174th Fighter Wing deployed to Iraq

Last Update: 9:16 am

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - Over 190 members of the New York Air National Guard’s 174th Fighter Wing deployed Wednesday night to the Middle East.

The planes took off from Hancock Field Air National Guard Base around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. They will be serving as part of an Air Expeditionary Force operating in Iraq.

Before taking off, airmen took the time to say goodbye to their loved ones. For one family, the deployment is doubly bittersweet.

Josh VanWinkle will be spending his 25th birthday Friday with his fellow airmen. Joining him will be his little brother John. The two were deployed together two years ago as well.

"It made the process a lot easier…I was never surprised; I knew what to expect because he had been through it," John said, referring to his older brother.

Their mother, Missy, is having an easier time with this deployment than she did with the previous one. "You just got to have faith. Faith that they'll be okay, they'll be back and they're doing what they think is right," Missy VanWinkle says.

This is expected to be the unit’s last combat deployment using F-16 jets. There have been eight F-16 deployments since Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

The 174th will start using the MQ-9 Reaper, which is an unmanned drone controlled from the ground.

Source: http://www.9wsyr.com/news/local/story.a ... mp;rss=112

174th departs for last F-16 mission

Updated: 06/05/2008 06:27 AM
By: Giselle Phelps

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Brothers Joshua and John VanWinkle are ready to deploy for the second time in two years. Joshua, 25, is a newlywed and has mixed emotions about leaving.

"This is my second time. Happy and kind of sad that I'm going to be leaving my family, but I know I'm going to do the right thing. We're going over to serve this country," said New York Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Joshua VanWinkle.

"I am very proud of him. He loves his job and I figure if he can see the world in his job and it's something he loves to do, go for it," said Joshua VanWinkle's wife, Heather VanWinkle.

This deployment marks the 174th's eighth trip to the Middle East since their first in 1991 during Desert Storm. This will be their last combat mission as the unit makes changes.

"This will be our last deployment in the F-16 as we begin our conversion to the new airplane this fall to the MQ-9 Reaper," said 174th Fighter Wing Commander Kevin Bradley.

The 174th has a proud history of F-16 Air Expeditionary Force support. John VanWinkle, 22, says that's why he joined.

"My brother always spoke very highly of the 174th and he just loved every day out here. And it made the process a lot easier, because I was never surprised. I always knew what to expect because he had been through it," said New York Air National Guard Staff. Sgt. John VanWinkle.

As her boys board their plane to the Middle East, mom Missy VanWinkle is happy knowing they have each other.

"It's rough, but it's not the first time. They went in 2006 together, too. It's nice for them to be together," said Missy VanWinkle.

While Heather VanWinkle just hopes her husband knows what matters most.

"Just that I love him more than anything. And that I hope he knows how much I love him," said Heather.

The actual F-16 pilots are expected to leave the base sometime next week.

Source (video included): http://news10now.com/default.aspx?ArID=117395

174th Fighter Wing deploys to Middle East

by Michele Reaves
Wednesday June 04, 2008, 7:39 PM

Mattydale, NY -- More than 190 members of the Air National Guard's 174th Fighter Wing left Mattydale for the Middle East this evening.

In all, about 500 members of the unit based at Hancock Field are to be deployed, rotating in and out of the combat zone to support military efforts in Iraq. The group is expected to return later this summer.

The deployment is the unit's eighth trip to southwestern Asia since 1991 and its first since January 2007.

It's also the 174th's last deployment using F-16 AEF planes, according to a news release. The unit will transition to the MQ-9 Reaper drone this fall.

Pilots increased their night flight training in April and May to prepare for duties in the Middle East.

Source: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/ ... ys_to.html
See also: http://www.syracuse.com/articles/news/i ... amp;coll=1

174th's F-16s, pilots leave for overseas duty

by Pedro Ramirez III
Tuesday June 10, 2008, 8:44 AM

Syracuse, NY - Fourteen of the 174th Fighter Wing's F-16 jets along with pilots this morning left Hancock Field for overseas duty.

