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C-17 crews support president's Africa visit

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Kathy Ferrero
  • Joint Task Force Public Affairs
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania --  Nothing could be seen but blackness from the cockpit.

One pilot studied neon markings on a transparent screen in front of his face to calculate their position. He pushed a button and spoke into his headset. A voice responded using the same code of numbers and zeroes. The C-17 III Globemaster was approaching Entebbe, Uganda.

"Yes!" The pilot raised his fists in the air. Not long after flying over Entebbe, the C-17 would reach Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, to support President George W. Bush's trip there.
"I love being able to see an event with worldwide impact like this and knowing that I had a part in it, no matter how small that part may be," said the pilot, 1st Lt. Matt Seiders, from 6th Airlift Squadron at McGuire AFB, N.J.

Yet the part that Lieutenant Seiders and the rest of his crew played was critical to the president's visit. Over a period of eight days prior to the president's arrival in Tanzania, more than 20 C-17 flights have provided nearly all the necessary personnel and cargo, said contingency response team chief Tech. Sgt. Justin Niederhofer, who is deployed here from the 86th Air Mobility Squadron at Ramstein AB, Germany.

"Considering our tactical capabilities, the amount of cargo we can carry and our range, C-17s are the greatest jets ever," said 6th AS pilot 1st Lt. Scott Konzem during the mission to Tanzania. "On top of all of that, it's fun to fly. It's not just another big slow lumbering airplane. It can be a rocket ship and a roller coaster."

Although the six-person 6th AS crew had never been to Tanzania and was excited to fly in support of the president, this leg of their flight was more than six hours, which meant boring lulls. The boredom was countered with humor.

"You always say my name wrong," Lieutenant Seiders (pronounced like "ciders," not "seeders") joked with Lieutenant Konzem through the headset. "That's okay, people always call me Sanford," instructor loadmaster Tech. Sgt. Ronnie Sandifer added from downstairs in the cargo bay. "You know, like Sanford and Son?" He started humming the theme song from the 1970's TV show.

Minutes later, Lieutenant Siedler resumed his exchange of universal code with air traffic control as he prepared the C-17 and passengers for their approach to Tanzania's capital city airport.

After the C-17 landed, the loadmasters lowered the aft cargo door and unhooked chains from the bottoms of two fuel trucks inside to offload them. It's about 3:30 a.m. Soon they would show their passports to customs, sit through a safety briefing, carry their bags to a hotel, eat, sleep, wake up and fly out.

After days of checklists, heavy lifting and skewed sleep patterns, their first experience in Tanzania was a blur. But it was worth it to 6th AS loadmaster Senior Airman Brian Kienholz. Although weary after flying back and forth from Ramstein AB to Ghana and now Tanzania, he said their missions would help his country strengthen important friendships. "In today's society, I think foreign relations is pivotal in (our) becoming a better-cultured nation," Airman Kienholz said. "For me to be a part of that is amazing."