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Illinois ANG F-16 fighter unit leaves for Southwest Asia

October 13, 2004 (by Lieven Dewitte) - More than 300 members of the 183rd Fighter Wing of the Illinois Air National Guard will deploy later this month to Southwest Asia. The deployment will be the 183rd's largest since spring 2002.

170th TFS (Jon Somerville collection)

Yesterday an advance team has already left. The deployment's specific departure date however or the exact destination cannot be revealed for security reasons. A majority of the troops should return home in December or early January though.

The F-16 fighter unit comprises the 170th Fighter Squadron and is based at Springfield's Capital Airport. They fly the F-16C block 30

The unit had its last major deployment more than two years ago. They were then also deployed to Southwest Asia for a three month period, to take part in both Operation Southern Watch and Operation Enduring Freedom. During the unit's first 30 days in theater, people from the 170th flew more than 1,000 hours. Because of the long hours, and to get all its pilots combat flying experience, the squadron rotated all of its 33 assigned pilots. In mid-June 2002 they were set to return home.

While flying over Afghanistan in April 2002, two 170th FS pilots mistakenly bombed a Canadian unit, killing four and wounding eight. The pilots had mistaken the Canadian allies, who were conducting a pre-dawn training exercise, for Taliban forces. The pilots who flew this two-jet mission over Afghanistan are no longer flying with the 183rd. Criminal charges were pressed against them.

The gap between deployments has been longer than usual for the 183rd because the unit traveled to Volk Field, Wis., in July 2003 for an Air Force inspection, Gurski said. Hundreds of members of the 183rd participated in that mission, she said.

Usually the unit operates on a 20-month cycle, during which period its members deploy for four months and spend the other 16 months preparing.