We are joined today by Scott Tally, a US Air Force Combat Veteran and C-17 Globemaster Crew Chief. Scott saw the world and has been to 51 countries, and flew in over 50 combat missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan.
The C-17 Globemaster is the most flexible cargo aircraft to enter the Airforce. The C-17 is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area. The aircraft can perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions as well as transport ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations.
Scott became a crew chief on the C-17 just months before 9/11. There are many job descriptions of a flying crew chief. One in particular he was the lead mechanic on the aircraft when flying into foreign international airports that didn’t have air force mechanical help on the ground.
His mission was to fly generals to meet other foreign dignitaries to build and maintain relationships that were formed and to keep clear lines of communication. Scott would spend a few days in each country then fly to the next. His job was to make sure they didn’t get stuck in any one country and the trip went along as planned. In his off time he had opportunities to site see and experience dozens of different countries. These trips were primarily to the Middle East, South America, Asia, Europe and Africa. The two regions he flew most often were in S. America and the Middle East. This is how he spent his summer and the fall leading up to 9/11.
Things were going great, he was traveling and having a blast…then on that fateful September morning he was catching up on some much needed sleep before he was supposed to fly to Greenland the next day. Instead he was awoken by a fellow crew chief who alerted him that the towers had just been hit. Folks, the rest is history from there. Needless to say there was no more flying generals around and staying at 5 star resorts, his mission would abruptly change and he was forced into action…
Scott flew and participated in over 50 combat missions in support of OIF & OEF as the crew chief of the C-17 Globemaster.