JB Balad wraps up operations

by Senior Airman Chuck Broadway, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force/Air Component Coordination Element-Iraq Public Affairs

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) -- What was once a bustling hub for U.S. operations in Iraq has now transitioned into a quiet and empty shell of its former self.

In accordance with a 2008 security agreement between the U.S. and Iraq, Joint Base Balad was transitioned to the government of Iraq and the U.S. military presence has vanished.

Brig. Gen. Kurt Neubauer, the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing commander, said he was extremely satisfied with the work Airmen at JB Balad have done with transitioning the base while maintaining operations until the final days.

"I'm most proud of the way our Airmen at the 332nd AEW rose to the challenge of dealing with combat operations while simultaneously being agile enough to thin out capabilities," Neubauer said. "We've turned JB Balad over to the Iraqis in good working order and that was inspirational."

The transition was an eight-month operation that included many base entities.

"The closure has created a supportive mission between squadrons," said Lt. Col. Terry Walter, the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron commander. "You can't take any piece of the base away without affecting another part of the mission."

As part of the transition, the 332nd ECES moved more than 400 short tons of generators and construction equipment. More than 1,000 vehicles and 12,000 pieces of computer equipment were also redistributed.

"This was a centerpiece to the transition out of Balad," said 1st Lt. Nate Kane, the 332nd Expeditionary Communications Squadron officer in charge of transition logistics. "All the pieces of equipment that made the communications footprint function transitioned through here."

Kane said equipment such as computers, printers, scanners, monitors and telephones were all sent to other U.S. Central Command installations for further use.

In addition to redistributing communications equipment, JB Balad Airmen at the 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron processed all vehicles on base as part of the transition.

"Like any other equipment, the base cannot transition without these vehicles being transferred to the Iraqi government or shipped out to one of 30 deployed locations," said Senior Master Sgt. Eric Lorow, the 332nd ELRS vehicle maintenance superintendent.

According to Lorow, all vehicles were given a four-hour inspection to check for function capabilities and ensure they were both mechanically and cosmetically serviceable.

"We had people here until the last day," Lorow said. "The Iraqi government didn't want to come into a junkyard and we made sure that didn't happen."

During the course of the U.S. operations in Iraq, JB Balad provided top cover for U.S. and coalition forces. F-16 Fighting Falcons, C-130 Hercules, MC-12 Liberties, HH-60 rescue helicopters and MQ-1B Predator remotely piloted vehicles all once called JB Balad home. It was the second largest installation in Iraq and housed the Air Force Theater Hospital, which boasted a 98 percent survival rate for the more than 35,000 U.S. troops who were treated here.

"Over the course of the more than eight years at JB Balad, Airmen have done something very special and worthy," Neubauer said. "There were some very challenging circumstances to overcome here, and I want our countrymen to appreciate the sacrifices of our Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines and be proud of them."

MC-12 aircrews complete 2,000th combat sortie

by Senior Airman Wes Carter, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) -- MC-12 Liberty aircrews assigned to the 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron completed their 2,000th combat sortie recently from Joint Base Balad.

The MC-12 program took off in the fall as Airmen flew the first combat mission in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft that supports coalition and joint ground troops in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

"A year ago the commander and I were learning how to start the new aircraft, and now the program just flew its 2,000th mission," said Capt. Ryan Woodman, a 362nd ERS mission pilot. "Given what this program accomplishes for the troops on the ground, it is a great feeling. We are the eyes in the sky for those guys. We are able to communicate and help them with their mission on the ground."

The MC-12, which allows the crew to support the ground troops, is a tactical ISR aircraft. The plane is operated by two pilots in the front of the fixed-wing aircraft and two enlisted members who gather intelligence by operating a sensor, a camera, located on the bottom of the plane. Having people in the aircraft allow adjustments to be made quickly. The adjustments allow a quick dissemination of information.

"As the signals operator, my job is to locate high value individuals and coordinate with the sensor operator to put the intel together," said Senior Airman Candise Woods, a 362nd ERS signals intel operator. "We are able to provide an angle of intel that other forces can't provide. We are providing real-time information to the ground forces."

Junior ranking Airmen in the MC-12 program have a lot of responsibility for this mission.

"Our junior Airmen are constantly in situations where they (must) give correct info in a matter of seconds," said Lt. Col. Phillip Stewart, the 362nd ERS commander. "Their decisions could mean the difference between life and death to the Soldier, Marine or Airmen on the ground. In a split second they have to be able to decide if the guy they are looking at is holding a shovel or a rifle and then transmit it to the ground. They perform under this pressure exceptionally well."

For the last nine months, the MC-12 mission has provided intelligence that has no doubt eased the minds of the security forces members patrolling villages, but it has also contributed to the arrest and prosecution of several dozen wanted individuals, and discovered multiple weapons caches and IEDs.

Airmen execute Project Liberty

The first MC-12 Liberty aircraft in-theater taxies out of an aircraft hangar for its first combat sortie June 10 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. The Air Force's new manned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform, the MC-12 is designed to directly support ground forces with real-time ISR capability. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Tiffany Trojca)

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq (AFNS) -- Eighteen months ago officials created a plan to bolster the Air Force's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission by adding a new platform to the ISR inventory. Now the Airmen assigned to the 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron Detachment 1 here at Camp Liberty, Iraq, are charged with the task of standing up the new ISR mission using the newly configured C-12 Huron turboprop planes, designated MC-12W, as ISR platforms.

The program, called Project Liberty, involves Airmen operating the MC-12W aircraft out of Joint Base Balad, Iraq, and more Airmen serving as ground-based crew, gathering and analyzing the intelligence collected from here. The first combat sortie, flown June 9, was a complete success according to all parties involved.

In a recent interview, Maj. Gen. Blair E. Hansen, the A2 director of ISR capabilities and Air Force lead for the task force said, "this fight demands decisive information, surgical ISR, tailored to the level of the fight. This capability will give field commanders more important and timely knowledge to make critical decisions. To be effective in counterinsurgency requires micro information fast, to both kill or capture terrorists as well as to protect our joint and coalition force and the civilian population."

More than 20 trained professionals, all deployed form Langley AFB, Va., work day and night behind the scenes to gather and analyze all the data and imagery the aircraft collects, to provide forward deployed ground forces with the near real-time information to make key battlefield decisions.

"The purpose of Project Liberty is to provide intelligence directly to the warfighter," said Capt. Jeffrey Johnston, 362nd ERS Det. 1 commander. "We are providing daily support to the theater."

Captain Johnston said, the new ISR mission isn't exactly a new capability, but what is new is the concept of the platform and the fact that they are standing up new capabilities to the fight.

"It has been a tremendous amount of work, but we have the absolute best people to pave the way for this growing mission," said Captain Johnston.

According to the detachment's superintendent, standing up a new mission like this isn't ever easy, but said thanks to the hard work of his Airmen the gap has been bridged smoothly.

"There is a reason this team was handpicked to come here," said Master Sgt. Kyle LaLand, who is a native of Queens, N.Y. "I really think we are making a big difference for the guys fighting on the ground."

JABS knock out communication problems for warfighters

by Tech. Sgt. Craig Lifton, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) -- Joint Airborne Battle Staff members here are similar to 911 operators in the air as they ensure convoys operating throughout Iraq are never without communications.

JABS crews flying on board C-130 Hercules aircraft fill in the gap wherever ground communication is limited in the war zone, which is especially important on the dangerous Iraqi roads where improvised explosive devices, vehicle malfunctions and accidents threaten mission success.

"The Army needed an airborne communications platform," said Capt. Seana Jones, the Multinational Corps-Iraq JABS Detachment commander. "We can be more mobile and can provide coverage in the communications gaps."

The JABS was created to fill the Army's need to keep in constant communications with convoys as they travel throughout Iraq. Ground communications stations dot the countryside, but due to distance, terrain, mechanical issues and atmospheric conditions, the ground systems can't always provide 100 percent radio coverage.

"JABS is a crucial part of the convoy mission," said Army Spc. Jamie Lipscomb, a movement control specialist with the 486th Movement Control Team from Kaiserslautern, Germany. "Without JABS, it would be virtually impossible to speak with the convoys."

Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen make up the JABS crew. Coming from different bases and career fields, these servicemembers are joined to fulfill the JABS mission.
"I am learning about how the other branches work," said Army Spc. David Jarvis, a signal support specialist deployed to JABS from the Army Garrison in Bamberg, Germany. "Everyone brings something different to the table."

Operating on board a 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C-130s, the JABS crew listens to convoy communications traffic. When ground communications are out, the convoying servicemembers can rest assured, knowing that JABS is overhead.

"Either we intercept the call and pass the information on, or they call us directly," said Captain Jones, a New Smyrna Beach, Fla., native deployed from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. "We can call out a quick-response force, explosive ordnance disposal or aeromedical evacuation."

Ensuring the servicemembers on the ground are ready for the fight is what JABS brings to the team.

"It's essential to the guys on the ground," said Navy Chief Petty Officer Dan Boyles, an avionics technician from the Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center at Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va. "JABS gives the warfighters on deck a warm, fuzzy feeling to know they can count on us."

When JABS first started in March 2007, they had to start from scratch. They improvised and adapted to make the mission a success.

Resembling a police and fire emergency dispatch center in the air, the operating area -- four chairs arranged around a sturdy and equally secured table with laptop computers on top -- comes fully secured on a pallet, connected by cables to a second pallet with their communications equipment.

"We look out for all of the convoys," said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Humphreys, an operations specialist deployed to the MNC-I JABS Detachment from the Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. "We know what can be potentially harmful and relay the information to them."

"When JABS first started, they strapped down a card table and four folding chairs," Captain Jones said. "Now, we use chairs from salvaged vehicles that are comfortable and can recline."

The radio system, known as the Joint Airborne Communication System, or JACS, was large and difficult to move on and off the aircraft. The newest JACS weighs 80 pounds and fits in a box.

The 777th EAS aircrews said they are proud to be a part of the mission.

"We work seamlessly with the JABS crew," said Capt. Kevin Eley an aircraft commander with the 777th EAS and native of Vienna, Va. He is deployed from Little Rock AFB, Ark. "We are one team, one fight."

As convoys continue to roll out on to the roads of Iraq, JABS crews keep an open ear to their communications, ready to help at a moment's notice.

Coalition force Reaper unit deploys to Joint Base Balad

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) -- A coalition force comprising experts from the U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force deployed here recently to sustain operations for the world's most lethal unmanned aircraft system.

An MQ-9 Reaper aircraft maintenance unit, attached to the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance and Attack Squadron, melds airframe maintenance expertise with satellite communications system technical capability and brings American and British Airmen together to accomplish the Reaper's persistent strike mission, said Capt. Antonio Camacho, the Reaper AMU officer in charge.

"It's a very unique program," said Captain Camacho, whose unit is deployed from the 432nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. "Some people see our system as remote control, but it's not."

The Reaper AMU took over maintaining the UAS from General Atomics, which produces the Reaper for the U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force. Battlespace Flight Services maintains MQ-1 Predators stationed at Joint Base Balad.

Reaper and Predator systems consist of four main components: the aircraft, the satellite uplink, the local ground control station and the remote ground control station at Creech AFB, said Royal Air Force Chief Technician Gary Smith, NCO in charge of the Reaper AMU.

"All that is one system, and all of the system has to work to enable the aircraft to take off," said RAF Chief Technician Smith, a native of Lincoln, England, who is deployed from Creech. "Unlike an F-16 (Fighting Falcon) AMU, which will look after just the aircraft, we look after the whole system. We become system managers rather than aircraft managers: it's a worldwide system, and all of those pieces have to work."

The major differences between the Reaper and Predator systems lie in the airframe, said Captain Camacho, a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Reaper flies faster and higher than the Predator and carries more than twice as much ordnance. However, the background systems that support the aircraft are the same. Staff Sgt. Kevin Wulf, a communications maintenance technician with the Reaper AMU, is responsible for those background systems.

"I work on everything outside of the aircraft: pilot and sensor operation, everything that controls the aircraft and all the equipment that commands it -- both the line-of-sight antenna link and the satellite communications link," said Sergeant Wulf, a native of Spokane, Wash.

UAS pilots and sensor operators use both commercial satellite systems and military satellites such as the Air Force's Wideband Global SATCOM system to control Reapers and Predators, Sergeant Wulf said. Maintaining that link means overcoming environmental challenges.

"Being out in the desert, we get a lot of dust in the equipment, which can cause critical systems to fail," he said.

Overall, however, the experience has proven helpful both for American Airmen and their British counterparts.

"Our engineers are embedded in the AMU," said RAF Chief Technician Smith, who accepted a one-year extension of his tour at Creech so he could help the AMU deploy here. "There's no difference -- it's not, 'I'm Royal Air Force, he's U.S. Air Force.' We're totally embedded in the unit. Because of that, we pass ideas to one another, and I think the unit's far better for it."

The sharing of ideas has improved maintenance operations in general, Captain Camacho said.

"It provides a different perspective," he said. "It's like going into a brand-new unit: you see everything differently."

The blend of American and British Airmen has provided some unintended benefits as well, RAF Chief Technician Smith said.

"They watch our soccer, and we watch their American football," he said. "And I've got them drinking tea. How many tea bags have we gone through since we've been here? Hundreds -- we have to have a constant resupply of them. The cultural differences have melded together, and we've got a kind of unique culture within our unit because of the mixture."

Guard's 76th Brigade Mobilizes for Iraq - Update

Update: My good friend Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT over on his blog the KL4LMT Monitoring Post has an update to this story, with callsign and TRS talkgroup information. You can read about that update at
http://kf4lmt.blogspot.com/2008/01/4th-cavalry-brigade-at-fort-stewart.html . Thanks for the heads up Mac.

BY Rob Cooper


Sgt. Shane Pudgett hugs his wife goodbye as his son, Bryce, age 5, sheds a tear Jan. 2 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. This is the largest Indiana National Guard deployment since World War II, with more than 3,400 Soldiers from about 30 Indiana communities mobilizing. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Kuka)

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Army News Service, Jan. 8, 2008) -- The RCA Dome has crowned five NCAA championships and stood home to the Indianapolis Colts, but on Jan. 2, the dome hosted the largest going away party in Indiana's history.

"I've heard this place referred to as the 'Hall of Heroes' before," said Colts President Bill Polian, "but those heroes don't wear the numbered sports jerseys; instead, they choose to wear the uniforms and insignia of Indiana's finest, the American Soldier."

Along with the Colts, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and the state of Indiana paid tribute to Hoosiers assigned to the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team before the more than 3,400 Soldiers departed on their journey that will take them to Iraq and back.

Packing stands along the dome's eastern half, thousands of loved ones and supporters braved cold weather and choked back swells of emotion to see off one of the largest deployments in Indiana since World War II.

Deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the brigade is both prepared for the mission and proud to be part of it, said the 76th IBCT commander, Col. Courtney Carr.

"The Nighthawks are proud and fortunate to be Hoosiers," Col. Carr said. "We've chosen to be Soldiers, knowing that the nation would call us to serve. For a great number of us here, this is not the first call, but we continue to choose the path of service to our nation."

As Soldiers unloaded duffels bags onto the field, many of them gave their last, tearful goodbyes to friends and relatives.

"For the next year, meals, sporting events, homework, doctor appointments and etcetera will fall completely on the families," Col. Carr said. "But for many families, normal routines will be a little more difficult. Your strength at home, leading the family, and your support of our Soldiers and our mission is also a critical strength to our force.

"What you all do allows us the opportunity to choose to be Soldiers," he added.
Christina Adams, who attended the departure ceremony, said that she is fortunate to be a part of the Indiana National Guard family. Last Saturday, she married Pfc. Jeremy Adams as a final gift to him before he deploys.

"For this organization, family comes first, and it means a lot to have all these people and programs that support our family available to us," she said.

The brigade will begin its journey today to Fort Stewart, Ga., where they will complete a rigorous and immersive training routine prior to deploying to Iraq.

"Right now our main focus is getting everyone prepped and trained to move one step at a time," said 2nd Lt. Justin Newett, a member of the brigade's E Company, 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment.

This will be the lieutenant's first overseas deployment. "I'm not nervous yet, but as we get closer to Iraq I guess we'll get to that. But right now I'm just concentrating on getting to Georgia to train," he said.

Col. Carr assured many families that the brigade will receive some of the best and most comprehensive training available. "There is a clear relationship between well-trained, professional Soldiers and units and how successful they are in combat," he said. "The training that we've worked so hard to complete ensures that every one of the Soldiers in front of you has the training to execute the missions to which we'll be assigned.

Gov. Daniels credited the state's adjutant general, Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, with once again preparing and sustaining a professional fighting force capable of defending Americans' freedom.

"You are my first appointment in this deployment, and I have not made a better one," he said. Gov. Daniels also addressed members of the brigade, praising them for their service and sacrifices. "You are the finest citizens of our state, and the finest citizens of our era," he said.

(Rob Cooper writes for the Crier newspaper at Camp Atterbury, Ind.)

Balad radar air traffic controllers run skies of Iraq

by Staff Sgt. Travis Edwards, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs


Staff Sgt. Gilbert Lanai uses the enhanced terminal voice switch inside the combined en route radar approach control facility at Balad Air Base, Iraq, to coordinate with adjacent sectors in Iraq. The ETVS is a new addition that allows controllers to touch the screen to talk to someone on a "shout" line or call line. Sergeant Lanai is a 332nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron air traffic controller deployed from the Hawaii Air National Guard. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Travis Edwards)

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- It looks simple in theory. All you have to do is keep little blips on a screen from bumping into each other. Now consider that those blips represent billions of dollars of government assets and hundreds of lives, all relying on one person's ability to control air traffic.

This is the job of the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron radar air traffic controllers here, working in one of the busiest combined en route radar approach, or CERAP, control facilities, where it's not unfamiliar to see more than 550 aircraft operations in just one day.

But don't confuse these radar controllers with tower controllers who manage the airport.

"We manage all the arrivals and departures of aircraft in middle Iraq," said Staff Sgt. Elida Bermudez, a 332nd EOSS air traffic controller and CERAP watch supervisor, deployed from Travis Air Force Base, Calif.

"It's different working here than anywhere else I've been," Sergeant Bermudez said. "The workload -- the airspace -- I'm used to only heavies, and all it takes is one phone call to take most of our airspace away, leaving us with only a minimal amount of airspace to work with."

Imagine standing above a beehive looking down, seeing all the busy bees zooming and zipping back and fourth in harmony. The same can be said about the airspace around Balad Air Base and central Iraq, except these bees don't just buzz, they roar.

Instead of the aircraft instinctively knowing where to go like bees, they trust an elite group of more than 30 Airmen to keep them safely separated from each other, either laterally or by altitude.

Sergeant Bermudez said when it comes to controlling traffic, "I like it, everyday has something different. But you have to know what you can and can't handle. You have to know when to say 'uncle' for the safety of aircraft, and not let your ego get in the way of a potentially unsafe situation."

She said the easiest way to overcome those situations is to keep practicing, and absorb the knowledge from those who are more experienced.

One way of getting the experience is working in all seven positions in the CERAP: Two approach/departure control positions with an assist make up the terminal section, and two en route (or center) control positions with an assist and a flight data position.

The approach/departure position works directly with aircraft departing and arriving Balad AB. An approach controller sequences and separates inbound aircraft as well as getting positive identification of departing aircraft, while the assist coordinates aircraft movement with adjacent sectors and fills out flight data strips.

The CERAP's en route section handles aircraft transiting central Iraq.

"The CERAP's en route position owns the airspace from 19,000 to 28,000 feet in the air," said Master Sgt. Verlyn Booker, a 332nd EOSS air traffic controller and CERAP watch supervisor, deployed from Moody AFB, Ga.

The other position is flight data.

The primary role of flght data is to relay the airspace and traffic in central Iraq between the CERAP and King Pin, a combat aircraft controlling agency.

"It's tough work, but if you take care of the Airmen in position they will take care of you and more importantly, the airspace," Sergeant Bermudez said.

'Storm Riders' Team with Infantry for Iraq Air Assault Missions

By Sgt. 1st Class Chris Seaton, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs Office
A CH-47 Chinook helicopter from 'Big Windy' -- U.S. Army Europe's B Company, 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation - spins up for takeoff for a late-night air assault mission in Iraq. The helicopter, part of Task Force Storm here, is loaded with Soldiers preparing for an infiltration in Iraq. (Photo by Maj. Terry Rodesky)

LOGISTICAL SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, Balad, Iraq -- It's 2 a.m. on a brisk November morning in an Iraqi village. The night sky is clear, and the insurgent fighters who've been operating out of the village are sleeping. In the distance, a guard on lookout hears what sounds like a helicopter.

Sounds can play tricks in the desert -- especially at night -- but within moments the sound becomes deafening. One faint helicopter heard in the distance becomes 10 menacing aircraft descending on the village.

Before the guard can rouse his fellow insurgents, the aircraft have landed. Waves of coalition infantrymen pour out of UH-60 Black Hawks and CH-47 Chinook helicopters from all sides of the village.

Armor-clad warriors emerge from the massive dust clouds kicked up by helicopter rotors as even more aircraft -- lethal AH-64 Apaches this time -- hover overhead, practically begging enemy militias for an opportunity to fire their 30mm guns.

The village is surrounded, and the battle is over before it began.

This is the typical air assault mission here; a complex, joint and combined arms operation that involves infantrymen, Air Force aircraft, three types of U.S. Army helicopters, and the Soldiers of Task Force Storm.

The 'Storm Riders' are the air assault battalion for Task Force XII, the aviation task force led by U.S. Army Europe's 12th Combat Aviation Brigade. The battalion has successfully taken part in dozens of these missions since arriving in Iraq this summer.

"The mobility that helicopters give the infantry is amazing," said Lt. Col. Jay Macklin, Task Force Storm commander. "We can arrive at any time, day or night, and the enemy never knows how big a force is coming; where we're coming from; where we're going to land, or what we're going to do."

Without the aircraft, the infantry would be forced to convoy on Iraq's dangerous roads. Soldiers on the ground are just as efficient, but they face improvised explosive devices. Trucks also move more slowly, and arrive one at a time. Without the aircraft, the enemy may be ready before coalition forces arrive.

"The enemy is not stupid, and we know that," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Clark Hall, a Task Force Storm pilot. "We bring the element of surprise they wouldn't have without us."

Even with the helicopters, the battle is very real for infantrymen and aviators alike.

"Their threat is our threat," said Capt. Samuel Redding, commander of A Company, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation and a former infantryman. "If they're worried about IEDs, so are we. A lot of our door gunners tell me that if we're going in shooting they want to get off with the infantry guys and help."

The door gunners are trained to lay down suppressive fire and to help land the aircraft during hostile landings. During the few critical moments the helicopter is on the ground and Soldiers are focused on the assault, it's the door gunner's job to keep everyone safe.

"Sometimes when I'm flying with the ground Soldiers, it hits me," said Sgt. Steven Kellam, a Task Force Storm crew chief and door gunner. "I look around at the infantry guys we're about to land with, and wonder how many of them are going to be riding back with us."

"The majority of my guys don't even think about it as being 'tip-of-the-spear-type' dangerous duty," said Redding. "They get to see the guys who are out there eating dirt. They see the guys who are really working."

The aviation side involves more than just the Soldiers in the helicopters though, said Macklin.

"These are very complex missions with a lot of moving pieces," he said. "During an assault, the entire battalion is at work, day or night ... everything from planning the mission; tracking the battle in the tactical operations center; refueling aircraft, or maintenance -- it's one big collective effort."

The key, though, said Macklin, is a habitual relationship with ground commanders. For an operation to run smoothly, the Soldiers in the air and on the ground have to be on the same page.

"We play a big part, but we're just one piece of the operation," said Hall. "These guys on the ground are the ones doing the real work."

But when the pieces come together, Macklin said, the element of surprise, the efficiency, and the speed create a lethal package.

"We've become a big part of the combined arms team," he said.

At 2:10 a.m. the cool air is still filled with dust as the roar of the aircraft has once again given way to a distant sound of a single helicopter.

But the village itself is different. What was recently a militia stronghold is now quickly becoming a safe Iraqi village. And the insurgents never knew what hit them.

Eight National Guard brigades alerted for Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom

The Department of the Army has joined the Department of Defense in announcing the alert of seven Army National Guard Brigade Combat Teams and one Army National Guard Fires Brigade for planned rotations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

More than 20,000 Army National Guard Soldiers are being notified by the Army to prepare for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. These units are being informed in advance to provide them the opportunity to plan, conduct world-class training, and to provide some degree of predictability for the Citizen-Soldiers, their Families and their respective employers.

The "Jersey Blues" - the 50th Heavy Brigade Combat Team of the New Jersey Army National Guard, based at Fort Dix - includes units from across the state. The brigade is expected to mobilize in May 2008 and deploy to Iraq in autumn 2008. This will be the brigade's first deployment in support of the Global War on Terror.

The 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is headquartered at Fort Ruger, Hawaii, and includes units from across Hawaii and Arizona. The brigade is expected to mobilize in June 2008 and deploy to Iraq in autumn 2008. The "Lava Brigade" served in Iraq from January through December of 2005.

The 56th Brigade Combat Team of the 36th Infantry Division includes units from across Texas. The "Thunderbolt Brigade" is expected to mobilize in July 2008 and deploy to Iraq in autumn 2008. The brigade last deployed to Iraq from December 2004 through December 2005.

The "Ravens" of Washington's 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team are based in Seattle, Washington, and includes units from Washington and California. It is expected to mobilize in August 2008 and deploy to Iraq in autumn 2008. The brigade last deployed to Iraq from March 2004 through March 2005.

Tracing their lineage to the Associated Regiment of Foot founded by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia in 1747, "The Associators" of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, are headquartered in Philadelphia. They are expected to mobilize in November 2008 and deploy to Iraq in early 2009. The brigade, which includes units from across Pennsylvania, is the only Stryker Brigade Combat Team in the Army National Guard, and one of just seven in the Army. This will be the brigade's first deployment as a unit, although small units from the brigade have previously deployed in support of operation Iraqi Freedom.

The 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team of the North Carolina Army National Guard, based in Clinton, includes units from North Carolina and West Virginia. "Old Hickory" will mobilize in January 2009 and deploy to Iraq in spring 2009. The brigade last deployed to Iraq from February 2004 through February 2005.

The 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, headquartered in Decatur, Illinois, will mobilize in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in August 2008. The "Prairie" Brigade is expected to deploy in autumn 2008 to Afghanistan, where it will train the Afghan National Army. In January 2002, one of the brigade's battalions mobilized in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and deployed to Germany to provide force protection at U.S. facilities across Europe.

In addition to the seven BCTs, Oklahoma's 45th Fires Brigade, based in Enid, is also scheduled to deploy to Iraq. It includes units from Oklahoma and Utah. "Red Thunder" is expected to mobilize in June 2008 and deploy to Iraq in autumn 2008 where it will augment the 29th IBCT in its assigned mission. The 45th Fires Brigade deployed two battalions to Iraq in 2003.

While Regular Army units deploy for up to 15-month tours, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates directed in January that reserve component units would mobilize for no longer than one year and that they would train and deploy as cohesive units.

Two of the brigades - the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team and the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team - will operate as Brigade Combat Teams, responsible for conducting full-spectrum operations in an assigned battlespace. Four of the brigades - the 56th BCT of the 36th Infantry Division, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 81st HBCT and 45th Fires - will contribute to the security force responsible for ensuring freedom of movement and continuity of operations across the country. These tasks include base defense and route security. The 50th HBCT will support detention operations at sites throughout Iraq.

The National Guard has responded to every call for forces, already having mobilized more than 285,000 Soldiers. Each time the National Guard has been called upon, they have responded with proven and capable warriors. These outstanding Citizen-Soldiers, their Family members and employers continue to make great sacrifices for our country and they acknowledge and appreciate the continued support of the American people.

"We recognize the commitment and increasing sacrifices that our Families are making every day," said Secretary of the Army Mr. Pete Geren. "We recognize the strength of our Soldiers comes from the strength of their Families. The American Soldier and the Army Family - our All Volunteer Force - are a national treasure. Truly, the strength of our Nation!"

The case-by-case selection of Army National Guard forces honors worldwide commitments and provides combatant commanders the forces they need to maintain the current momentum in support of operations in Iraq.

Balad's busy aerial port supports, supplies the fight

Balad's busy aerial port supports, supplies the fight Airmen with the 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Aerial Port Flight prepare to in process cargo from a C-17 Globemaster III March 14 at Balad Air Base in Iraq. Balad AB is the aerial port hub for all of Iraq and is the busiest cargo aerial port in the Department of Defense. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Nathan Doza)

by Senior Airman Candace Romano
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFNEWS) -- The drone of forklifts moving pallets breaks the smoke-filled haze as members of the 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Aerial Port Flight work against the clock to expedite critical hub-and-spoke missions.

Whether it is aircraft parts and ammunition, or fire trucks and heavily armored vehicles, essential supplies for warfighters are palletized, loaded onto aircraft and sent downrange.

"Balad is the aerial port hub for all of Iraq and the busiest cargo aerial port in the Department of Defense," said Maj. Preston McFarren, Aerial Port Flight commander. "We run a huge operation for cargo movement in-theater. The CONUS [Continental United States] super-ports only move half the tonnage and passengers we move at any given time here."

During Air Expeditionary Force 5-6, the flight expects to support approximately 6,955 cargo missions and process about 73,929 passengers through the port, said Staff Sgt. Thomas Roberts, NCO in charge of data records.

As the busiest aerial port flight in DOD, they average about 50 percent more tons than the busiest Air Mobility Command ports in the CONUS, Major McFarren said. He is a reservist deployed from the 433rd Airlift Wing's 26th Aerial Port Squadron at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

The aerial porters control the core of all aerial logistics in Iraq utilizing the hub-and-spoke concept, a method of intra-theater airlift conceived from organizations like FedEx and the United Parcel Service. As a result, tactical airlift has streamlined the process and provided a safer means of moving personnel and cargo, as well as aiding with convoy mitigation.

"The more cargo we can put in the air, the more we can reduce the size and frequency of convoys out on the road," said Chief Master Sgt. Steven Saxon, the aerial port flight superintendent, also deployed from the 433rd Airlift Wing at Lackland AFB. "If it can go by air, we send it that way."

Their mission is saving time, getting supplies to warfighters, and potentially saving lives.

"Our purpose is to keep them off of the ground," said Senior Airman Michael Olsen, an air transportation journeyman deployed from Little Rock AFB, Ark. "During this rotation, it is estimated we will have prevented more than 190 convoys and saved over 10,000 soldiers from being placed in harm's way on Iraqi roads. I'm very proud of the job we're doing, and the impact we're having is rewarding."

Each pallet can hold up to 10,000 pounds of cargo, and roughly four pallets equals a truckload. The C-130 Hercules can carry six pallets. By increasing the number of pallets put on an aircraft instead of on a truck in a convoy, the flight reduces the number of vehicles required, Major McFarren said.

Cargo processors build up and break down pallets for travel, and the flight's load planners check weight and balance requirements for supplies and equipment scheduled for airlift. The Air Terminal Operations Center, the aerial port command cell, provides coordination for the flight.

Special handling involves processing hazardous and valuable materials and registered mail. They also handle precious cargo -- the remains of servicemembers who have made the ultimate sacrifice -- when airlift missions dedicated solely to this purpose take flight.

"Seeing a fallen comrade going home makes us comprehend the realities of war," said Airman 1st Class Luther Franklin, an air transportation journeyman deployed from Charleston AFB, S.C. "It puts things in perspective ... it's hard to see, but it's an honor for us to do it."

The Airmen with the flight have learned quickly to deal with challenges in a deployed environment. The close to 100 Airmen assigned to the 332nd ELRS with its 24/7 operations, do the work of 400 Airmen assigned to some of AMC's largest ports.

"The Airmen move a tremendous amount of cargo and passengers, getting the job done through hard work and a whole lot of willpower," Major McFarren said. "As busy as this flight is, and in spite of the reduced manpower we're working with, what's being accomplished here is a real testament to the abilities of the Airmen and NCOs. The work they're doing is absolutely phenomenal."

The aerial porters are also safely loading a wide assortment of aircraft in about half the time than they're used to at home station.

"By reducing time on the ground for air and ground crews and operating on expedited ground time, we make sure the maximum number of missions go out every day," Major McFarren said. He considers his deployment here a first in a hostile environment. "It's a huge challenge to load cargo in half the time we're used to back home -- we're always re-adapting load plans and changing gears to meet mission requirements, and there's no room for error."

Despite the high-paced environment, one Airman feels the relief and affirmation after a completed mission and successful delivery.

"When we see armor kits and water going downrange, we know it's keeping coalition forces alive and possibly easing the stress of their deployment," Airman Franklin said.
Members of the aerial port flight may be "behind the scenes," but they're making the war possible.

"Our Airmen are putting assets on target," Chief Saxon said. "We're delivering pallets, supplies and equipment to the war machine."