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CRW air mobility liaison officer earns Army jump wings

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres
  • 621st Contingency Response Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  An Air Mobility Liaison Officer assigned to the 621st Contingency Operations Support Group here graduated from the Basic Airborne Course at the U.S. Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga., Dec. 3.

Capt. Dawn Hildebrand, currently attached to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC, is now the second jump-qualified Air Force AMLO in the 82nd. She and her fellow liaison officers are U.S. Air Force pilots and navigators who are specially trained in airlift operations and advise Army and Marine Corps units in deployed situations.

A group of the 621st Contingency Response Wing, the 621st COSG has 25 AMLOs assigned around the world. Seven are assigned to units at Fort Bragg. They support four combat brigades, one aviation brigade, and one theater sustainment command, all comprising more than 16,000 soldiers.

"It is important for liaison officers like Captain Hildebrand to be jump qualified because the 82nd has a world-wide rapid response mission which may involve an airborne insertion," explains Capt. Nick Conklin, the only other jump-qualified AMLO at Fort Bragg. "Should this be the case, she may be the only Air Mobility Command representative able to support the mission until follow-on air-land missions can occur."

Captain Hildebrand became an AMLO in March 2009, formerly serving as a KC-135 Stratotanker pilot at RAF Mildenhall, England. Her knowledge of airfield operations and mobility procedures will be used to guide paratroopers of the "All-American" division as they request and use Air Force mobility assets around the world. With so many Soldiers to support, it's a busy job, said Captain Conklin.

"We maintain a high state of readiness and are on a constant two hour recall to support any real-world emergencies," he added. "Besides being prepared for contingency response, we support scheduled deployments of the 82nd Airborne, joint forcible entry exercise planning, and Joint Readiness Training Center preparation and execution, all while maintaining a worldwide currency in drop zone and landing zone operations."

The training required to qualify for jump school began months earlier as the two captains ran for miles in preparation for the physical training she would soon face at Fort Benning.
"I received an immense amount of support for the physical portion of the school ahead of time from Captain Conklin," said Captain Hildebrand. "It was incredibly hard at times, but it ended up being possible thanks to his help."

The difficult three-week school is a microcosm of the life paratroopers may encounter, with plenty of running and a large amount of waiting, all culminating in a series of jumps from C-130 aircraft. When asked what the scariest portion of the course was, however, it wasn't leaping from a perfectly functional airplane - it was the fear of not being able to do so.
"The most difficult part for me that endured through the entire course was my fear of injury," said Captain Hildebrand. "There are several elements of this training that could get me hurt, and my biggest concern was that any injury could cause my removal from the course."

Her fears did not stop her. Mark and Denise Hildebrand, Captain Hildebrand's parents, pinned a pair of silver jump wings to her uniform during the graduation ceremony.
"Obviously I'm just totally impressed with her accomplishments, but what I'm most proud of is her dedication to serving her country," said her father. "This is a very difficult school and it shows the level of commitment she has and her willingness to face some serious risks for the benefit of others."

Col. Patrick Owens, commander of the 621st COSG, agrees.

"Airborne school is a physically and mentally demanding course, and only a select few AMLOs are required to be jump-qualified in order to fulfill their assigned duties," said Colonel Owens. "I am proud that a senior Air Force captain, fully qualified as a KC-135 pilot, took on the challenge and successfully completed the training."