Operation UNIFIER Dedicated Service Flight

By Captain H

The first sustainment flight for Op UNIFIER Rotation 3 was due into Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport mid-April. Prior to the flight, the Movements Control Detachment (Mov Con) consisting of Joint Task Force-Ukraine (JTF-U) Movements Officer and Traffic Technician, prepared and processed the numerous customs documentation forms for all of the incoming and outgoing cargo.

One day prior to the scheduled arrival, Mov Con built the aircraft pallets to be sent back or retrograde to Canada. Once built and secured, the aircraft pallets were loaded onto a flatbed truck and staged at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre (IPSC), ready to be transported to the airport.

Unfortunately, due to maintenance issues, the flight was grounded enroute causing several days of delay. But once the plane was brought back to a serviceable state, Mov Con with their loaded aircraft pallets were ready and eager to receive the flight. When the plane landed, the Movements Officer took control of the passengers, escorting them through customs and then to their baggage while the Traffic Technician controlled the incoming and outgoing cargo. With just under three hours on the ground, the plane and flight crew were ready to depart Ukraine for their next stop and the incoming passengers and cargo were on their way to the IPSC.

The first dedicated service flight to JTF-U Rotation 3, despite the unforeseen delay, was very successful. The dedicated service flight brought in TAV personnel, required stores, spare parts, and moral mail to JTF-U troops.