RPAs reach 2 million hours

by By Senior Airman A.K. 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

LAS VEGAS (AFNS) -- The U.S. Air Force's MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft accumulated 2 million flight hours Oct. 22, not only marking a significant milestone, but also demonstrating the evolution of the program.

The RPA program began in the mid-1990s. It took 16 years for the community to reach 1 million hours and a mere two and a half years to double those flight hours.

"There is just no way to describe what an amazing event that was," said Col. James Cluff, the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing commander. "The community really had some very humble roots flying out of what used to be Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field here almost 20 years ago."

Although it was a crew from Creech Air Force Base to actually fly the mission that reached the 2 millionth flight hour marker, it is was a team effort that made the mission possible.

Cluff said it was really an enterprise-wide event for the men and women of the RPA community.

"Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Force Materiel Command, 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, our guard and reserve partners, and many others all contributed to this - not just the 432nd Wing or Air Combat Command," Cluff said. "The whole team is represented here by this amazing achievement, and we couldn't be prouder."

Lt. Gen. John Hesterman, the commander of the U.S. Air Forces Central Command in Southwest Asia, noted the importance of RPAs and said it's the men and women of the community who have helped achieve such great success over the years.

"The fact that commanders have had this ISR and precision-strike capability from remotely piloted aircraft when and where they have needed it for so long is a remarkable milestone, and should be noted," Hesterman said. "But perhaps the bigger story and true achievement has been the unwavering dedication of the men and women who have made this capability available for such a sustained period of time. They have saved lives and made us and our coalition partners safer and more secure."

Chief Master Sgt. Butch Brien, the 432 Wing/432nd AEW command chief, noted the dedication of the Airmen, both past and present, behind the mission is unmatched.

"People are going to be talking about us for years and years to come - it's great to be part of this elite team," Brien said. "I think about the 24/7, 365 operations capability that we have working with our partners across the United States and overseas making this happen, and how advanced the technology has become since the beginning ... what we're achieving right now, you can't touch that."

The crew chosen to fly the mission was hand-picked directly by their commander for a multitude of reasons.

"The decision was based on several things such as qualifications, merit, and experience," said Capt. Ben, an 18th Reconnaissance Squadron RPA pilot who flew the 2 millionth hour mission. "We are continuing a legacy of flying of all the RPA pilots and sensors before us. However, it's a combined 'one team, one fight' effort. We depend on our counterparts like communications, maintenance, launch and recovery teams, and other RPA Airmen to be able to conduct and complete our missions."

Staff Sgt. Tabitha, a 18th RS mission intelligence coordinator, said the community has experienced an increase in the number of combat air patrols over the years but the dedication of the team is what makes the difference.

"Even though it's been hard, we've always found a way to meet the increasing demands," she said.

California Guard Deploys Predator to Support Firefighters

California National Guard Airman 1st Class Allan Polzin, 163d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, conducts pre-flight checks on the MQ-1 Predator while in communication with the pilots prior to a training flight at Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, Calif. (Air National Guard photo/Master Sgt. Julie Avey)

By Donna Miles,  American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON - With wildfires continuing to rage around Yosemite National Park, the California National Guard has deployed a remotely piloted aircraft that improves the incident commander's ability to monitor conditions on the ground.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel approved the use of an MQ-1 Predator to support firefighters battling the Rim Fire that has expanded to more than 160,000 acres, Air Force Lt. Col. Thomas Keegan, California National Guard public affairs officer, reported.

The California Air National Guard's 163rd Reconnaissance Wing deployed the Predator yesterday, and it is being flown in direct support of the incident commander under the command and control of Army Maj. Gen. David S. Baldwin, California's adjutant general, Keegan said.

The aircraft, flying from the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville for up to 22 hours without landing, will capture and deliver real-time 24/7 information on remote portions of the wildfire.

"The impact of this will be significant," Keegan said. "It will identify where fire activity is located and how it is moving, as well as where it has been controlled."

