The squadron deployed from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, ahead of the Aug. 22-Sept. 3 training period. Northern Viking is hosted by Iceland, led by the U.S. Navy’s Sixth Fleet and involves forces from 11 NATO countries.
The missions include cargo drops, aeromedical evacuation, search and rescue, formation flying and rapid force projection. Crews are also testing cold-weather procedures and the aircraft’s ability to support operations across remote areas with limited infrastructure.
U.S. Air Force Capt. Jill Ruane, a 37th Airlift Squadron pilot, said the training allowed crews to operate with different countries, military branches and aircraft. “Our participation in Northern Viking this year is super important because we’re working with other countries, other branches, other air platforms, and it’s really great training for us,” Ruane said.
The squadron operates the standard, or “slick”, C-130J configuration, which can be adapted for different missions rather than being dedicated to a single role. “We’re not modified for any specific mission set, so we can configure to a lot of other things,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Tessa Townsend, a 37th Airlift Squadron loadmaster.
“We had the opportunity to practice at landing zones which are different than your typical airport,” Ruane said. “We landed on a beach for example and a grass field.”
The ability to use unimproved surfaces expands operational access for combat missions, sustainment and personnel recovery. It also reduces dependence on fixed airfields, giving commanders more options to disperse, position and support forces.
“We’re working with a special platform of airdrop where we can guide it exactly where we want it to go,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Lydia Knight, a 37th Airlift Squadron loadmaster. “That really gives us versatility in being able to resupply people in various situations.”
“We’re getting to stretch our cultural competency muscles that allow us to interact with different people from all over the world who have different ways of doing things,” Ruane said. “It’s really important to understand that every person is different, every country is different, but we still have to be able to work as a team to be able to provide security in the High North region and all over the globe.”
