Medics carried that reporter and two others, along with several medical manikins, up a C-17′s large aft ramp.
Wheels were up by 12:22 p.m., beginning the jaunt above Columbus, Cleveland, south to Pittsburgh and Charleston, W. Va., onward to Knoxville, Tenn. and Nashville, then north on the return leg above Cincinnati and back to Wright-Patt.
“Welcome to my office,” said pilot Lt. Col. Keith Buddelmeyer, who welcomed two journalists to his cockpit during the flight. Buddelmeyer acted as the pilot responsible for flying while Maj. Trevor Tomlin worked as the “pilot monitoring,” monitoring the current and project flight path and plane functions.
It can be loud and chilly in the back of a C-17. It’s not the best place for interviews. Personnel wear microphone-equipped headsets to communicate.
“I don’t do it every day,” said Master Sgt. Danielle Kremer, who works as a loadmaster. “But it’s a pretty unique experience, right? We’re sitting in the cargo compartment of a C-17, so you can see all of the exposed wiring and tubes you won’t see on a commercial airliner. But it’s very enjoyable.”
In her work for the 445th, Kramer has visited Japan, Australia, Europe, South America and much of the United States.
The wing showed off its many capabilities to local journalists for a reason. The 445th has a story to tell, and it wants to draw new members.
Said Col. Mike Baker, 445th operations group commander, “Honestly, it’s a recruiting effort.”
Last month, the Air Force said it expected to meet its recruitment goals in fiscal 2024, a year after the service missed recruitment targets for enlisted personnel. In 2023, the Reserve and Air National Guard fell short of their goals by some 30%.
“Basically, when the next national emergency hits, we’ll be as strong as our recruiting allows us to be,” Baker said.
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