C-37A arrives at Hickam AFB

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Erin Smith
  • 15th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
HICKAM AFB, Hawaii --  The Navy moved their Executive Transport Detachment here from Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station, Saturday.

The Navy C-37A business jet, replaces the DV-modified P-3 aircraft the unit used to fly and was greeted here by a formation of Air Force and Navy service members, helping show the integration of the Air Force and Navy personnel in the squadron.

"The 15th Airlift Wing Commander, Col. [J.J.] Torres and Col. [Jeffery] Stephenson, his deputy arranged this welcome for us and set up to show that we [have] joint [support]," said Navy Lt. Cdr. Brian Rosgen, officer in charge of the Executive Transport Detachment, Pacific. "It is really nice to see that we're all working together and it's been great. They've been a lot of help."

The detachment will share office and hangar space with the 65th Airlift Squadron, which also operates a C-37 A. The Navy aircraft will also be maintained by the same Gulfstream contractors who maintain the 65th AS aircraft. This integration makes this the first unit at Hickam not only to share office space, but a similar mission and aircraft with the Navy helping lay the foundation for the future integration of Hickam and Pearl Harbor NAS.

"You'd be hard-pressed to find a unit on Hickam or Pearl Harbor more suited for this type of cross-service integration," said Lt. Col. Robert Howe, 65th Airlift Squadron commander. "We share very similar customers, same aircraft types - and most importantly, the same no-fail mission focus. When you get right down to it, we have far more similarities than differences."

The Navy unit, called the Executive Transport Detachment, Pacific, will consist of 24 pilots and enlisted aircrew members. They will share office space with the Air Force's pilots and aircrew members from the 65th AS, which employs more than 50 pilots, flight engineers, communication system operators, flight attendants, and administrative personnel.

The squadron routinely flies more than 200 Distinguished Visitor missions each year to locations around the world and has hosted such dignitaries such as former President George H. W. Bush. The addition of the Navy greatly enhances the mission.

"It doesn't really change the mission, it just expands it," said Col. Jeffery Stephenson, 15th Airlift Wing vice commander. "It truly adds to the total force and makes a joint team. So, for the first time that I am aware of in our military Air Force history, we're going to have a Navy unit embedded with our active-duty Air Force unit here at Hickam AFB."