The Air National Guard's jets are making their final deployment as the 174th makes the transition to operating unmanned aerial vehicles. The jets left the air base next to Syracuse Hancock International Airport between 5:50 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., said 2nd Lt. Greta Lewis, a unit spokeswoman.

Last week a large contingent of personnel left for the unit's overseas deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Source: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/ ... for_o.html

NY National Guard pilots head out for last jet mission

Associated Press - June 10, 2008 1:25 PM ET

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Pilots in the New York Air National Guard's 174th Fighter Wing are on their way to the Persian Gulf for their last mission using F-16 fighter jets.

The 174th, based at Hancock Field in Syracuse, is replacing its F-16s with unmanned drones, which are remote controlled.

The pilots will make the trip to the Persian Gulf in two 8-hour legs, including several mid-air refuelings. There's a 24-hour break in between each leg.

Nearly 200 members of the 174th left for the Persian Gulf last week. They'll act as support crews and maintain the aircraft. The deployment is expected to last several months.

The 174th has a storied history going back to the Berlin Airlift. It is 1 of the few National Guard units to fly combat missions in the Middle East.

Source: http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=8458110

F-16s head out of Hancock

Updated: 06/10/2008 11:31 AM
By: Giselle Phelps

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- More than a dozen F-16 fighter planes left Syracuse for the Middle East. The deployment marks a special occasion for the 174th.

"This represents a historic time for the 174th Fighter Wing. It's our last F-16 combat deployment," said Commander Kevin Bradley.

The pilots will make the 16 hour trip solo. The flight is broken up into two eight hour legs with about 10 air to air re-fuelings. It's a job that requires a lot of training.

"We do a lot of flying, we do a lot of academics, we study a lot of the lessons from folks that have gone in the past before us to learn what they have come up against so we can modify our plan if we need to," Lt. Scott Brenton.

Lieutenant Brenton has been flying for 20 years and this is his tenth trip to the Middle East. He's said his job is still thrilling and gives him a lot of pride.

"Flying the airplane is a feeling that you almost you can't describe, we pull a lot of Gs , spend a lot of hours up there day and night,” said Brenton.

Commander Bradley said combat operations will start next week.

About 200 other members or the 174th deployed last Wednesday.

"Everyone's very excited about this. This is what we train to do and this is the investment that the taxpayers pay for, but also this is their chance to serve the country," Bradley said.

The 174th will start converting to the MQ-9 Reaper in the fall.

Source: http://news10now.com/default.aspx?ArID=117798

Final Mission: F-16s leave Hancock Field

Last Update: 8:25 am

Pilots from the 174th Fighter Wing took off for the Persian Gulf this morning. It's the last time F-16 Fighter Jets will be used in a mission by the 174th.

The F-16 will be replaced with unmanned drones, which are controlled from a remote location.

The 174th pilots will make the trip to the Persian Gulf in two legs. They'll fly for 8 hours, and then break in an unnamed location for 24 hours before completing the final 8 hour trek.

Nearly 200 members of the 174th left for the Persian Gulf last week. They'll act as support crew and perform maintenance operations on the aircraft.

The deployment is expected to last for several months.

Source: http://www.9wsyr.com/news/local/story.a ... mp;rss=112

Des Moines-based Guard unit returning from Iraq
BY WILLIAM PETROSKI • wpetroski@dmreg.com • June 17, 2008

About 250 members of the Des Moines-based 132nd Fighter Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard are returning from Iraq this week.

This first wave will arrive today when Iowa pilots flying F-16 warplanes will land at the Des Moines airport.

The main body of the deployment, composed of about 230 airmen, will return later this week, Guard officials said. The unit has been deployed to Iraq about two months, much shorter than tours performed by Army National Guard soldiers, w ho have served 15-month ground assignments..

This is the eighth time the 132nd Fighter Wing has been deployed to the Persian Gulf region since the end of the Gulf War in 1991. In Iraq, the unit has flown combat aircraft with precision-guided weapons in support of U.S. ground force, officials said..

source: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/p ... S/80617009

Renamed U.S. military base in Iraq reflects joint status

by 1st Lt. Lisa Spilinek
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

6/17/2008 - JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- The home of the Air Force's only wing in Iraq and the Army's logistical headquarters for supplies and shipments in the country has been renamed to reflect the dual nature of the base.

Joint Base Balad is the new name for what used to be called Balad Air Base by the Air Force and Logistics Support Area Anaconda by the Army.

The new name went into effect at midnight June 15 to coincide with the transfer of base support functions from the Army to the Air Force under the Base Operating Support Integration initiative, known as BOS-I, said Lt. Col. Pat Ryan, 332nd Expeditionary Mission Support Group deputy commander.

"Balad is the hub for all Army logistics and is the base of choice for airpower. Being the senior airfield authority, it just makes sense for the Air Force to take the lead here," Colonel Ryan said.

With the changeover, the base's support functions, to include food service, lodging, vehicle operations, base upkeep and construction projects, as well as base defense, will now be the responsibility of Air Force units rather than Army units for the more than 30,000 servicemembers, civil servants, contractors and third country nationals who live on the base, said Colonel Ryan, who is deployed from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.

A transition period for the changeover has been designated to last until Nov. 15. During this time the base support functions will remain under the base's Mayor Cell while Air Force personnel get acquainted with the specific procedures in place. Previously, the Mayor Cell, which oversees many of those life support functions and the execution of the various government contracts in place here, reported to the Army's 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command; now it will fall under the Air Force's 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, said Lt. Col. Steven Passey, 316 ESC engineer.

"We've been sharing information between the [Air Force] wing staff and squadrons and the Mayor Cell and ESC staff officers to identify and explain the installation and mayoral functions we had oversight of ranging from [morale, welfare and recreation,] construction projects, operational [programs] and maintenance contracts," said Colonel Passey, who is deployed from the Army Reserve out of Indianapolis.

Both colonels said the goal of the changeover would be a seamless transition of authority from the Army to the Air Force to include the installation command responsibility.

Previously, the installation commander was Army Brig. Gen. Gregory Couch, the outgoing 316 ESC commander; with BOS-I, Air Force Brig. Gen. Burt Field, 332 AEW commander, is now the installation commander.

"We will continue providing the high-quality support and world-class service each Joint Base Balad organization needs for mission accomplishment," General Field said.

Brig. Gen. Mike Lally, the commander of the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, which will replace the 316 ESC June 20, stated, "This is a great opportunity for us to partner with the Air Force on a critical initiative. Everyone needs to understand that even though there has been a change in leadership - there won't be any changes to quality of life, services or the sustainment provided to all coalition forces - only improvements."

While the base defense function of Joint Base Balad will eventually be conducted by Air Force Security Forces Airmen, Army Soldiers will continue to be the primary executors of defense measures on the base and in the surrounding area off-base through mid-October when Airmen will arrive to replace them. In the meantime, a new 332nd Expeditionary Force Protection Group will be activated in mid-July with the arrival of the group's leadership.

"As service providers we'll be learning to walk the walk and getting to know our customers, so that after Nov. 15 we'll be ready to meet their needs," Colonel Ryan said. "The challenge will be learning the Army [specific] intricacies -- picking up the little differences between the services and the language used."

As the Air Force assumes the mayoral duties of the base, the Army has been on hand to provide guidance along the way.

"Joint isn't just a fancy word from professional military education or on a piece of paper. I've had more meetings with the Army here in the last three weeks than in my entire career. Efficiencies are always gained when we learn from each other," said Colonel Ryan. "We'll take the Army processes, adapt them to our own core competencies and make a better product in the end."

Source: http://www.balad.afnews.af.mil/news/sto ... =123103039