Can you recommend any books, movies, or documentaries about Air Lifting & Support Units?

[Skyviper 1,101]

I'm interested in learning more about support roles. Additionally, I'm also curious about what people experience in these fields during a combat situation. Ages ago, I met someone that was a cargo master. He had some video of C-130s doing supply drops in combat zones. He'd point out the firefights taking place on the ground while they were delivering ammo, food, and anything else that was needed. For some reason, as of late, I've started to have a bigger interest in support missions and would like to learn more about them. Especially in a wartime situation. Is there constant fear or attack or is everything just another day on the job?

 

[+daddyairplanes 10,228]

ok not as aircrew, but as a cook that wound up pulling duty as supply/ motor clerk/ guard shift leader on most of my deployments

for the most part its just doing your job day in day out. pretty boring although the environment allows for some unusual things that you wouldnt see at home. its like Groundhogs Day the movie and the off the wall stuff become your time markers of the deployment

pretty much the only time your massively, noticeably afraid is the first few times your under attack (rockets and mortars). after that you have some worry in the back of your mind, but you do what you got to and wait it out. if you are in a position to shoot back the you do. but if you're not, then you just deal with it in your own way (my favorite was taking bets on how many cigarettes a "rocket attack" would last until the all clear. right after professing my love for the recorded female voice that announced said attack. Kandahar 09)

while way more common than in the US or western Europe, the attacks are pretty few and far between in some places. Others, well, you get used to these things (Balad Airbase, 04 aka Mortaritaville)

howlywood and most games pack more action into a couple of hours than the average soldier/sailor/airman sees in an entire year. ironically, they tend to play those games and movies to kill time when off duty there (who else here can say they checked in after an indirect fire attack with a firefight from Blackhawk Down blasting in the background?)

[Wrench 9,845]

Ospreys Combat Aircraft series has a couple, C74/R4D units of the PTo & CBI. I think there one on the ETO units, and maybe one for the Med

[+Nightshade/PR 7,928]

The only movie that comes to mind that might fit the bill is "The Big Lift."

As for reading material on support units, here's something that will get you started...  Military Logistics | RAND

 

[Skyviper 1,101]

I think I remember seeing the Big Lift. I liked all of the quips that were made in it. Along those lines I saw another movie called "Your Target For Today" .. the pilot asked his waist gunner why he wasn't shooting anything. To which the gunner replied "What do you want me to do? Throw the gun at 'em? It's jammed!"