Newburgh-based Air National Guard Airmen participate in Canadian Arctic Exercise

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A C-17 assigned to the New York Air National Guard's 105th Airlift Wing, based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh ( rear) at Resolute Bay asa Canadian C-177 leaves on April 2.

STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, NEWBURGH, NY (04/22/2016)(readMedia)-- Six Airmen from the New York Air National Guard's 105th Airlift Wing took part in the Canadian Forces annual High Arctic exercise, Operation Nunalivut, which wrapped up on Friday, April 22.

A C-17 Globemaster III transported equipment used to support the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing in setting up a "skiway" to Resolute Bay in Canada's Nunavut Territory on April 2.

The 109th Airlift Wing flies the LC-130 aircraft which is capable of landing on snow or ice on skies. As part of the support to the Canadians the 109th helped prepare a "skiway" on Little Cornwallis Island. Two LC-130s took part in the exercise.

The 105th Airlift Wing C-17 took four hours to fly from Stratton Air National Guard Base outside Schenectady to Resolute Bay. During the 90 minutes it took to offload the jet's cargo the crew kept the engines running so they would not freeze in the -20 degree Fahrenheit temperatures.

"It was a great opportunity for us to work with the 109th," said Capt. Timothy Bauer, the aircraft commander. "In addition our crew was able to gain experience in landing on semi prepared runway operations this far north."

Landing on packed snow and gravel requires more care than landing on a prepared runway, Bauer said. Members of the 105th Maintenance Squadron had to take special precautions to protect the plane from dirt and debris kicked up while landing.

"Operating in the high north takes a specific skill set, one that the Department of Defense needs and one that the 105th continues to develop," said Brig. Gen. Timothy LaBarge, the commander of the 105th Airlift Wing.

"This ability to operate in the high north, in places like Resolute Bay with its extreme meteorological and navigational challenges, delivers both a strategic and tactical airlift capability to Department of Defense users and as a byproduct, increases the relevancy of the 105th. We are happy for the opportunity to participate in Operation Nunalivut again this year and to continue to develop our polar airlift capabilities," LaBarge said.

Operation Nunalivut is a sovereignty operation conducted annually since 2007 in Canada's North. According to the Canadian Forces Joint Task Force-North, the exercise provides an opportunity for the Canadian Armed Forces to assert Canada's sovereignty over the northernmost regions; demonstrate the ability to operate in the harsh winter environment in remote areas of the High Arctic; and enhance its capability to respond to any situation in Canada's North.

Nunalivut means "land that is ours "in the Inuktitut language of the eastern Inuit people who live in the region.