. "To this day, we are a very tight-knit family," Maureen said. "We share a sadness that's always there. We've visited The Wall together - and it's always difficult, there are always tears."

"He was a fine man, a superb officer and an example to every cadet in his squadron," said retired Col. Jim Graham, a former student from the AF Academy. "He has been sorely missed by every one of us."

The impact her father had on others is something his daughter holds dear to her heart.

"From a very young age, he dedicated his life to his country," said Maureen. "He had done so much and was only 45 years old."













10: Mobility teamwork: key to retrograde mission (October)

As the United States and its coalition partners reduce their presence in Afghanistan, there has been a robust retrograde mission to ensure that as much equipment and materials that supported the warfighters there are recovered. Team Dover C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft and Airman from both the 436th and 512th Airlift Wings have played a vital role in making this mission happen.

The goal of the retrograde mission is to ensure equipment and materials deemed valuable to the warfighter for future use are recovered. Every effort is being made to recapitalize those assets and put them back in use to bolster military capability and ensure U.S. Armed Forces maintain readiness for the future.




11: Reservists raise money to help match war dogs with war vets (November)

Tech. Sgt. Carolina Rodriquez didn't set out to run a 10K race, let alone raise thousands of dollars for a charity, but that's exactly what happened through a surprising chain of events. Within a year, Rodriquez, a loadmaster in the 709th Airlift Squadron, was running across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Maryland, with 24 of her Bridge Warrior teammates raising money for War Dogs Making it Home.

"I knew before agreeing to this race, I wanted it to be for a charity," Rodriquez said. "Since most of the team members are affiliated with the military in some way, I suggested we pick an organization that helps our military members."

Rodriquez initially wasn't planning on running the race, but she posted it on her Facebook page to inform her running enthusiast friends to let them know about the new race, "Across the Bay 10K", where runners race across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge individually or as a team.


12: From Plane to Table: Reserve aircrew deliver food to thousands in Nicaragua (December)

Inside the football field-sized cargo hold of the plane was 125,000 pounds of humanitarian aid, including rice, canned meat and pasta. The cargo was being delivered by U.S. Air Force Reserve Airmen from the 512th Airlift Wing, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, and were going to feed 15,000 children in Nicaragua for the next six months.

To say Donna was excited would be an understatement. For the past 14 years she has been in Nicaragua with her husband, Larry, and had never set foot on a U.S. military aircraft delivering humanitarian aid to their organization.

"A C-5 plane full of humanitarian supplies, are you kidding? That is something that we could only imagine happening," said Donna. "It has been an honor to be able to receive the aid from the U.S. Military and the U.S. Air Force."