167th Airlift Wing Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

New Guard Air Chief Flying Into Role

At the end of July, newly promoted Brig. Gen. David Cochran assumed command of the West Virginia Air National Guard. He is the Assistant Adjutant General – Air and he is the second African American to hold that position in the state’s history.

Cochran is a graduate of the U.S Air Force Academy and went on to become a pilot. Originally from Virginia, he joined the West Virginia Air National Guard in 1998.

Cochran served the 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg in numerous leadership capacities before taking over as the Assistant Adjutant General – Air for the entire state.

He spoke with Eric Douglas about his new position.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Douglas: Let’s talk about who you are, where you came from.

Brig. Gen. David Cochran, Assistant Adjutant General – Air for the West Virginia National Guard.

Cochran: I’m Brigadier General, recently promoted, David Cochran. I kind of consider myself a West Virginian because I’ve been working with the West Virginia National Guard for so long but I’m actually a Virginian. I grew up in central Virginia, Cumberland County, Virginia. Post high school, I joined the Air Force, went through the Air Force Academy, actually. And once I got my commission with the Air Force, I was lucky enough that they sent me to pilot training. I did about 10 years of active duty in the Air Force, and then I became a member of the West Virginia Air National Guard.

Douglas: You’ve flown 7,000-plus hours in cargo planes and heavy lift aircraft.

Cochran: Exactly. So my whole Air Force career has been in mobility type airplanes. So cargo aircraft. And I’ve been fortunate, mostly through the guard experience, that I’ve had a chance to fly a few different airplanes, which has been very exciting.

Douglas: Tell me about that. Tell me about some of those different planes you fly.

Cochran: When I started my active duty career, I finished pilot training and went to Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas, home of the C-130. So I cut my teeth on the C-130, which is a tactical cargo transport platform. And of course, we were very busy through the ‘90s just as we are now. So throughout my career, we’ve been very busy with the business of airlift.

Once I got done with the C-130s and Little Rock, I went on to Andrews Air Force Base as an active duty pilot, and I flew a C-21, which most folks would recognize as a Learjet. So I did that and then post that tour, I converted to the guard, where we were flying C-130s, again, right here in West Virginia. And then of course at Martinsburg, where I joined the guard in West Virginia, we flew the C-130, went on to the gigantic C-5 aircraft and currently they’re flying the C-17 at Martinsburg.

Douglas: Let’s talk about your civilian career. As I understand it, you’re planning to continue with your civilian career as well.

Cochran: So the guard is made up, as you know, of citizen airmen and soldiers. The nation’s reserve component, the National Guard here in West Virginia, is no different. So the majority of our airmen, and our soldiers are citizen airmen and soldiers, which means they have some other career that they’re probably pursuing. And they’re doing their National Guard duty and service as a second activity. I’m no different. I am a drill status guardsman. My full-time job is with United Airlines. My part-time military duty is as the Assistant Adjutant General for Air here in West Virginia. So I have both and I pride myself on that, too, because I think all citizen airmen, especially in our West Virginia National Guard, need to have a visible reminder that they can achieve and do what they want to do and still make it to the highest level within the organization.

Douglas: You have flown into combat situations. Let’s talk about that just a little bit. Where have you been that people were less than happy to see you arriving?

Cochran: Well, my career started with the first Gulf War. I was in training at the time, so I missed it, but post-Gulf War we were right over there, and the supporting roles of all the stuff that went on there. And it really has continued. So I can go through the European conflict with Bosnia. Obviously, we went back into Iraq, into Afghanistan. So the West Virginia National Guard has been a part of all that. And so have I.

But some of the most rewarding things that we also get to do in the mobility side of the Air National Guard is the humanitarian missions. The earthquake in my young career. We were helping with Somalia and food relief. Of course, it’s a different environment now. But whether it be food relief efforts, disaster assistance, whether it be flooding from hurricanes, earthquakes, that type of response, that human humanitarian mission is a rewarding part of what we support in addition to the state mission that we have here. Because you know, West Virginia is always in need, during a rainy season, of guardsmen to come and support. So those are some of the more rewarding missions when you actually get to help your local community and participate and maybe a government or a state response effort for some type of humanitarian relief or effort.

Douglas: In the last several years, the guard has been extremely active in West Virginia. Do you see that kind of thing continuing?

Cochran: That’s going to be enduring. That’s my role right now to make sure that we have citizen airmen and soldiers that are ready, capable and trained to support our stated mission and our national mission.

