Dropping Low

C-130J Super Hercules transports of the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein AB, Germany, joined Bulgarian C-27 Spartans for Operation Thracian Fall, a two-week parachute-drop exercise over Plovdiv, Bulgaria. “Our pilots are accomplishing day and night flying with simulated combat drops in unfamiliar mountainous terrain,” said Capt. Beau Tresemer, C-130J mission commander. Without Germany’s altitude restrictions, “we are allowed to fly as low as what our regulations say we can,” he added. In addition, “we are helping Bulgarians get their personnel airdrop qualifications,” highlighted Tresmer. USAF, Army, Navy, and Bulgarian personnel are participating in the semi-annual training event, which runs through Saturday. Thracian Spring took place in May in Plovdiv. “It gets easier when we have a solid foundation of jumping with them in the past,” highlighted SSgt. Myron Austin, a planner and jumpmaster with Ramstein’s 435th Contingency Response Group, who’s on his third exercise in Bulgaria. (Plovdiv report by SSgt. Travis Edwards)