“Hurry up and wait.”  A phrase in that I have become intimately familiar with this past 9 days. Today was the day where we repositioned the entire Operation Southern Partner Team to it’s next set of islands. Our C-130J from the California Air National Guard was all fixed up and was ready to take us and all of our gear to either Jamaica or Belize. I opted to go to the first stop, Jamaica, since I was a bit tired of traveling aboard the C-130 and I would be able to catch the Pararescuemen jumping in Jamaica later on in the week.

So all of the teams in Trinidad gathered in the hotel lobby at 0700 and loaded up our bus with the gear and headed to the Trinidad & Tobago Air Guard (TTAG) hangar. A light rain was falling and it seemed like there was an air of sadness for leaving a place where we had developed such great relationships and a hint of trepidation of whether the C-130 would fly and being on it for another 8 hours.

Read the rest of this entry »

After three days of working closely with the Trinidad & Tobago Defense Forces building relationships and sharing information, it was time for a bit of a break. Our last day full day on the island ended with an invitation to the Military Sports and Family Day. This would give everyone a chance to chat with our counterparts in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. Each of the Forces compted in various events, including track and a dance skit. Here are a few images from the festivities.

Read the rest of this entry »

A few days ago, when our CA ANG C-130J from Channel Islands broke down in Guyana with engine and brake problems, I thought our trip was in jeapordy. But the mission commanders of Operation Southern Partner made a few calls and got the “Fighting 5-0″ to step in and help us continue the mission. The 50th Airlift Squadron from Little Rock AFB is currently stationed in Puerto Rico flew in to Grenada and has been our transport ship, moving Airmen and cargo from country to country so they can continue the ongoing exchanges between the US and partner countries. Yesterday the “Fighting 5-0″ (also known as “Red Devils”) flew a different kind of mission, one that gave them a chance to show off their true flying skills.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hello from beautiful Trinidad! Well, after a LONG 14 hour day of traveling yesterday that included a broken 146th CA ANG C-130J, a last minute C-130E subsitution from Puerto Rico, the usual ‘hurry up and wait’, a 1.5 hour flight that turned into 3 because of paperwork snafus in Guyana, being parked in the wrong space at the Trinidad airport and having to restart and reposition, hotel reservations being lost, and a $4 bottle of coke in the hotel, I’m finally here with approximately 35 Operation Southern Partner Airmen.

Read the rest of this entry »

With temperatures in the 90s, the Airmen of the 820^th Security Forces Group, members of the Royal Grenada Police Force, Grenada Coast Guard, and St. Lucia Policemen donned full facemasks, throat protection and cups to protect their vital areas.

Read the rest of this entry »

The day began with a down pour and ride of my life to the other side of Grenada. Narrow and curvy roads combined with a driver that could rival any Formula 1 driver took myself and the USAF Academy Band “Blue Steel” to Father Mallaghan’s Home For Boys. Here 20 boys, from the ages  of 7 to 18, who were abandoned or abused by their parents, spent the day with the USAF Band. As just another facet of Operation Southern Partner, the Airman had a chance to bond with the boys over the international language of music. While the weather didn’t allow for the Airman to play cricket in the park, they instead spent the afternoon jamming with the boys and playing football in the street. That afternoon, the US Embassy sponsored a meal of KFC for the boys who were treated as VIP guests while the band played a public concert in the city center. For at least one day, these boys were grinning from ear to ear. At times the Air Force is received differently around the world, but events such as this unfortunately may go unreported, but happen all the time, where ever Airmen may land. It was nice to be able to participate along side them today. It was as rewarding for me as it was for the Airmen that shared their time and energy with the boys.

Read the rest of this entry »

Well guys, I finally made it! I’m sitting on the balcony of my room overlooking the beautiful Caribbean ocean and the night lights of St George, Grenada and the view is amazing. What a long, but satisfying day it’s been. Just 22 hours ago, I was boarding our California Air National Guard C-130J along with 52 passengers and a lot of cargo at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida. Waking up at 3am was not my idea of a good time, but the end result was worth it.

Read the rest of this entry »

With a sudden jolt I awoke and for a moment forgot where I was. My eyes adjusted to the darkness; red webbed seating, bodies thrown around, wires and bare metal walls, and a hollow drone of the sound of a propeller engine. Then I remembered I was aboard a California Air National Guard C-130J on my way to Homestead AFB in FL.

24 hours prior I was approaching the main gate of the 146th Airlift Wing based in southern California. I was joining the men and women of the 146th as they supported the 12th Air Force and Air Forces Southern Operation Southern Partner by airlifting more then 60 Airmen from across the Air Force to seven Caribbean and Latin American nations. The Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern) led event is aimed at providing intensive, periodic subject matter exchanges with partner nation Air Forces in the US Southern Command area of focus. And I was going to join them on this dramatic mission.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hello everyone! Well, a major announcement today for all the readers of the blog. We have just signed up on YouTube and are now gearing up to bring you a dynamic and first hand account inside aviation’s most unique stories.  While we will still offer world-class photography and personal accounts, these videos will add another dimension that a camera wont be able to share.  You can find us on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/HorizontalRainBlog So subscribe, tell your friends, coworkers, your sister and your mother too!  :)  Videos featured on the YouTube channel will be embedded in the blog posts here as well.

And in honor of our first Video Post, here is the view from the back seat of an F-15E Strike Eagle as we do a break for landing at Mountain Home AFB, ID.  After finishing up our air to air photo mission with the Indian Air Force SU-27 Flanker, SNORT3, and F-15C from the 390th FS “Wild Boars”, and JABBA3 (F-15E from the 391st FS “Bold Tigers”) approach Runway 12 at Mountain Home AFB for the overhead break for landing.

Read the rest of this entry »

Whoever said this stuff was easy obviously never spent hours at the local coffee shop reviewing hundreds of FAA test questions! Well, I am in the middle of my training and am having the time of my life. With just over 13 hours in my log book, it is safe to say that the honeymoon period is over.

Read the rest of this entry »