BEEliners Forge The Fightin' 817th EAS!

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Ethan Griffin
  • 21st Airlift Squadron commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Darkness sets in a hazy blanket over a remote airfield in Afghanistan. Dusty shades of brown that permeate everything, even the dull blue skies above, gently dissolve into blackness. On the ground, the airbase is a flurry of activity as Airmen go about their tasks, each an integral piece in an operational ballet, both chaotic and orchestrated.

Vehicles motor about, "Port Dawgs" download cargo, maintainers service airframes of different services and nationalities; yet surrounding the earthbound flurry, the darkening skies are silent, broken only by the occasional flashing beacon of a distant jet.

Then suddenly, penetrating the twilight with a low rumble, a silhouette appears.
Ghostlike in appearance at first, a hulking frame materializes from dirty black to gray as eyes gaze skyward. For those watching, the behemoth falls from the sky noiselessly, peacefully, aggressively. A newcomer to the theater's dance watches in awe, frozen by the ominous sight, with a heartbeat increasing with the excitement of the tactical approach, breath caught in anticipation.

In the lingering moments above the dirt, the engines' roar rapidly builds to a deafening crescendo, consuming every noise, movement and moment. Suddenly, the rugged landing gear meets the ground in deliberate violence, billowing clouds of white smoke marking the wheels' touchdown. Massive composite panels rise like billboards catching the humid air, engines transform shape to hurl massive pockets of air forward and the leviathan slows. Another Travis C-17 has arrived safely ....

Travis' men and women are proudly engaged in the modern fight in many capacities. Of particular note, the 21 Airlift Squadron, the "BEEliners," which combines with the 60 Mission Support Group and 60 Operations Group to form the 817 Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. The "Fightin' 817" is currently deployed to three disparate locations in the area of responsibility, spanning thousands of miles across combatant commands. The 817 delivers critical cargo and warfighters to ensure that American forces are steadily supplied in the Afghanistan campaign.

Sun Tzu, the Chinese military strategist, noting the vital role of wartime supply, once wrote, "The line between disorder and order lies in logistics." Modern airlift maintains that order by bridging the gap between mass sustainment and time-critical supplies.

According to the unit's steadfast operations officer, Lt. Col. Greg Goar, "The 817 has safely airlifted a staggering 50 million pounds of cargo, including 70,000 passengers, 585 vehicles, and 52 senior-ranking officials to austere airbases throughout Iraq and Afghanistan."

Operating every hour since late February, the men and women of the 817, along with their families shouldering the weight at home, know no quarter. They sacrifice family time and familiar surroundings to support America's international agenda. The 817 members work with a cool professionalism, whether executing a tactical approach, mastering complex international aviation rules, safely securing non-standard cargo loads, or performing a myriad of essential support roles.

When not flying, they dedicate their off-time to furthering their education, physical fitness, community welfare and morale-building events. Moment by moment, the members of the 817 deliver the airpower and pride of Team Travis!