Air Mobility Command's C-17 Globemaster III and C-5 Galaxy airlifters are resilient, but when they break, Airmen here work to get them back in the air.

The mission of the 521st Air Mobility Operation Group, Det. 5 Airmen is to support all Air Mobility Command heavy airlift aircraft transiting Joint Base Balad, said Master Sgt. Richard Spotts, the 521st AMOG, Det. 5 production superintendant. JB Balad's mission and everything that happens here primarily relies on AMC heavy airlift moving smoothly in and out.

"We provide launch, recovery, servicing and maintenance capabilities for C-17 Globemaster III and C-5 Galaxy cargo aircraft," Sergeant Spotts said. "Our maintainers are all fully qualified C-17 maintainers, who are also qualified to perform minor maintenance and servicing on C-5s.

"From the day we arrived at JB (Balad), these guys have made me so proud," Sergeant Spotts said. "They know what they're doing, they do it right, they do it safe and they never complain. I have a great team that makes me proud every single day."

As U.S. and Coalition forces responsibly withdraw from Iraq, the Airmen of Det. 5 will continue to assist with any maintenance issues that may arise, in an effort to keep supplies and servicemembers moving smoothly.