That’s always going to be a part of what we do and a perfect example is the state pandemic response effort, and that’s ongoing to today. So that’s always going to be, there’s always going to be some contingency or emergent crisis that’s going to require our guardsmen to do what we’ve trained to do.

Douglas: One of the things that was mentioned in the press release about your new role is that you’re the second African American to assume this position. First off, is that something that enters your mind, and I guess the second question would be, are you looking forward to a day when we don’t feel it’s necessary to mention that?

Cochran: I do. I do look forward to that day. And I normally don’t think about it unless it’s something that is brought to my attention. Diversity is important and inclusion important. And it’s one of the top priorities for the West Virginia National Guard, as well. And it’s a priority for me to make sure that we represent our population. There’s talent at every level, and through every culture. So my goal is to make sure that we are diverse, we are inclusive, and we are inspiring to everybody, because we want to have the best and the brightest of our youth today come and join us in the West Virginia National Guard.

Douglas: Tell me something that nobody else knows about you.

Cochran: No one knows this because it just recently happened. But they don’t know that I can actually cane a rocking chair.

Douglas: That’s a unique skill.

Cochran: I’m not sure how skilled I am at it. Time will tell how it lasts.

Douglas: So in all your spare time between flying for United and flying for the guard, now assuming command here, you’ve taken up caning rocking chairs?

Cochran: I took up caning a single chair, and I will probably not do anymore. But I say that to say I like working with my hands. If I can get into the garage, if I can pull out a tool, if I can do something that that gives me the satisfaction of a little mission completion, which sometimes you need that too because a lot of times when you’re doing things at a strategic level, it may take years to get something to fruition.

I do tend to pick up little projects. I still cut the grass. I don’t even make my son cut the grass. I get out and cut the grass because I like to do the little things to stay involved with using my hands and doing some things around the house and little projects working on cars. And not a lot of people know that.

World War II-Era Explosive Brought to Martinsburg Air Base, Prompts Evacuation

Residents and businesses in the southern part of Martinsburg were encouraged to evacuate Monday afternoon, after a resident brought an explosive device to the 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg.

A World War II-era bazooka training round was brought to the air base, not for any sinister reason, but to get rid of it.

Berkeley County Sheriff Curtis Keller said a local resident was cleaning his mother’s basement when they discovered the explosive.

“They moved into this house about 30 or 40 years ago,” Keller said. “And this stuff was already in there, so whoever owned the house prior to them had evidently collected this stuff and had it down in the basement.”

Keller said no arrests were made.

In a press release, air base officials said a voluntary evacuation was put into effect for residents living nearby. An explosive disposal unit from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland was called in to assess the situation.

Nearby roads were also closed as a precaution.

“The safety of our 167th Airlift Wing members and the members of the community is paramount. We appreciate the support of the local law enforcement and cooperation from the residents and businesses impacted by this event,” Col. David Cochran, commander of the 167th Airlift Wing, said in the release.

The evacuation was lifted around 7:45 P.M. Monday night.

W.Va. National Guard Names First African-American General

For the first time, an African-American now holds the title of general in the West Virginia National Guard. The Guard hosted a ceremony to mark the milestone on Saturday.

Col. Christopher S. Walker, Chief of Staff for the West Virginia Air National Guard, was recently promoted to the rank of brigadier general.

Walker is the first African-American service member to be promoted to this rank in the West Virginia National Guard.

Maj. Gen. James Hoyer led the ceremony saying Walker was selected because of his experience and his leadership abilities.

Walker began his military career after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy in 1988. After nine years as a C-130 navigator, he left active duty and joined the West Virginia Air National Guard at the 167th Airlift Wing. There, he served almost a decade as a navigator as well as other titles including commander of the 167th Operations Support Squadron.

Walker has held several other positions and operations on bases in Maryland, Connecticut, and Virginia – as well as overseas in Qatar and Iraq.

Walker assumed the role of Chief of Staff for the West Virginia Air National Guard in Dec. 2016.

West Virginia Guard Unit Flying to Puerto Rico

The West Virginia Air National Guard’s 130th Airlift Wing has sent a transport plane and crew from Charleston to support relief efforts in storm-damaged Puerto Rico.

According to the Air National Guard, the C-130 Hercules plane is transporting equipment from New York to Georgia before departing for the Caribbean island on Thursday.

Col. Randy Huffman, vice wing commander of the 130th Airlift Wing, says they’re helping in the efforts for American citizens in desperate need.

