1610th ALSG Restore Hope

[Teamski]

The 1610th Airlift Support Group provided support for C-5,C-141 and KC-10 aircraft transiting into and out of Mogadishu during Restore Hope. I deployed twice from Travis as part of this operation. In October 1992, my chock showed up and opened up Cairo West and immediately began running planes through. We were maintenance and those were 16 hour days of continual chaos. Our planes would come in, refuel, get maintenance, and head to Mogadishu. After quick-turning there, they returned to us to either fly back to the states or head to Ramstein to load-up again.

 

We C-5 guys were only at Cairo West for about a month or so when we were moved to Jeddah, Saudi-Arabia. Once there, we continued to be bombarded with C-5's. We once had 17 on the ground at the same time lined up on the taxi-way. At Jeddah, we joined the KC-10's already working out of there. With the Hajj coming up (Jeddah is where all of the pilgrims are flown in for Mecca) we were forced to move once again to Taif, the home of the Saudi 2nd Tactical Fighter Wing and their F-15's. It only took a fuel spill (caused by the Saudis themselves) to wear out our welcome there, and we were sent back to Cairo West once again. My memory of getting a stranded C-5 off the runway with 15 F-15's waiting to take off is seared into my memory. Cross-kneel tows are not by the book! But I digress......

 

The patch on the left is the one most commonly associated with our operations during Restore Hope. I never saw the patch worn, although it adorned our papyrus paper certificates we were given when leaving. The patch on the right was given to us by Colonel Bear, the TALCE commander (and 60th AW vice commander) upon leaving Taif. We were literally given tape to tape them on our pockets! It was a nice gesture on his part. So, when I hear about how rare patches are, this one would match anything out there!

 

I put the patch on my helmet bag and very carefully removed it when I traded the bag away for some patches while in the UK. Just thought I would share.

 

-Ski

[Patchcollector]

Very nice patches.I like seeing anything from Operation Restore Hope,but there really is'nt much out there.I have a small group from this Op that includes an Operation Restore Hope Bible I've been meaning to post.

[Teamski]

Very nice patches.I like seeing anything from Operation Restore Hope,but there really is'nt much out there.I have a small group from this Op that includes an Operation Restore Hope Bible I've been meaning to post.

 

 

Thanks! The difference here is that Restore Hope didn't have the patch shops available that populate Iraq, Afghanistan and Al Udied to flood the market with.

 

-Ski