Bagram AB Deployment 2011-12

Deseret News wrote:F-16 pilots and crews from the 388th Fighter Wing return to Utah from Afghanistan
Published: Friday, April 15, 2011 6:13 p.m. MDT
By Steve Fidel, Deseret News

HILL AIR FORCE BASE — A dozen F-16s, their pilots and 36 of the airmen who keep the jets flying returned home Friday from Afghanistan, where they have been deployed since late September.

The members of the 4th Fighter Squadron and 4th Aircraft Maintenance Unit worked out of Bagram Airfield, providing close air support to ground forces.

That meant dropping thousands of bombs, but often the jets accomplished their objectives just by being in the air making lots of noise. "Their presence alone was often enough to satisfy the ground commanders' intents," said Col. Scott Long, who returned from Afghanistan in February to become the wing's commander.

"They worked 24/7 every single day. To be honest with you, in nine months I didn't have a day off," Long said of his time in Afghanistan.

Pilots flew every day. Ground crews "got the aircraft airborne, got them back on the ground, got them loaded back up with munitions," he said. "They supported with thousands of bombs."

At home, Monica Bailey said the airmen were gone long enough to miss all of the major holidays, anniversaries and almost an entire school year. "Fortunately no one had to have a baby with their husband away," she said as she and other families waited for the first group of jets to arrive. "We're just happy they're all coming home safely."

Just then, the sound of four F-16s flying in formation overhead interrupted all conversation. The first jet to peel off from the formation was Monica Bailey's husband, Lt. Col. Chris Bailey, the squadron leader.

The jets taxied to a stop and the families moved in close. Then engines stopped, the canopies popped up and crew chiefs hung ladders off the side of the cockpits. The pilots came down and were surrounded by their families.

"Seeing the family — it's incredible," Chris Bailey said. He said the pilots were also surprised by the number of people waiting on the ground, including the media. "We didn't expect to see something like that. It's very humbling."

Bailey introduced his family to reporters, ending with his youngest daughter, Erin, who was scooped up in her mother's arms. "She definitely looks older. Her mother doesn't, but she does."

"Good answer," his wife responded.

Capt. Aaron Bandy found the experience of coming home hard to describe. "When you're flying in combat, it's awesome. But coming home to get to see your family is such a great experience — to be back at Hill, friends and family," he said. "Coming home is also the greatest."

Bandy's wife, Kerri, said she is happy to see her husband do his job. But she had no trouble describing how it felt knowing he would be flying in combat compared to knowing he was on his way home. "It's the difference between the scariest moment of my life and one of the most exciting moments of my life."

Bandy said it took a combination of ground stops and aerial refueling over a course of about seven days for the group to get home.

Squadron commander Bailey was wearing a patch noting 100 flying missions. He said it has taken him years of flying and three deployments, including one to Iraq, to reach that mark. The intensity of recent missions means pilots much younger than he have also reached the 100-mission mark.

"Until you have seen them you don't realize the incredible sacrifices people are making," Bailey said, "how dedicated they are to the mission and getting the job done."

source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7053 ... istan.html

Deseret News wrote:Hill Airmen focus on mission in Afghanistan
Published: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 1:20 p.m. MDT
By Jed Boal, Deseret News

OGDEN — Airmen from Hill Air Force Base are making significant contributions to the war in Afghanistan.

Though many are due to be back home by the end of the month, they continue to fly air support for ground troops out of Bagram Air Base.

Military video and interviews from the base give a clearer picture of what they are doing in the war.

"Whatever the guys on the ground need, that's what we're there to provide," said Capt. Jevon Yeretzian, an F-16 pilot with the 388th Fighter Wing, assigned to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing.

That means bombs, noise or presence. "If they request firepower from us, we can provide that instantly for them," Yeretzian said.

He and Capt. Anthony Generous are a couple of the F-16 pilots from Hill who suit up every day as part of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing.

Col. Scott Long was the 455th Group Commander at Bagram until the end of February. Now, he's at Hill, where he recently took command of the 388th Fighter Wing.

Long flew missions with the Hill pilots in Afghanistan. He said the pilots typically fly between 75 and 100 missions during the deployment. When they fly those close-air support missions, the colonel said they spend four to five hours in the air.

Ground troops will tell the base what kind of firepower they need from the F-16s, and that information is relayed to the pilots. Long said they typically take off with a specific mission, but it routinely evolves into a more fluid operation based on changing needs on the ground.

Right now there are around 250 Airmen from the 388th and 419th fighter wings deployed in Afghanistan. They've been there since September, working as a team.

"We can't go out and fly if the jets aren't combat ready," Generous said. "So, our maintainers do a lot of good work. They're out there on the flight lines 24/7, making sure the jets are ready to go."

That also means well supplied with munitions. Staff Sgt. Glen Vart builds tests and inspects the bullets and bombs to make sure they're safe and ready when the flight line needs them.

"When munitions are on target and we hear about it, it's a good feeling to know that I was part of that, and I contributed to the mission," Vart said.

But the Airmen don't always have to fire on the enemy to make a difference. The F-16s also fly as a "show of force."

"If the enemy also sees us out there," Yeretzian said, "he'll hopefully think twice about trying to engage our friendly forces on the ground."

Meanwhile, Long says Hill anxiously awaits the Airmen's return home. He said they should all be home by the end of the month.

source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7053 ... istan.html

Asif wrote:Anyone know when #85-1498 changed hands??

USAF F-16C block 30 #85-1498 from the 119th FS sits on the flight line at Bagram Airfield on November 10th, 2011 awaiting its next mission. [USAF photo by TSgt. Matt Hecht]