Three Air National Guard units make history delivering history
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --
Years of coordination and planning efforts paid off June 23. A 40-foot piece of the USS Oklahoma mast arrived in Muskogee after a trek across the Pacific Ocean and the continental United States. At the helm of the endeavor were three Air National Guard groups.
The 12.5-ton artifact was moved as part of an opportune airlift. Coordinated by Air National Guard units from Oklahoma, Hawaii and Mississippi, a fully-loaded C-17 Globemaster III delivered cargo to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and left the island with the mast.
"The mast is a historic artifact that will contribute greatly to the heritage that is already in the patriotic state of Oklahoma," said Lt. Col. Andrew Sroczynski, of the Oklahoma Air National Guard's 137th Air Refueling Wing.
But, the transportation of it wasn't easy.
After the coordination had been resolved, 137th ARW representatives arrived in Hawaii expecting to find the mast packaged and crated. It wasn't. They spoke with Hawaii Air National Guard's 154th Wing Commander, Brig. Gen. Joseph Kim, who assured 137th ARW representatives they'd have the utmost support from his wing, said Col. Joseph Wilson, Air National Guard advisor to the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center commander, who participated in the mission.
Within an hour-and-a-half of talking to the general, the mast was loaded onto a tractor trailer and moved from Ford Island, in Pearl Harbor, to Hickam AFB. Colonel Wilson said it took six hours to package and crate the mast and an additional four hours to palletize and load it into the C-17.
"The mast weighs approximately 22,000 pounds and it's by far the heaviest piece of equipment that we've transported before," said Master Sgt. Daryl Oshiro from the 154th Wing. "It's amazing that the mast was underwater for more than 50 years and now, it's here and ready to go to Oklahoma."
Flown by the Mississippi Air National Guard's 172nd Airlift Wing, the aircraft carried the mast to Tinker, where it was unloaded onto a 137th ARW flatbed truck from and driven to Muskogee.
At Muskogee War Memorial Park, the mast was lifted by a giant crane and placed on a makeshift foundation. The mast, which reached its final destination in one piece, will be restored and displayed.
"It's kind of surreal, because you look at this piece of equipment and you have to stop and think that it was part of a ship that had our state's name and was involved in such a huge part of American history," said Command Chief Master Sgt. John Waller, who assigned to the 137th ARW participated in the event. "It makes me feel good that I've been a part of a team effort between the Navy and the Air National Guard in being able to bring the mast home to Oklahoma."
The 12.5-ton artifact was moved as part of an opportune airlift. Coordinated by Air National Guard units from Oklahoma, Hawaii and Mississippi, a fully-loaded C-17 Globemaster III delivered cargo to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and left the island with the mast.
"The mast is a historic artifact that will contribute greatly to the heritage that is already in the patriotic state of Oklahoma," said Lt. Col. Andrew Sroczynski, of the Oklahoma Air National Guard's 137th Air Refueling Wing.
But, the transportation of it wasn't easy.
After the coordination had been resolved, 137th ARW representatives arrived in Hawaii expecting to find the mast packaged and crated. It wasn't. They spoke with Hawaii Air National Guard's 154th Wing Commander, Brig. Gen. Joseph Kim, who assured 137th ARW representatives they'd have the utmost support from his wing, said Col. Joseph Wilson, Air National Guard advisor to the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center commander, who participated in the mission.
Within an hour-and-a-half of talking to the general, the mast was loaded onto a tractor trailer and moved from Ford Island, in Pearl Harbor, to Hickam AFB. Colonel Wilson said it took six hours to package and crate the mast and an additional four hours to palletize and load it into the C-17.
"The mast weighs approximately 22,000 pounds and it's by far the heaviest piece of equipment that we've transported before," said Master Sgt. Daryl Oshiro from the 154th Wing. "It's amazing that the mast was underwater for more than 50 years and now, it's here and ready to go to Oklahoma."
Flown by the Mississippi Air National Guard's 172nd Airlift Wing, the aircraft carried the mast to Tinker, where it was unloaded onto a 137th ARW flatbed truck from and driven to Muskogee.
At Muskogee War Memorial Park, the mast was lifted by a giant crane and placed on a makeshift foundation. The mast, which reached its final destination in one piece, will be restored and displayed.
"It's kind of surreal, because you look at this piece of equipment and you have to stop and think that it was part of a ship that had our state's name and was involved in such a huge part of American history," said Command Chief Master Sgt. John Waller, who assigned to the 137th ARW participated in the event. "It makes me feel good that I've been a part of a team effort between the Navy and the Air National Guard in being able to bring the mast home to Oklahoma."
