Moweaqua native leads recovery mission in Alaska | Taizhou Straps and Ropes Group Co.,Ltd

Moweaqua native Lyndi Minott leads a group in Alaska during a recovery mission.

MOWEAQUA — The state of Alaska is far from the village of Moweaqua.

But that is where the small town native and United States Air Force Capt. Lyndi Minott finds herself this month, ready to help families after a long wait in search of answers.

Minott is the lead planner for a military recovery mission titled the Colony Glacier Operation. As a member of the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations, or AFMAO, she has partnered with other agencies to conduct recovery operations every summer in Alaska.

"I coordinate on the mission requirements," she said. "We coordinate different aspects of the recovery like equipment, training, personnel, on-ice timeframe, and daily schedule for the following summer's search and recovery mission."

Her team's goal is to recover a C-124 Globemaster that was lost during a storm more than 70 years ago while traveling to Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska. The death toll included all 41 Army and Air Force passengers and 11 crewmen. According to a report by the Alaskan Air Command, most of the debris was buried under snow as deep as several hundred feet. "Any attempt to locate the passengers on board will be an extremely difficult operation," the report stated at the time of the accident.

The crew of the Colony Glacier Operation set up base in Alaska.

Minott and the mission team were featured in a segment of CBS Sunday Morning. The Air Force mission began in 2012 when the aircraft was finally spotted during an Alaska Army National Guard flying training mission.

The Colony Glacier Operation takes approximately 11 months to plan and accomplish, Minott said.

"June is our best window of opportunity to conduct recovery because it's the only time of year that the snow and layers of ice have melted enough to allow for a safe and successful search," she said.

Once the search and recovery window time frame opens and the crew arrives in Alaska, one of Minott's roles is to issue the appropriate gear, which consists of climbing ropes, harnesses, ice axes, micro spikes, and other items such as emergency shelter and containers of food and water. "In the event we are unable to be picked up from the ice due to a change in weather," she said.

Minott

Once the teams have set up camp across from the glacier, then daily on-ice operations begin. "During the on-ice window, my role as the ground forces commander is to work with the weather team and Alaska Army National Guard flying squadron to ensure we are able to safely fly to and from the glacier," Minott said. "Then inform the recovery team, 11-member Joint service team, where on the glacier we will conduct the search for that day."

When the recovery team returns to the base with any human remains and personal effects such as shoes, clothing, even a camera, the items are documented and stored at the mortuary facility.

"We use forceps, those are metal," Minott said about the recovery process. "Metal scraping rock is a different sound than metal scraping bone."

Based in Delaware, Minott was hand-selected for the mission in March 2021 when she first arrived at AFMAO. "I attended the U.S. Army Mountain Warfare School in Vermont and completed the Basic Military Mountaineering Course to be qualified to perform recovery operations on Colony Glacier," she said.

Crews from the Colony Glacier Operation in Alaska arrive by helicopter.

However, Minott's beginnings are rooted in Moweaqua. "A lot of my relatives live in Macon, Moweaqua and Assumption," she said. "I absolutely loved growing up in a small town where everyone knows everybody and it feels like I am related to everyone whether it be by blood or through marriage."

A Central A&M graduate, she participated in cross country, basketball and track. Minott also competed as a tumbler. Her father BJ Minott encouraged her to apply for the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship. "I was fortunate enough to get selected which afforded me the opportunity to go to college," she said.

After graduation, she attended Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. Minott said she tries to visit home at least once a year, whether it's during the holidays or for the Moweaqua Pow Wow in the summer.

The experience of conducting a search and recovery operation while working with a joint service team has been enjoyable, Minott said.

"We are making a difference for family members that have waited over 70 years for their loved ones to be identified or receive a personal effect like an ID card or dog tags," she said. "It has been amazing to witness the dedication, passion and effort put forth by the Air Force, Army, and Navy service members and civilians that help make this mission happen."

JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Madison Palmer, sister of Logan Palmer, and Adam Tucker, cousin of Logan Palmer, place ornaments memorializing fallen military members on the tree during the inaugural Fallen Heroes Tree of Honor dedication at the Decatur Civic Center Thursday morning.

JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Gold Star family member Donald Pannier bows his head as a prayer is spoken during the inaugural Fallen Heroes Tree of Honor dedication at the Decatur Civic Center Thursday morning. Pannier's son, Sgt. Phillip J. Pannier, died from combat wounds suffered in Iraq in 2008.

JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Gold Star family members including Marlene Van Matre, middle right, select ornaments memorializing fallen military members to be placed on the tree during the inaugural Fallen Heroes Tree of Honor dedication at the Decatur Civic Center Thursday morning.

JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Ornaments memorializing fallen military members were on display for the inaugural Fallen Heroes Tree of Honor dedication at the Decatur Civic Center Thursday morning.

JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Gold Star family members of fallen U.S. military are asked to stand and be recognized during the inaugural Fallen Heroes Tree of Honor dedication at the Decatur Civic Center Thursday morning. America's Gold Star Families, the Sgt. Anthony Maddox Memorial and the civic center hosted the event.

JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW the inaugural Fallen Heroes Tree of Honor dedication at the Decatur Civic Center Thursday morning

Contact Donnette Beckett at (217) 421-6983. Follow her on Twitter: @donnettebHR

Get local news delivered to your inbox!

"Together Decatur" Columnist and Food/Drink Reporter

"Together Decatur" columnist and food and drink reporter for Lee Enterprises Central Illinois.

Johns Hill students on Friday performed in a Veterans Day program that teachers said helped the students learn about and appreciate the sacrif…

State Treasurer said medal was found in bank safe deposit box and he wants to give it back.