Swapping out cargo for deployment

By 127th Wing Public Affairs Airmen from the 127th Wing reload cargo placed in individual shipping units (ISUs) from a C-130 to a KC-135 to ship to Estonia on June 8, 2012, at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich. The cargo equipment is headed to Saber Strike 12, a US Army European command-led theater security cooperation exercise conducted in the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). The plane swap led to repacking the cargo into ISUs of a smaller size. (USAF photo by John S. Swanson) Hi-res

6/8/2012 - Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich. -- Airmen from many 127th Wing squadrons reloaded cargo placed in individual shipping units (ISUs) from a C-130 Hercules to a KC-135 Stratotanker to ship to Estonia on June 8, 2012. The cargo equipment is headed to Saber Strike 12, a US Army European command-led theater security cooperation exercise being conducted in the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania).

The cargo was originally to deploy aboard a C-130, but when the cargo plane from out of town had maintenance issues that could not be solved immediately at Selfridge, the 127th Air Refueling Group was able to short-notice prepare a KC-135 and flight crew to get the cargo to the exercise. The plane swap led to repacking the cargo into ISUs of a smaller size.

The 127th Wing has approximately 150 personnel and both KC-135s and A-10s already in place for the two-week exercise.

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