The aircraft also will identify safe routes of retreat for firefighters on the scene and verify new fire created by lightning strikes or floating embers. This, Keegan explained, will help the incident commander stay on top of the changing situation on the ground and make the best use of available resources.

Keegan emphasized that the images will be used only to support firefighting operations.

The aircraft's pilots, located at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif., will remain in constant contact with Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers from takeoff to landing and fly over unpopulated areas whenever possible, he said. The flight path generally will be limited to 30 nautical miles of the Rim Fire area, and whenever it flies outside the restricted airspace for the fire, a manned plane will escort it.

Meanwhile, nearly a dozen aircraft and crews from the California Air and Army National Guard are battling wildfires across Northern California.

California Army Guard helicopter crews and California Air Guard air tanker crews are working in coordination with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and U.S. Forest Service firefighting crews to battle the American, Swedes and Rim fires, Keegan reported.

In addition to two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters supporting operations at the Rim Fire, three Black Hawks are battling the American Fire and two Black Hawks and one CH-47 Chinook helicopter are flying in support of the Swedes Fire, Keegan said.

Another Black Hawk -- with a specialized crew and a hoist for extracting injured personnel from rugged terrain -- is staged in Redding, Calif., on call for medical evacuation support throughout Northern California.

At the Rim Fire alone, the helicopter crews have completed 905 drops, releasing more than 450,000 gallons of water and fire retardant since the crews were activated Aug. 17, Keegan said.

In addition, Air National Guard crews are using two C-130J Hercules air tankers to fight the Rim Fire. Both aircraft are equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems II and are capable of discharging 3,000 gallons of water or retardant in less than five seconds. Since their activation Aug. 13, the air tankers have completed 122 drops, releasing more than 333,000 gallons of retardant, Keegan said.

"In times of crisis, it is imperative we pull together as a united front against the threat of wildfires in our state," Baldwin said, noting that the California Guard regularly trains for the mission.
"Working together in a climate of cooperation with [state officials], our soldiers and airmen are committed to preserving the lives and property of our neighbors who are threatened by this emergency," he said.

The Rim Fire is not the first in which California has used remotely piloted aircraft technology to support firefighting. In 2007, NASA piloted a similar unmanned aircraft in response to a request from the California Office of Emergency Services and the National Interagency Fire Center.

Those flights were conducted during daytime hours, complemented by nighttime imaging flights from NIFC's Cessna Citation and an Air Force Global Hawk, both equipped with an earlier-generation infrared camera. Pilots in a ground control station at NASA Dryden controlled the flights via satellite links.

NASA conducted additional remotely piloted aircraft missions in 2008, to monitor wildfires in Southern California, and in 2009, to assess fire damage in Angeles National Forest.
The current mission, officials said, is the longest sustained mission by an unmanned aircraft in California in support of firefighters.

Unmanned Aircraft Crews Strive to Support Warfighters

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON - As Pentagon officials look for ways to increase intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support for warfighters in Afghanistan, the Air Force's first unmanned aircraft systems wing already is on the case in its never-ending quest to provide more and better intelligence through the systems they fly.

"I don't have to tell them to try to make it better," Air Force Col. Peter E. Gersten said of his 432nd Wing and 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing airmen at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. "They are working to make it better every day, all by themselves. ... Better every day is kind of a theme here."

The 432nd Wing flies the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper, both remotely piloted aircraft that provide 24/7 eyes in the sky over troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Our mission is to keep the joint ground fighter out of trouble, and when he gets into trouble, it's to get him out of trouble as soon as possible," Gersten said. "And with this new technology, we can do that now."

Both the Predator and Reaper provide a capability that Gersten, an F-16 pilot, said a pilot in the cockpit simply can't: a "persistent stare" and ability to hover over a precise location for as long as necessary.

"We have the ability to oversee the joint ground warfighter 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no weekends and holidays and without a break," he said. "We are not going 500 miles an hour. We are going 120 knots, right on top of him, and we are orbiting around him and helping him.

