Brig. Gen. Timothy LaBarge, a Tupper Lake resident, leads delegation to South African Air Show

Pretoria, South Africa (09/20/2018) — New York Air National Guard Brig. General Timothy LaBarge, a Tupper Lake resident, is leading a team of 38 New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen who are representing the United States at Africa's largest airshow, held every other year outside Pretoria South Africa.

LaBarge serves as the Director of Joint Staff for the New York National Guard, and oversees a partnership program between the New York National Guard and the South African National Defense Force. He previously served as the commander of the commander of the 109th Airlift Wing in Scotia.

The New York National Guard sent two Air National Guard cargo planes and an Army National Guard unmanned aerial vehicle to African Aerospace and Defence Air Show 2018 which is held at Air Force Base Waterkloff. The event began on Sept. 19.

A C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter from the 105th Airlift Wing, based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, and an LC-130 tactical airlift plane from the 109th Airlift Wing, located at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia, will be the centerpiece of New

The C-17 is used to fly supplies and troops and is one of the world's premier transportation aircraft.

The LC-130 is the largest aircraft in the world which can land on runways or on ice and snow using skis or wheels. The 109th Airlift Wing LC-130s are used to fly supplies to scientific installations in Antarctica and Greenland.

New York Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, which is headquartered in Syracuse, brought an RQ-7 Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle along as part of the United States display at the air show.

The Shadow is a small radio-controlled, 185 pound airplane with a 20 foot wingspan used for tactical reconnaissance by United States Army brigades.

The Soldiers who fly the Shadow are based at the Patriot Way Armory in Rochester.

A KC-135 Stratotanker air-to-air refueling plane from the 100th Airlift Wing based at RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom, and a C-130J "Super Hercules" from the 86th Airlift Wing from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, will also be part of the United States contingent at the Air Show.

The New York National Guard has a training and military exchange partnership with the South African National Defense Force through the National Guard's State Partnership Program. The program links a unique component of the Department of Defense - a state's National Guard - with the armed forces or equivalent of a partner country in a cooperative, mutually beneficial relationship.

The New York National Guard has been participating in the African Aerospace and Defence show since 2004.

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