By M.G. MOSS on June 17, 2014 -- The chain of events motivating Taylor Gingrich to join the military began when his brother Garrett, an infantry officer in the Iowa National Guard, returned from a deployment in Egypt in February 2004. "I knew he would be deploying to Iraq soon, so I joined the military to be able to deploy with him," said Taylor. Taylor, a native of Dysart, Iowa, enlisted in the National Guard as a medic and deployed to Iraq from 2005 to 2007. He became an infantry officer like his brother in time for his second combat tour in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2011. ...
By M.G. MOSS on May 29, 2014 -- Memorial Day and the days around it inspire me and spark feelings of nostalgia. I am inspired by those who served before me and sacrificed their lives, and by the men and women currently serving their country. This attitude persists in the days before and after the holiday weekend. May 29 this year is at the end of the Memorial Day week and includes significant events relative to the observance of fallen heroes. ...
By Senior Master Sgt. Mark Moss, 133rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs / Published March 12, 2012 -- During the previous week, the Minnesota National Guard's St. Paul-based 133rd Airlift Wing launched three C-130 H3 "Hercules" cargo aircraft carrying 98 airmen and cargo headed for Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. "Your citizen-airmen are ready to deploy at a moment's notice and I couldn't be prouder of them or more confident they will be successful during their deployments," said Col. Greg A. Haase, 133rd Airlift Wing Commander. ...
By Senior Master Sgt. Mark Moss, 133rd Airlift wing Public Affairs / Published August 11, 2010 -- Minnesota air crew members continue to assist international relief efforts in Pakistan following deadly flooding in the region that began on July 29, 2010. The first U.S. relief flight into Pakistan was on a Minnesota Air National Guard C-130H "Hercules", filled with emergency relief supplies from Bagram, Afghanistan."We received the call shortly after the rain," said Lt. Col. Andy Burda, Deputy of Operations for the774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron stationed at Bagram, "and had to do several hours of research to see if we could even get in to that region of Pakistan, to see which field was suitable for our C-130's. Our Tactics shop multi-tasked and helped with the research while planning emergency airdrops to troops in Afghanistan needing fuel and water; it has been fantastic!" ...
By Technical Sgt. Erik Gudmundson and Senior Master Sgt. Mark Moss, 133rd Airlift Wing / Published July 20, 2009 -- Forty years after mankind first stepped on the Moon, the 133rd Airlift Wing from St. Paul, Minnesota, supports research efforts in the High Arctic by transporting a modified HUMVEE called Moon-1 to a research station at Resolute Bay in May, 2009. According to mission commander and command pilot, Lt. Col. Andy Burda, "It is one of the more interesting missions I've flown, and it is always special to support NASA." Lt. Col. Burda, the commander of the 133rd Operation Support Flight, calls it "bigger than our normal mission," but something the "Hercules" and crew are very well-equipped to accomplish. The mission called for the six-person aircrew to fly their C-130H military cargo aircraft from the Minneapolis, St. Paul international airport with vital supplies for the Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) to Cambridge Bay, which is about 300 kilometers, or about 200 miles, north of the Arctic Circle. At Cambridge Bay, the supplies were unloaded and work immediately began on loading the vehicle into the belly of the Hercules. The next day the crew flew to Resolute, with all takeoff and landings on hard-packed gravel. ...
By Senior Master Sgt. Mark Moss, 133 Airlift Wing Public Affairs / Published September 19, 2008 -- The loadmaster crouches down on the ramp of the C-130 aircraft with a sharp tool ready to cut the pallet loose. The ramp is open and the 133rd Airlift Wing cargo plane levels off as they approach the drop zone in central Minnesota.The navigator has computed the exact time and place for the pilot to give the loadmaster the green light, based on information provided by a sensor which had been dropped on an earlier pass. ...
