2006 WVNG Annual Report PDF - West Virginia Army National Guard

West Virginia National Guard Annual Report 2006February was a bittersweet month for the 167th AW as unit members bid farewell tothe last three C-130 Hercules aircraft, which were headed to their new home in Charleston. Aceremony was held at the167th AW with West Virginia'stwo senators, Robert C. Byrdand Jay Rockefeller along withMaj. Gen. Allen Tackett boardinga 167th AW aircraft for itsfinal flight to Charleston.When the last three C130sarrived in Charleston, ColonelVollmecke presented hiscounterpart, 130th Airlift WingCommander Tim Frye, with aceremonial key to the aircraft.The presentation signified atransition essentially madepossible by the unified effortsof the state's congressional delegation and West National Guard Adjutant General AllenTackett to stave off the Pentagon's recommended removal of C-130s already based inCharleston. For more than 33 years 167 th AW planes have flown humanitarian support forevery hurricane relief effort while participating in many military operations all over the world.In April, the Wing began the full-time hiringprocess for the C-5 conversion by bringing on 13maintenance personnel who would be among the firstmaintainers to be trained on the new aircraft. In May,these new hires, along with those already in place,formed a team of over 50 unit members who went toDover and Travis Air Force Bases to attend traininggiven by Field Training Detachments (FTD) at thoseunits. Also at this time, the Wing received a planningdocument and authority to use this document for hiringpurposes.The WV CERF-P team, which is composed of167th AW members and other Guard members fromaround the state, represented the West Virginia Guardin Operation Vital Guardian in Washington, D.C. in ademonstration of the nation's best emergency responseteams. CERF-P, or Chemical, Biological,Radiological, Nuclear or High Yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package wasestablished to assist local first responders in the event of terrorist incidents, weapons of massdestruction attacks, or natural disasters.20