"We are dedicated to supporting him," Gersten said, "and we don't do anything else."

When a convoy leaves the "wire" in Afghanistan or Iraq, the 432nd Wing airmen oversee them every step of the way. "We are going to be there from the time they leave their forward operating base to the time they get to their desired destination," he said. "We are going to watch that soldier on the ground as he begins to do his search mission. We are going to be there."

Geren said the aircraft's ability to hover overhead for as long as necessary is a key in ensuring the information it gathers is complete, and that if strikes are required, they're precise.

"We don't show up on the battlespace and have 15 minutes of hold time to build our situational awareness," he said. "We have a high capacity to make sure that we have the exact, right target in our crosshairs.

"Time is not our enemy," he said. "We own time."

As his airmen fly the aircraft, analyze the mountains of raw data gathered and sift out what matters most to troops on the ground, Gersten said, there's really little about the systems that are "unmanned." He considers the term "unmanned aerial vehicle" a misnomer that loses sight of the manpower every mission entails, preferring the term "remotely piloted aircraft."

And he makes it clear that when he refers to the "system," he means far more than the actual aircraft.

"When I talk about the system, I am talking about the airplane, the ground station, the communication that links the ground station to the airplane, the product we produce that goes out -- the actual ISR intelligence," he said.

He noted the big network of airmen involved in the process, all committed to getting the information the aircraft collects into the hands of warfighters who need it. Regardless of their function within that framework, Gersten said, they recognize the value of their contribution.

"I hear stories all the time about how one of our aircraft stopped a convoy from driving over an [improvised explosive device] or kept a soldier from walking around a corner where there was an ambush, or helped get a wounded soldier out of a city by guiding him out," he said. "Those stories are day-to-day here. It's part of the pride of being 100 percent for the joint ground warfighter, every single day."

When he first sat down to watch his airmen at work after taking over his new command in June, he admitted, he was bowled over by their expertise. "The ability to talk, fly, communicate, text and execute, all very seamlessly, is a tremendous skill set," he said. "And it is amazing to watch them do it as fast as they do."

During his commander's calls, Gersten challenges the wing's airmen to channel their creativity and know-how to making the systems even better.

"I can't tell you what these systems are going to look like 10 years from now, but you can," he tells them. "You are the ones who will make this system the future. ... Make it something better than it is."

And they're coming up with new ideas every day. Some are "completely outside the box, but executable," Gersten said. Others are "way out there," not necessarily applicable now, but present new approaches and new ways of thinking that could apply down the road.

Gersten said he's particularly impressed with his wing's ability to take raw data collected by unmanned aircraft and translate it into "decision information" ground troops can act on.

"There was a time when we said, 'I'm drowning in data, but I am starving for knowledge.' But we have changed that," he said. "Four to six years ago, it was pretty good. Two years ago, it was really good, and today it is exceptional. Tomorrow, it is going to be beyond exceptional."

This capability has generated an almost insatiable appetite for the support unmanned aerial systems provide.

The Air Force has taken notice, funding more unmanned than manned aircraft in this year's budget and training more pilots to fly unmanned aerial vehicles than fighters and bombers combined. Yet, Gersten finds himself constantly working to allay some people's concerns that unmanned aircraft will some day muscle out their manned counterparts.

Remotely controlled aircraft have their unique capabilities, he said, and manned vehicles have theirs.

"We do a great job of enduring over the battle space, but we can't carry the load of a B-2 [bomber]" Gersten said. "We can go do endurance, and then they can come in and help us out. Or they can come in and do their job, and we can come in and look at it afterwards.

"It's not one system that is going to overtake the other," he continued. "These systems are complementary and have a very synergistic capability. So when people ask, 'Which way is it going?' I say, 'It's going together.' It is not a question of one or the other. It's a question of how much of each we need to secure the nation's interests."

Airmen demonstrate unmanned aircraft not merely 'drones'

by Staff Sgt. Zachary Wilson, AFCENT Combat Camera News Team

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- The door to the 62nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron features a drawing of an MQ-1 Predator armed with Hellfire missiles underscored with the words "We're not drones - we fire back."

Often referred to by reporters as "drones," unmanned aircraft like the MQ-1 Predator and RQ-4 Global Hawk are remotely-flown weapons systems flown both locally and stateside from ground stations using satellite uplinks. They're also far more complex than the U.S. military's relatively more simplified radio-controlled drone aircraft used for aerial target practice, according to unmanned aircraft system professionals.

For the Airmen flying and maintaining the lethal Predator and its big brother, the MQ-9 Reaper, from Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, and from Creech Air Force Base, Nev., the message is demonstrated to their adversaries on a regular basis.

"(Both the MQ-1 and MQ-9 are weapons-carrying aircraft,) and both have a hunter-killer role in addition to their intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities," said Lt. Col. Scott Miller, the 62nd ERS commander, who is deployed from the 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Creech AFB.

Performing dual-missions of close-air support and ISR taskings, the Predator can stay airborne for more than 12 hours at 50,000 feet and the Reaper can stay up for a longer period of time at even higher altitudes, according to squadron officials. Boasting a full-motion video camera with various modes that can detect enemy movements, the Predator and Reaper also carry the Hellfire missile. In addition to carrying a larger payload of Hellfires, the UAs bring to the fight a set of two 500 lbs. laser-guided bombs that allow operators to not only observe and detect hostile forces, but also eliminate them if called upon to do so.

"Both aircraft can initiate and complete the 'killchain'," Colonel Miller said. "With their ability to loiter for long periods of time over a target, eliminate it, stay on station and then provide the (bomb damage assessment,) they provide continuity to a mission and prove to be invaluable assets."

The aircraft are flown jointly by the 62nd ERS crews stationed here with the 451st Air Expeditionary Group and by crews back at Creech using satellite uplinks that transfer control from the local pilots who taxi, launch, land and recover the aircraft (all from trailers adjacent to the flightline) and the Creech aviators flying inside of mission control elements performing missions across Afghanistan. British Royal Air Force counterparts also fly the Reaper.

General Atomics contractors perform maintenance on the Reaper while responsibility for Predator maintenance is undertaken by 62nd ERS Airmen.

"As this aircraft is like 90 percent avionics, it's a pretty unique experience to work on it," said Senior Airman Doug Cox, a 62nd ERS MQ-1 avionics specialist from Creech AFB. "We're asked to do a lot more than our traditional specialties and most of us are trained up on crew chief duties such as performing 60-hour inspections, changing spark plugs, engine oil and things like that."

First Lt. Andrew Dowd, also deployed from Creech AFB as the unit's maintenance officer, agreed.

"This aircraft does not have hydraulic fluid and operates using electro-servos," he said, also noting the aircraft recently reached a 500,000 flight hour milestone. "It's a very unique platform, but of course, when it's all said and done, it's the $1.2 million camera that runs the show."

After the aircraft are airborne and are handed off by the Kandahar crew, Creech aviators perform the majority of traditional mission taskings. However, the 62nd ERS Airmen increasingly are taking responsibility for executing missions within the local area to aid and protect coalition forces stationed around Kandahar who are fighting the enemy. Sometimes weapons are dropped, demonstrating the lethality and uniqueness of the 62nd ERS' mission and aircraft to friends and foes alike.

Notably, some missions are often generated to fly only within the local area, putting the responsibility for the entire mission on the shoulders of the Kandahar-based aircrews.

It's great to have a direct impact on the war," said Airman 1st Class Patrick Snyder, an MQ-9 sensor operator who maneuvers the system's cameras and sensors as well as directs its munitions when launched. "We provide over-watch for the Canadians fighting the Taliban and then have coffee with them at the end of day (here at Kandahar.) It really makes us feel connected."

Capt. Ryan Jodi, a B-1 pilot who now flies the Reaper from his cockpit position in a ground control element, also acknowledged his preference for performing missions locally as opposed to Creech.

"I really enjoy doing the launches and landings from here," he said. "It really gives you more of a flying feeling. And doing local missions is also great because we can really appreciate the camaraderie we have with our coalition partners who we live with here."

With spring arriving in Afghanistan, Taliban and Al Qaeda insurgents once again will ramp up hostile operations against coalition forces around the country as they have demonstrated each year during the duration of Operation Enduring Freedom.

However, with the planned increase of forces within the area, that means more assets are on the way, with 62nd ERS leaders preparing for additional aircraft and more mission sorties generated from combatant commanders. With nearly 10 additional Reapers coming to supplement the squadron's approximately dozen MQ-9 aircraft, Colonel Miller says that means more work.

"In 2005, we were generating about two sorties a day," he said. "We've more than quadrupled that now and we are going to expect a lot more coming in the future."

Col. Ted Osowski, the 451st AEG commander, agreed with Colonel Miller on the demand for the ISR hunter/killer platforms in-theater.

"No other asset is more sought after," he said. "Close air support and ISR are very valuable to the ground commanders."

California Guard Conducts Predator Maintenance Training

Air Force Master Sgt. Fred Roberts, left, an instructor assigned to the Field Training Detachment, 163rd Maintenance Group, California Air National Guard, uses a Single Base Station maintenance interface station to check an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle while Air Force Staff Sgt. Alex Bush, back, a crew chief assigned with the 163rd Reconnaissance Wing, visually inspects the MQ-1 at March Air Reserve Base, Calif., Oct. 15, 2008. Members of the detachment train active duty, Reserve and Air National Guard personnel on Predator maintenance operations. U.S. Air Force photo by Val Gempis.

MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. - As the unmanned aerial system mission continues to grow in the Air National Guard, the 163rd Maintenance Group is stepping up its training program to ensure the availability of enough highly skilled people to support these systems.

Initially operating under the 372nd Training Squadron's Detachment 13 assigned to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., the unit spent its infancy getting its staff trained and completing its state-of-the-art facilities, while also providing limited training here and augmenting the active-duty schoolhouse.

Now, the unit no longer operates under Nellis' training umbrella, but as a stand-alone training facility, Detachment 26, assigned under Air Education and Training Command.

The training operation here has grown and has transformed into a one-stop shop for active-duty and Guard units seeking Predator maintenance training.

What began in April with an introductory course has since expanded to include specialized courses such as ground control station and communications maintenance, Rotax engine maintenance, tactical aircraft maintenance and avionics.

The unit also has provided training to more than 150 maintainers from active-duty units, as well as airmen from Guard units across the United States also involved in the Predator mission.

Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Ron Egan, chief of Detachment 26, said the unit's growth has been a boon, not only for the maintenance group, but also for the Predator mission and the Air Force as a whole.

"By providing instruction across the spectrum of Predator maintenance, and continuing to expand to meet the mission's training needs, we are bridging the gap providing the kinds of capabilities that were once only available at active-duty training locations," Egan said. "That has made us an important part of the UAS mission, and has certainly made this an exciting time to be involved with the Predator."

In fact, Air Force Master Sgt. Michael Adams, a Predator communications instructor who spent two years teaching at Nellis before the detachment stood up here, said the unit has nearly a dozen instructors and owns all of its own equipment, detached and separated from the 163rd Reconnaissance Wing's operational Predator mission, allowing training to be provided regardless of operational demands elsewhere.

"Having instructors and equipment available to teach the courses here is great for us and for the students," Adams said. "We can provide the training students need when they need it, and we can tailor our instruction to meet their needs. The impact is huge, because it allows the students to see and understand how processes work a step at a time and prepares them to apply the skills they'll need in an operational environment as soon as they get there."

The unit soon will be able to take its training to a new level, as the 163rd opens a flying training unit and begins flying the Predator locally at Southern California Logistics Airport, formerly George Air Force Base, near Victorville, about 40 miles from March.

"When the wing starts its flying training mission, that will open up a lot of doors for us," Adams said. "We'll be able to provide hands-on training and let the students interact with flying aircraft so they can learn and practice what they will be doing in a realistic environment."

On the horizon, Egan said, plans are in the works to expand the unit's training capabilities. In fact, plans include offering a KU-band satellite communications class, as well as adding maintenance courses for the Predator's big brother, the MQ-9 Reaper. The unit may even provide training for Department of Homeland Security personnel.

"It's really a shot in the arm for the Predator program," Egan said. "Everyone is happy that we're up and running, and we've received a lot of positive feedback on our operations."

Guard Unit Prepares for Predator Training Operations

By Air Force Capt. Al Bosco
Special to American Forces Press Service

MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE - Having successfully surpassed two years of combat operations flying the MQ-1 Predator, the nation's first Air National Guard Predator unit is poised to spread its history-making wings again. With only minor details remaining, the 163rd Reconnaissance Wing is ready to begin training the Air Force's next generation of unmanned aerial system warriors.

Beginning in early January, the unit expects to fly its first "live" training sortie at home from the former George Air Force Base, now known as Southern California Logistics Airport, about 40 miles from March.

"We are really excited about taking this critical next step in our employment of the Predator," said Air Force Col. Randall Ball, 163rd Operations Group commander. "We've been working toward this since getting the Predator mission in 2006, and it has taken a total team effort to go from concept to reality as quickly as we have."

Since transitioning from its support mission flying the KC-135 Stratotanker to conducting active combat flying the Predator, the wing has proven it has the mettle to meet any challenge head-on. In fact, shortly after beginning Predator flight operations, the wing was charged to provide three continuous combat air patrols over Southwest Asia.

As a result of the "surge," the wing has amassed more than 21,000 flying hours supporting combat operations overseas by providing combatant commanders with 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week aerial surveillance and precision strike capability.

"This has truly been an historic event for us," Air Force Col. Al Aimar, 163rd RW commander, said. "It's been quite an exciting time, and we're eager to begin the next chapter in this remarkable mission."

Once the facilities and infrastructure needed to support the flying program at SCLA are in place, the wing will begin flying the Predator locally in preparation for its first class of Predator aviators, scheduled to begin in April.

"We need to make sure we take a steady approach to starting the flight training program here so we can ensure we are training the best Predator pilots possible, able to step out of the classroom and into the combat theater providing the kind of support commanders need and have come to expect," Air Force Lt. Col. Kirby Colas, 196th Reconnaissance Squadron commander, said.

Initially, the wing will begin training Air National Guard personnel as Predator aircrews, but the program is expected to expand to include training active-duty aviators as well relieving some of the load for Creech Air Force Base, Nev., currently the only base training Predator aircrews.

Since the wing already has extensive experience with the platform, providing the training to both Guard and active-duty aircrews is expected to be a smooth process. In fact, several of the unit's current senior-level pilots and sensor operators already have gained valuable experience in the academic environment, having served as instructor pilots and sensor operators at Creech.

"Our wing is really a unique organization," Aimar said. "We've gone through a tremendous amount of change over the past couple years, but the amazing thing is nobody complains. Every time a new mission or task has come up, everyone across the wing was quick to jump in to figure out how we could get it done. As a commander, it makes me proud to see that kind of dedication, not only to our nation, but to the warfighters on the ground, who rely on our support to accomplish their missions."

Currently, the wing conducts Predator maintenance training in its recently established state-of-the-art field training detachment operating under Creech's Detachment 13 as part of Air Education and Training Command. The fully accredited maintenance training facility trains active-duty and Guard Predator maintenance personnel.

(Air Force Capt. Al Bosco serves with the California National Guard.)

