C-130J certified to haul army's newest vehicle.

Some of the U.S. military's newest technology never made it to the battlefield in Iraq as the Army and Air Force are in the process of qualifying two of their newest war machines for combat.

In April, the Army's new Stryker Interim Armored Vehicle met the Air Force's newest airlifter, the C-130J, in the Mojave Desert for initial flight certification.

An Air Force Reserve Command crew from the 815th Airlift Squadron "Flying Jennies," Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., flew to Southern California March 30 to help certify the Stryker Brigade Combat Team from Fort Lewis, Wash. Strykers used in the certification process belonged to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Red Cloud, Korea, the first Army unit to receive the vehicle.

Airmen and soldiers had a lot to discuss, as both units are in a transition period, and say they are ready to put their equipment to the test.

"As we move through the process, we are making a lot of suggestions and working out the bugs in the system," said Sgt. Mike Tulp, a Stryker vehicle commander.

"Like these guys (Stryker crews), we are champing at the bit to do things with our airplane," said Capt. Dan Windbam, a pilot with the 815th. "We like this kind of mission because we can really show off the J-model in action. The J-model is much more capable than the older 'Hercs.'"

During the mission, the Jennies loaded Strykers at Southern California Logistics Airport near Victorville and delivered them to Bicycle Lake Landing Zone, a dirt strip at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif. The landing zone is nothing more than a dry lakebed graded to provide demarcated aircraft landing, takeoff and parking areas.

"This is a great platform for delivering the Stryker," said Maj. Mike Hardman, 815th aircraft commander during the certification. "The C-130J can land on a much shorter airstrip than other airlift platforms and needs much less space for takeoff."

Other transport aircraft, such as the C-17 and C-5, are efficient for moving the Strykers longer distances, but the Hercules is the bird Army crews ask for when landing in a hot landing zone.

"Wow! What a ride," said Tulp, after his Stryker was delivered to Bicycle Lake. "These new Js can really move."

Tulp, who has worked with airborne units for more than six years at various bases, said the new J-model is an attractive delivery system for the Stryker.

Improvements in the J-model's propulsion system speed up the flight time and extend the distance the vehicles can be carried to expedient landing areas.

Loading the Stryker onto any Herc takes an experienced crew. Loadmasters from the 815th AS and 41st Aerial Port Squadron ensured the process went smoothly.

Once in place, the loadmasters had to chain the heavily armored vehicles securely to the floor. Depending on configuration and number of vehicle crewmembers, the total load can approach 40,000 pounds or more. Loadmasters used 22 heavy-duty chains to secure the cargo.

In an exercise last year at the training center, the Army and Air Force demonstrated the ability of a C-130 to carry a Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle, one of 10 Stryker variants. The exercise in April marked the first time eight of the variants were transported in a tactical operation aboard a C-130, officials said. In addition, this was the first time that the Strykers had been transported on a C-130 with a full combat load and crew complement.

(Staff Sgt. James B. Pritchett, 403rd WG Office of Public Affairs, Keesler AFB, Miss.)