109th Security Forces Defenders spent April drill honing their combatant skills and training for any situations they may encounter. #109AW #SecurityForces #AlwaysReady #ANG

"When you see that plane take off it's the biggest reward" 109th Maintainers have a challenging duty to keep our planes flying around the globe. We are proud of these Airmen and the their unique set of skills. #109AW #PoleToPole #ANG #C130

Who doesn't love #NationalPuppyDay ! Meet Adrenaline AKA Dren a 5 month old Belgian Malinois and his handler TSgt Robert Harrington, of the 109th Communications Flight. Dren is being trained for Shutzhund, a German word meaning "protection dog". It is a sport based around a breed suitability test. TSgt Harrington says "He never has a bad day; always wants to give a 110 percent." Thanks Dren for coming to visit and brighten our day. Let's see your puppy pics!!

The 109th welcomed students from across Northeastern New York today for the Capital Region BOCES Skills USA Competition. Sixty students from different programs put their skills to the test as they were judged on subject matter knowledge and quality of work. BOCES is a leadership program with an emphasis on career and technical education. #109AW #BOCES #SkillsUSA

Honorable Shon J. Manasco took a tour of our base today to see our daily operations of our ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules. Escorting him around our LC-130 is Maintenance Commander Col. Robert Donaldson. Mr. Manasco is the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to the great people of Christchurch, NZ. Christchurch is our our last stop on the way to Antarctica and home away from home for our deployed members. We have confirmed that all of our Operation Deep Freeze members are accounted for and safe. #109AW #christchurch

In observance of International Women's Day, we are featuring some of the amazing women who are part of the 109th! #109AW #InternationalWomensDay

For the month of March DoD is celebrating the women who have broken barriers and have empowered other woman to follow their dreams. We are proud to have many great women, past and present, contribute to the success of our unit. #womenshistorymonth #109aw #poletopole

Another Antarctic season on the books! Our C-130's are making their long trip home after a stop in Christchurch, NZ. Thanks to MSgt Michael Hill for capturing this amazing shot. #safetravels #109AW #poletopole

Staff Sgt. Frederick Freeman works fulltime in the 109th Finance Office here and is a guardsman with the 109th Communications Flight. After migrating here with his family from Ghana in 2004, he learned a lot about the military lifestyle while attending Christian Brothers Academy in Albany and knew that joining the military would be the one thing he could do to give back to the community that helped him and his family out. Sergeant Freeman is also a fulltime University of Albany student majoring in Cyber Security and minoring in Business. He’s also working on getting his pilot’s license and even owns a gaming business with another Airman assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing. When discussing #BlackHistoryMonth, Sergeant Freeman said he has seen a huge shift of the diversity within the military and is proud to be a member of the Air Force culture.

Trivia question... What year was Presidents Day declared a federal holiday?

To kick off Presidents Day weekend celebration, learn some fun facts about the White House and it's history! #presidentsday #whitehouse

The 109th Snow Team clears the way! With an average annual snowfall of 64 inches, a snow team is in integral part of the mission during the winter. It's a job that is easily overlooked- they are usually done with the main plowing before everyone even gets to work. The team, mostly comprised of state workers and led by "Snow Boss" Tom Chico, is at work as early as 3 am during a winter storm to clear the parking lots, roads, airfield and taxiways so the mission can seemlessly continue each day. Many thanks for the long hours and early mornings put in by the team and congratulations to Tom Chico, after more than 30 years of service he will be parking the plow one last time and retiring soon! #109AW #Snowteam

#109AW #PoleToPole #PenguinLove

In the midst of February's Black History Month, the 109th is celebrating the social and cultural diversity that our Airmen bring to our unique mission. Each year, ASALH, the Association of the Study of African American Life and History announces a theme. This year's theme is Black Migrations. for more information click on the link below. https://asalh.org/asalhs-2019-theme-black-migrations/

Integrity First is a core value of the Air Force and something that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. embodied. Today we celebrate his life and achievements. #MLKDay2019 #IntegrityFirst #109AW

Not your average runway... Flying the only ski-equipped LC-130s in the world means landing on strips of snow and ice is considered a normal part of the job! Many thanks to some of the best pilots, aircrew and maintainers for keeping these planes safe and smooth landings all over the world! #PoleToPole #SandToSnow #SkiBirds #109AW

Taking off on new adventures daily! The 109th Airlift Wing has a unique task of supporting missions at some of the most remote parts of the planet! Contact the 109th Airlift Wing Recruiting Office at 518-344-2456 to find out what adventures are waiting for you! #109AW #SkiBirds #PoleToPole

Congratulations to the 109th Airlift Wing Outstanding Airmen of the Year! The Outstanding Airmen of the Year exceed all expectations and prove themselves as professional, steadfast leaders. Airman- SrA Way Lin, Medical Group NCO- SSgt James Cappadora, Maintenance Group SNCO- MSgt Justin Kruzinski, Operations Group 1st Sgt- SMSgt Amie Moore, Mission Support Group Company Grade Officer- Lt Peter Gioia, Mission Support Group Base Honor Guard- SrA Rebekah Hentnik, Mission Support Group #109aw #Leaders #Airmen