C-130s Head Home After Poland Deployment

C-130Js, their aircrews, and support personnel are preparing to return to Ramstein AB, Germany, after two months of training with their Polish counterparts as part of Atlantic Resolve. The mission is intended to show NATO’s commitment to its Eastern European allies following Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. During the deployment, the airmen from the 37th Airlift Squadron conducted low-level flights, landed at unimproved landing zones, and partnered with US Army and NATO troops in cargo airdrops and paratrooper jumps, maneuvers that are harder to perform in Germany’s congested air and land environment. “Our time in Poland has afforded us a unique opportunity to conduct training focused on maintaining joint readiness, ensuring our collective security and protecting our global interests,” Lt. Col. Barry King II, the 37th ALS detachment commander at Poland’s Powidz Air Base, said in an Aug. 25 release. “The benefits of training with other nations in deployed locations, like Poland, far outweigh the benefits that come from training independently.” King said the deployment was “a tremendous opportunity for our airmen to demonstrate their shared commitment to peace and regional security, alongside our NATO partners.”