Two Minnesota Air National Guard 133rd Contingency Response Flight (CRF) members flew to Resolute Bay, Canada, to participate in the Canadian-led exercise Guerrier Nordique 2023.
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Cody Hallas and Master Sgt. Brian Shuey were assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing’s Polar Camp Skiway Team (PCST). They traveled to a remote camp by ski equipped Twin Otters aircraft flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 440th Transport Squadron.
After settling into their camp, the PCST established a 6,000-foot ski landing area for the LC-130 Hercules to land. The ski landing area was created by using snow machines that smoothed out the snow. As a result, an estimated 59,000 pounds of cargo and 89 personnel were able to gain access to the remote camp.
“Seeing that first LC-130 land and take off on a ski landing area we built was epic,” said Shuey. “I was proud to be a part of the PCST.”
Training with the PCST has proven to be a valuable experience for Hallas and Shuey. For the last three decades, the 109th AW PCST has gained experience in operating in the extreme elements of the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
“It’s been awesome working with their team the last couple years,” said Hallas. " It's meant a great deal to the CRF learning from the PCST, their knowledge and experience operating in the Arctic has been invaluable to us in the early stages of building our Arctic capabilities.”