Additionally, the 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg is also transporting supplies and has airmen in Puerto Rico and Georgia helping with airfield operations.

The U.S. territory’s governor said Tuesday the official death toll from Hurricane Maria increased to 34.

Gov. Ricardo Rossello also said he believes the hurricane that struck on Sept. 20 with winds over 150 mph caused $90 billion in damage across the island.

New C-17 Training Facility to Open at 167th Airlift Wing

The 167^th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg celebrates the official opening of its C-17 Training System Facility Thursday, September 24, 2015.

At this new training facility, C-17 pilots, loadmasters, and maintenance engine run technicians from the 167^th Airlift Wing will receive a combination of classroom instruction and simulator training.

This will prepare them to undertake air mobility missions on C-17s.

The Martinsburg Air National Guard will be joined by representatives from L-3 Link Simulation & Training to celebrate the opening of the new facility.

L-3 Link Simulation & Training, which began in 1929, is a leading systems integrator that supplies advanced simulation systems, training services, and aircraft contractor logistics support for both U.S. and international military services.

The 167^th Airlift Wing received its first C-17s this time last year, after working with C-5 aircrafts since 2006.

167th Airlift Wing to Get Eight C-17 Aircrafts

Thursday, September 25th marks the end of an era for the 167^th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg. The National Guard unit is getting the first of eight C-17 aircrafts, which will eventually replace the 11 C-5s that have been on the base since 2006. This transition comes at a price. About 160 fulltime positions are going away, but the West Virginia National Guard is trying to help the people affected find other jobs.

Senior Master Sergeant, Lee Deyerly spends his days as a flight engineer on the C-5 aircrafts, but soon he’ll be climbing into a new plane.

“The C-5’s like a 1968 model aircraft, and the C-17s are much newer than that, so with that it’d be the equivalent of driving an older car or an older RV and getting into a newer RV,” noted Deyerly.

And this new model doesn’t need as many workers. Deyerly’s position will go away after the switch to C-17s.

“I was bummed at first,” Deyerly said, “It takes two years of your life to become a first engineer on the C-5, and that is a lot of time, a lot of effort, and a lot of time away from home learning a certain job.”

In some ways, Deyerly feels like he’s throwing away those two years of training.

The 167^th Airlift Wing first learned it was losing its C-5s in 2012. The Air Force had decided to retire many of the planes at bases across the country. This isn’t the first time the 167th has switched aircrafts. Prior to the C-5s, the base flew C-130s from 1972 until 2005. Sergeant Deyerly worked on the C-130s. He says it’s always bitter-sweet to see a plane go, but a recent experience helped him get excited about his new job as a loadmaster on the C-17s.

“I got to go to Stewart National Guard Base in New York and actually got to fly on the airplane with a couple other NCOs from the base here, and it was kind of invigorating,” Deyerly remembered, “It brought back a little bit more pride in what we’re about ready to go do. It brought back that excitement of flying again.”

In October, he’ll head to Oklahoma for four months of re-training. Many of Deyerly’s colleagues who worked fulltime on the C-5s are also being re-trained. Others are re-locating to bases that still have C-5s, or moving to new jobs on or off the Martinsburg base, or simply retiring. But about 40 more people could be without fulltime jobs when the last C-5 leaves the base in March.

Colonel Shaun Perkowski is the commander of the 167^th Airlift Wing.

“We knew that the move to the C-17 would come with a difference in numbers,” Perkowski said, “we knew that the constriction of fulltime positions and part time positions would be a challenge for us.”

Base personnel seem unsure how many part time positions will be lost, but Colonel Perkowski hopes the West Virginia National Guard can help all the affected workers find other positions by the time the final C-5 leaves. He is glad the base is getting the newer C-17s.

“We’re very excited for the future,” noted Perkowski, “The C-17 is a vibrant, supported platform by the Air Force, funding and everything else, so we are excited from that standpoint.”

Senior Master Sergeant, Lee Deyerly and his crewmen will be taking one last flight in a C-5 today. They’ll be delivering it to an Air Force storage and maintenance facility commonly called “the boneyard” in Arizona, where it will be recycled.

“The entire section of engineers that are still here, we’re all going to get on it, and…on the C-5 and do our final flight together as a section,” Deyerly said, “So it’ll be a kind of a nice, a nice send off for the airplanes.”

Deyerly says that final flight will be reminiscent of his last flight on a C-130, but he’s happy to still have a fulltime job on the next aircraft. For about 40 of his colleagues, the future isn’t as clear.