Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      An LC-130 assigned to the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing, based at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia, N.Y., offloads cargo in Greenland  April 26, 2019. Similar aircraft will be flying missions in Greenland at the end of April 2022 to resupply National Science Foundation facilities on the Greenland Ice Cap.An LC-130 Hercules “Skibird” assigned to the to the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, is prepped for a mission at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. The 109th AW supported the 34th season of Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Station from October 2021 through February 2022. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Shay Price)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

New York’s 109th Airlift Wing preps for Greenland missionsPublished April 24, 2022
                    
                    By Airman 1st Class Jocelyn Tuller,
                    
                    
                    New York National Guard
            **STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. (AFNS) --**Three **LC-130 Hercules** “Skibirds” and approximately 75 Airmen from the New York Air National Guard’s **109th Airlift Wing** will travel for Greenland at the end of April to support **National Science Foundation** research.
The 109th AW flies the aircraft, the largest in the world equipped with skis to land on snow and ice, to conduct resupply missions for American scientific research in Antarctica when it is winter in New York and in Greenland during the summer months.
In 2021, the wing’s Airmen carried 1.3 million pounds of cargo and 32,000 gallons of fuel and delivered 910 passengers to science stations in Greenland. They flew a total of 678 hours.

The 109th Airlift Wing supported the 34th season of Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, from October 2021 through February 2022.A U.S. Air Force Airman refuels a LC-130 Hercules “Skibird” assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, while it is loaded with cargo to be delivered to a research station in Antarctica. The 109th AW supported the 34th season of Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, from October 2021 through February 2022. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Maj. Shay Price)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
    
    The 109th Airlift Wing supported the 34th season of Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, from October 2021 through February 2022An LC-130 “Skibird” assigned to the to the 109th Airlift Wing, New York National Guard, is prepped for a mission at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. The 109th Airlift Wing supported the 34th season of Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, from October 2021 through February 2022
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
    
    Three LC-130 aircraft sit on the flightline during Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Research Station (Williams Field), Antarctica, in 2021.Three LC-130 Hercules “Skibird” aircraft sits on the flight line during Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Research Station (Williams Field), Antarctica, in 2021. The LC-130 is equipped with retractable skis and JATO rockets that allow the aircraft to take off and land on snow and ice as well as on conventional runways. The U.S. Air Force has provided intercontinental airlift support to the National Science Foundation research stations in Antarctica since the 1950’s. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dominic Tyler)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res


The aircraft and Airmen departing at the end of the month are the first of six rotations of 75 to 100 Airmen and three aircraft scheduled throughout the summer support season. The season is to end in August.
The Airmen fly from **Stratton Air National Guard Base** in Scotia, near Schenectady, to Kangerlussuaq International Airport in Greenland, which serves as their operating base.
This year, the main focus is training Airmen from the 109th AW and supporting ongoing construction at **Summit Station**, which is operated by the NSF.
Summit Station is the only high altitude, high latitude, inland, year‐round observing station in the Arctic. Summit Station is funded by the NSF and supports their research due to Greenland’s weather conditions. Located at the apex of the Greenland ice sheet, it is staffed in the winter by a team of five people.
In 2021, the wing spent an extra eight days in Greenland to retrieve a construction team from Summit Station.
In 2021, the 109th AW also deployed an aircraft and Airmen to Greenland to support a **Danish search and rescue training exercise** in addition to their regular science station resupply mission.
“The time frame this year is more aligned with what it normally would be,” said Maj. Jacob Papp, Greenland operations chief.
The 109th AW will also conduct arctic survival training at Raven Camp. All members of the 109th AW who deploy to Antarctica and Greenland must attend this training.
Some members from the 109th AW deployed to Greenland at the beginning of April to prepare for the season to come.
“This Greenland season has potential to be a good season for both parties with the National Science Foundation and the 109th as far as getting people spun up,” Papp said. “The key this year is to get ready for the **Operation Deep Freeze** season and align for a successful season in Antarctica.”FS 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



Stratton ANG Base 



NYANG 



109th AW 



National Science Foundation 



LC-130 Hercules 



Skibird 



Greenland 



mission 



training 



Aircraft 



Summit Station 



Operation Deep Freeze Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil