B-1B makes impact throughout Southwest Asia

Capt. Andre Walton runs a B-1B Lancer through its preflight checklist May 5 at an air base in Southwest Asia. Captain Walton is a 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron pilot. He is a native of Raleigh, N.C., and deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joshua Garcia)

by Senior Airman Brok McCarthy, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- Before late 2008, the B-1B Lancer was known primarily as a bomber, but since then the aircraft was modified to include the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod now provides nontraditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to ground forces.

"Before the B-1B was equipped with the sniper pod, we had to utilize extremely accurate coordinates from an off board source for most of our targeting solutions," said Lt. Col. Jen Fullmer, the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron commander.

"We have a capability to generate coordinates with our radar but not the highly accurate coordinates that we can generate with the sniper pod," said the colonel who is deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. "In addition, Sniper provides the crew fairly detailed infrared or TV image and a capability to locate and track targets, friendly positions, etc.

"Along with our legacy mission of weapons employment in a (close-air support) or interdiction role, we are now heavily engaged in missions such as (improvised explosive device) emplacement search, convoy support and armed overwatch of friendly positions," she said.

There have been instances where crews were monitoring a group of people in an area that is popular for IED placement, like an intersection, said Colonel Fullmer, a native of Wilton, Conn. They can generate accurate coordinates for the site and any other location the individuals go and pass it along to the joint termian attack controller so everything can be investigated.

After having been in theater for 90 days, the squadron has flown more than 285 missions and has had jets in the air for more than 3,380 hours. During that time, they have responded to approximately 170 incidents where servicemembers were in direct combat with the enemy. In many of those cases, simply the presence of a B-1B made a difference to the ground forces.

"There are times where you can tell in the JTACs' voices after we show up that they start to relax a little because they have an asset they can trust to employ precision munitions very quickly," said Maj. Sid Stegall, a 9th EBS instructor pilot. "The other thing is the enemy kind of knows what we do at this point too, so they don't want to make themselves a target that we have the ability to strike.

"There have been many instances where we haven't needed to (drop bombs) just because we are on scene," said the major from Pine Log, Ga. "Just because we are at an altitude where they can see or hear us, they know if they continue with their actions it's not going to end well for them. So there have been a lot of situations where there has been a troops-in-contact situation and we show up and everything just kind of stops."

Prior to the Sniper pod, the B-1B could only participate in a few steps of what the Air Force calls the "kill chain," the order of actions that must occur to complete an offensive action. In some instances, the squadron didn't drop a bomb because of collateral damage concerns. In these instances, they were able to watch the ground with the Sniper pod and pass information to other weapons platforms in the area that might be better equipped to act in the situation.

"During one of our recent missions, we supported (ground troops in combat) but we did not drop weapons because the friendly forces were engaged in a very close fire fight," Colonel Fullmer said. "Friendly forces were firing back at an enemy firing position in a small enclosure. One of the enemy soldiers escaped from the back of the building and we were able to track him with our Sniper pod, mark him with an infrared marker in order to highlight his position so a nearby Apache helicopter could suppress the threat. Since it was nighttime, we had the capability to put an infrared beam on the guy, which we call a sparkle. When someone looks through night-vision goggles, it looks like a laser beaming from our jet down to the target. So we sparkled the (runner) and alerted an Apache, who then picked the beam up on his night-vision goggles, came in with his guns and (eliminated the threat)."

Colonel Fullmer said she thinks the B-1B will have an enduring presence in the region and will continue flying missions as long as it is still a useful asset to the ground commanders.

"One thing remains clear in the minds of my Airmen is we are here to protect those men and women who are selflessly fighting this war on the ground in harm's way," Colonel Fullmer said. "If we prevent one fallen comrade ceremony, or just let one Soldier get a needed hour of sleep while we are making noise overhead to keep the enemy at bay, then we have done our job. Every person on this base has an important role in successfully accomplishing this critical mission."

Manas KC-135s revolutionize combat operations

by Maj. Damien Pickart, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

Senior Airman William Allen (left) and Airman 1st Class Roberto Armas help load four cases comprising the Roll-On-Beyond-Line-Of-Sight Enhancement System "B-kit" onto a KC-135 Stratotanker prior to a March 12 mission at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan. Airman Allen is deployed from the 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., and is a native of Nunn, Colo. Airman Armas is deployed from the 62nd Aerial Port Squadron at McChord AFB, Wash., and is originally from San Benito, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Damien Pickart)

MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFNS) -- The 376th Air Expeditionary Wing's fleet of KC-135 Stratotankers here delivers more than fuel to the fight in Afghanistan these days as it is revolutionizing the way war is fought by serving as a data network relay high above the battlefield.

At first glance, the cluster of cases mounted in the back of Manas Air Base's 50-year-old KC-135s does not look very revolutionary, but the innovative system and its use on a refueling tanker employs the Roll-On-Beyond-Line-Of-Sight-Enhancement, or ROBE, system.

Developed by Northrop Grumman in 2003, ROBE is a communication system that provides a seamless and secure distribution of information to warfighters, local commanders and higher headquarters. Its introduction to the Afghanistan area of operations has allowed data sharing between the myriad communication systems used by aircraft and ground units. It also overcomes terrain restrictions by facilitating beyond-line-of-sight communications.

"ROBE knocks precious minutes off the "sensor-to-shooter kill chain" and fills in the communication 'shadows' caused by Afghanistan's rugged terrain and deep valleys," said Keith Lareau, the lead Northrop Grumman software engineer for ROBE deployed to Manas AB to help aircrews better understand and appreciate ROBE's benefits.

"Now everyone has greater situational awareness of who's who and what they can bring to the fight," Mr. Lareau said. "The tanker and receiver aircraft see and find each other sooner, which equates to more loiter time over the target. It also allows aircraft with previously incompatible systems, like the F-16 (Fighting Falcon) and A-10 (Thunderbolt II), to communicate and share a variety of data. Most important, the air liaison on the ground can quickly identify who is overhead and which aircraft is carrying the ideal weapon configuration and fuel load to best support the situation he's dealing with."

According to the Northrop Grumman contractor, warfighters might not be enjoying the benefits of ROBE today were it not for the unwavering support of Manas AB and U.S. Air Forces Central command leaders.

"The support from Lt. Gen. Gary North (the AFCENT commander) and Col. Chris Bence (the 376th AEW commander) has been paramount," Mr. Lareau said. "If there were different people in their seats with less enthusiasm for ROBE, it could have met a much different fate. Along with many others serving here, they really understand the importance of how it is helping the fight on the ground."

"ROBE ensures I have the total air picture available as the air component commander and the combined forces air component commander so our Airmen overhead can work with the ground forces successfully," General North said. "To have a synchronized communications capability overhead on our tanker fleet that can reach down into the valleys in Afghanistan is very critical. This is a big difference between where we are in the joint fight today and where we were five or ten years ago."

The first ROBE system was flight tested on a KC-135 just four months after the contract was awarded in 2003. Pleased with the initial results, Air Force officials modified 40 of its 500 KC-135Rs to accommodate ROBE. Each aircraft received an "A-kit" modification that included several antennas and wiring throughout the aircraft, as well as a quick-disconnect panel next to which a portable "B-kit" is mounted. The Air Force purchased 20 "B-kits" consisting of four stackable cases containing multiple secure radios, satellite communications and a computer to power and manage the system.

Despite its initial successes and demonstrations in several military exercises, ROBE was not embraced by everyone, and many of the "B-kits" purchased by the Air Force remained shrink-wrapped for years in storage, quietly waiting for the right opportunity to prove the system's worth.

That opportunity came in June 2008 when the first ROBE-configured KC-135s landed at Manas AB carrying several "B-kits." Following close behind was Ken Albers, the first of several Northrop Grumman contractors deployed to Manas AB to work through technical and procedural hurdles.

"There were a lot of issues to be worked through to convince everyone that ROBE was worth the investment," said Andrina Luczon, a Northrop Grumman software engineer from San Diego deployed to Manas AB for five weeks. "There were software and crypto issues, a lengthy boot-up time, checklists and procedures to develop, and the perception that it didn't work well and wasn't user friendly. Ken worked tirelessly to develop most all the procedures we're using today from scratch and solved a number of problems encountered."

After a month of working with maintainers, communication experts and aircrew to work out the kinks, the first fully functional ROBE KC-135 took off July 13 for a mission over Afghanistan.

ROBE proved its worth soon after, Colonel Bence said.

"During the fourth mission with a ROBE refueler on July 27, our aircrew overheard radio chatter between an F-15 (Eagle) pilot and a joint terminal air controller on the ground," Colonel Bence said. "A forward operating base deep in a valley was under attack and in danger of being overrun. We could tell the F-15 pilot was struggling to identify and strike the targets without causing collateral damage or friendly casualties. We turned on ROBE and within minutes, we knew the system was a success by a comment made by the F-15 pilot. The fighter pilot said, 'I don't know where the picture (target imagery) is coming from, but I got it (the target) now. Thanks.'

"ROBE has proven itself the digital backbone of the communication network over Afghanistan," Colonel Bence added. "It has increased the effective communications footprint in Afghanistan by 200 percent and reduced the "kill chain" timeline by 40 percent. We're receiving frequent feedback that ROBE is saving coalition lives on the ground."

"It's like instant text messaging for war, with pics," said Lt. Col. Pamela Freeland, a KC-135 pilot deployed from the 97th Training Squadron at Altus AFB, Okla. As the chief of standardization and evaluation for the 376th Expeditionary Operations Group, her job is to guide new aircrews to understand and operate the system.

"ROBE is becoming a system we can set and forget," Colonel Freeland said. "The pilots have a knee board computer that displays a common operating picture of all of Afghanistan that gives us a better understanding of what's going on in the battle space we're supporting. Even the boom operators like how easy it is to use the system."

"The checklist was really easy to follow," said Senior Airman Steve Cantu, a KC-135 boom operator deployed from the 92nd Air Refueling Squadron at Fairchild AFB, Wash. The San Antonio native is on his second deployment to Manas AB and flew on one of the first ROBE missions in July 2008.

"I remember going through it the first time in training and then booting it up as we approached Afghanistan," Airman Cantu said. "Everything worked according to plan and I was really comfortable operating the system."

ROBE wasn't always easy to use and some crewmembers saw it as a distraction from their refueling duties, Mr. Lareau said.

"It used to take an expert 45 minutes to boot up," he said. "Now we're training junior Airmen to do it in just a few minutes a day or two after they arrive at Manas and they are successfully running the system on a combat mission hours later."

During her five-week deployment, Ms. Luczon is determined to put herself out of business and train Airmen to do the job.

"We're constantly refining and simplifying the procedures so we don't lose the good will of those who have come to see the ROBE and refueling missions as mutually enhancing," Ms. Luczon said. "As excited as we are to put ourselves out of work, it's been great for a software engineer like me to get out of the cubicle and see how I'm making a difference saving lives in combat."

Eight months after the first ROBE mission, a growing cadre of aircrew at Manas AB is recognizing the benefits ROBE brings to the fight. With a near 90 percent mission effective rate, the system continues to make a tangible impact on the ground and in the sky over Afghanistan.

"Several A-10 pilots rotating home passed through here recently and said that when they were engaged in close-air-support missions, the only target information they could get was coming from ROBE," said Maj. Paul Skipworth, a KC-135 pilot from Fairchild AFB's 93rd ARS, deployed to Manas as the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron director of operations. "Fueling the fight is still our primary mission, but seeing the demand for the data we now deliver is very telling."

Airmen in sky give warriors on ground situational awareness

by Senior Airman Clinton Atkins, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs



1st Lt. Seth Simpson and Staff Sgt. Jessica Earls perform preflight procedures in the cockpit of the E-8C Joint STARS Jan. 7 at an air base in Southwest Asia. Lieutenant Simpson is a co-pilot assigned to the 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron and Sergeant Earl is a flight engineer assigned to the 7th EACCS. They are deployed from Robbins Air Force Base, Ga. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Michael Boquette)

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- Airmen of the 7th Expeditionary Air Command and Control Squadron from this air base in Southwest Asia provide constant situational ground assessment from the air to coalition forces supporting operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Inside the E-8C Joint STARS, the aircrew give airborne battle management, command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance throughout the entire area of responsibility.

"We are there every day for long periods of time. Our presence provides an in-depth understanding of how things are moving on the ground." said Lt. Col. Mack Easter, the 7th EACCS commander.

By using the E-8C's surveillance capabilities, Airman of the 7th EACCS provide real time situational awareness to a wide gamut of assets across the battlefield. The radar and computer subsystems on the E-8C can gather and display detailed battlefield information on ground forces.

"We work with the Army from the corps level all the way down to the company level, integrating the ground movement picture from the joint terminal attack controller to the brigade tactical operations center," said Colonel Easter, who is deployed from Robins Air Force Base, Ga. "We also work to integrate (MQ-1) Predators, rotary wing and fast, fixed-wing aircraft all across the battlespace from one end of Iraq to the other. Additionally, our datalink capability allows us to communicate our radar picture to multiple brigades simultaneously."

Not only can the crews share information digitally across the battlefield, but also the E-8 crew can also talk to just about anyone in the world with its various radio and communication suites, he said.

During major force-on-force engagements, E-8C members support the fight by tracking columns of movement. As the fight in Iraq and Afghanistan has changed, so has the E-8C role in the mission.

In the current environment, crews are often looking for a single ground mover in an area of interest.

"When an attack happens on the battlefield, we can backtrack using the information we collected to identify the origin of the attackers," said Lt. Col. Jerry Cole, the 7th EACCS director of operations. "Lately, that has been one of our most used capabilities."

Staff Sgt. Karis Baker, an airborne operations technician assigned to the 7th EACCS, looks for, finds and tracks the ground movers.

"(The JSTARS mission) also includes significant post-mission analysis by many organizations," said Sergeant Baker, a native of Astoria, Ore.

"We are analyzing the pattern of traffic movement," said Sergeant Baker, deployed from Robins AFB. "Our radar records the whole mission. If something happened an hour ago, we can replay the event to see exactly how it went down."

"We know from the time we get here in theater to the time we leave, we'll be consistently busy," Colonel Cole said. "We are without a doubt one of the biggest providers to this war. It's extremely rewarding to see the impact we have on the guys on the ground."

C-130 unit gets a new bird with an old history

by Senior Airman Tong Duong, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs



For years, U.S. Air Force, coalition and sister service forces have relied on the steady stream of supplies and equipment brought in by aircrews flying KC-135 Stratotankers, C-130 Hercules, C-17 Globemaster IIIs and other airlift workhorses. One airplane new to Southwest Asia carries something more: a rich history dating back more than 40 years.

Officials in the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron recently added "Patches," a C-130E, tail no. 62-1817, into its fleet. The airplane arrived from Pope Air Force Base, N.C.

"She's a great lady," said Lt. Col. Daniel Tulley, 746th EAS commander. "I've seen a picture of her at Air Mobility Command headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and it was interesting to read about her crew's contribution to history. I'm proud to have her on our ramp."

According to Alan Marsh, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing historian, the People's Army of Vietnam launched what became a 77-day battle at Khe Sanh on Jan. 21, 1968. During this time, overland supply routes to U.S. troops at Khe Sanh were cut off. Aircraft attempting to land were threatened by artillery fire from the North Vietnamese. Most resupply efforts attempted during this period were by air.

On Feb. 5, Patches and her crew flew into a storm of enemy fire to deliver much-needed supplies to the Marines besieged at the outpost. Lt. Col. Howard Dallman and his 345th Tactical Airlift Squadron crew loaded ammunition and a medical evacuation team at Da Nang and headed for Khe Sanh. Confronted with overcast weather and no communications with Khe Sanh, Colonel Dallman landed the C-130 under heavy enemy fire.

One shell hit the aircraft and ignited a fire, threatening the cargo boxes of ammo loaded in the plane. The crew stayed with the C-130 as it taxied down the runway. It continued taking additional hits by enemy fire, one of which blew out a tire. One engine quit when a mortar round exploded and threw dirt into it.

After the fire was extinguished, the valuable cargo was unloaded and the tire repaired, the C-130 crew took off, again sustaining hits from the enemy. Colonel Dallman received the Air Force Cross for his efforts to re-supply the Marines at Khe Sanh and all crew members received the Silver Star.

Decades later, tail no. 62-1817 is still bringing the fight to the enemy, this time in Southwest Asia.

"It gives our crewmembers and maintainers a sense of pride to know that one of their aircraft has been through something that significant," Colonel Tulley said. "It reflects on the entire Air Force fleet, and is a testimony to the maintainers and crew members who fly them that these planes are still around and parked next to the newer C-130Js, doing the same missions."

Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Seay, 746th Aircraft Maintenance Unit crew chief, has worked on "Patches" more than once, and said her history is what he finds most interesting about her.

"This is my third time deploying with her," he said. "It's great to be able to work on a 45-year-old aircraft with so much history."

He said it's especially meaningful because his father served in Vietnam.

At Pope AFB, his home station, Sergeant Seay enjoys maintaining all C-130 aircraft, but prefers to work on the older planes.

"I would rather work on E models (built in the early '60s) than the newer C-130Js (built in early 2000) because of their history and the significance of what they've done for our country," he said. "I've worked on many different variations of C-130s, from older Vietnam-era planes to ones that have seen recent campaigns such as the AC-130 gunships they have at Hurlbert Field, Fla., but I've got to say, 'Patches' is probably the most interesting of them all."

Since its activation in February, the Airmen in the 746th EAS have accomplished several combat airdrops, leaflet drops and combat re-supply missions using E, H and J model C-130 aircraft, Colonel Tulley said.

With the addition of another aircraft, the 746th EAS can continue to impact the mission here and make history for future generations.

"Mobility Airmen and the planes we fly often make the greatest impact with sustained performance over time," Colonel Tulley said. "It's when you look back at the results after a period of time you realize the profound impact. For example, every one of our 19,000 passengers airlifted has been spared the danger of traveling via ground convoy."

C-130J deploys to Southwest Asia

by 2nd Lt. Tania Bryan, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
A C-130J Hercules arrives to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Feb. 8 at a Southwest Asia air base. The C-130J is from the 41st Airlift Squadron from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Domonique Simmons)

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- Members of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here welcomed the newest member of its fleet Feb. 8 as a C-130J Hercules landed in Southwest Asia.

"We're not only the first active duty, C-130J deployment, it's also a record-setting event," said Lt. Col. Dan Tulley, the 41st Airlift Squadron commander.

"We stood up two squadrons, people and airplanes, and deployed in 10 months," the colonel said.

The 41st AS moved in 2007 to Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., from Pope AFB, N.C. The new unit stood up and converted to a new weapon system at the same time, starting April 5, 2007, and now are deployed, Colonel Tulley said.

The C-130Js from the 41st AS will combine with C-130Es from both the 61st Airlift Squadron from Little Rock AFB and the 2nd Airlift Squadron from Pope AFB, as well as C-130Hs from the Air Force Reserve Command's 357th Airlift Squadron at Maxwell AFB, Ala., to form the 746th AS here. The squadron will reactivate in mid-February.

Combining the Reserve and active-duty squadrons into one cohesive unit creates a unique opportunity for the crews to learn from one another. Taking four distinct squadrons that don't normally work together at their home stations, and uniting them in a deployed environment, may seem like a daunting task, but Colonel Tulley said the strengths each of them bring to the fight far surpasses any challenges they will have to overcome.

The C-130J began to replace the aging C-130E in 1999. Although the J model has deployed to the area of responsibility before, this deployment is significant because it's a total force effort, the colonel said.

"AFRC brings a lot of experience, and between the different units -- Maxwell, Pope and Little Rock (Air Force bases) -- (working together) should be a great opportunity to share knowledge and expertise on handling a C-130 in combat," he said.

We have already seen what the J model's capabilities are through defense training over the past 10 months and now we are looking forward to testing the aircraft in combat, Colonel Tulley said.

"The J model has much longer legs and a much greater lift capacity because of the extra two pallet positions. It's also very reliable because it is brand new," Colonel Tulley said. "(The C-130J model) has been lucky enough to be among the first to get the benefit of being recapitalized."