Air Guard Predator pilots increase combat air patrols

An MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft assigned to the Arizona Air National Guard's 214th Reconnaissance Group is parked in a hanger at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., following the unit's activation in August 2007. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Christina Kinsey)

by Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith, National Guard Bureau Public Affairs

Although they are some of the busiest pilots in the U.S. military, Air National Guard pilots who are now flying unmanned aircraft from the ground said they still climb into the cockpit and get some flight time whenever they can.

Lt. Col. Rick Gibney, operations group commander and MQ-1 Predator pilot for the North Dakota Air Guard's 178th Reconnaissance Squadron, said he and other pilots who have switched from flying F-16 Fighting Falcons to piloting unmanned aircraft thousands of miles away are finding ways to get back into the wild blue yonder.

"There are a number of us who are private pilots who still get flying time in some way," said Colonel Gibney. He added that his squadron has full-time airline pilots who are also "fully engaged in the Predator mission."

But finding free time for anything now is not so easy, he said. Pilots in Air National Guard Predator squadrons have more than doubled their combat air patrols in Iraq and Afghanistan to support the war-fight, so much so that Colonel Gibney added himself to the aircrew's work schedule. That helps make it possible for his pilots to take leave, go flying or just relax.

Guard officials said the remotely piloted Predator with its full motion video is praised regularly by ground forces who are rounding up criminals in Iraq and Afghanistan. The turbo-prop aircraft's strength rests in its ability to fly for extended hours while watching over ground convoys and raids.

Since 2005, Air Guard officials have stood up three Predator units in California, Arizona and North Dakota that maintain at least seven overseas CAPs around the clock. One additional squadron is standing up in Texas. Guard officials also are standing up their first MQ-9 Reaper squadron in New York.

Air Guard CAPs are coordinated through the Air Force's 432d Air Expeditionary Wing at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. The active-duty wing is the central hub for all MQ-1 and MQ-9 unmanned aircraft missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Initial plans called for one CAP per Air Guard squadron, Colonel Gibney said. But the success of the Predator in the war on terror brought demands for more patrols.

"We know that Predator is critical to the nation's defense," said Col. Robert Becklund, commander for the 119th Wing in Fargo, N.D., that oversees both the Predator squadron and a C-21 airlift squadron. He added that 50 percent of his Airmen have retrained for new specialties and missions since 2005. More than two thirds of the wing's F-16 pilots chose to retrain for Predator.

The squadron stood up its first Predator CAP in June 2007. Missions are piloted remotely from a small, high-security building on the Fargo base that communicates to the aircraft and joint forces that are thousands of miles away. The wing took on a second CAP mission earlier this year with no additional manning.

Becklund said morale is high among his pilots despite the squadron's 100-percent mobilization.

"We're glad to be in these missions right now," Colonel Becklund said.

Colonel Gibney said the squadron may soon rotate Predator pilots for operational breaks and flight time through its C-21 "bridge" mission, which in the future may put them in the cockpit of a new C-27 Spartan, joint cargo aircraft.

"We want to give them the opportunity," said Colonel Gibney. "So it's not a one-way door that you go into Predator and that's where you are for the rest of your career."

But why the pilots choose to climb out of their cockpits and fly the Predator varies greatly, said Colonel Gibney.

"You go down the list and everyone has a different reason for it," he said. "Maybe they wanted to be closer to home yet still serve in the warfight."

"I fly commercially on the outside, so this is the opportunity to do a mission that affects what's going on with the war every day, but I still get to fly," said a Predator pilot from the California Air Guard's 196th Reconnaissance Squadron, who withheld her name for security purposes. "That's why I stayed."

California Air Guard pilots operated the Guard's first Predator CAP at Nellis AFB, Nev., in 2006. Its pilots retrained from flying KC-135 Stratotankers after the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act relocated their aircraft to several other bases.

The squadron now is operating three overseas CAPs around the clock from their home at March Air Reserve Base, Calif., and they receive letters of thanks from Soldiers in Iraq.

In western New York, Airmen from the state's 174th Fighter Wing recently returned from Iraq where they got to see Predators operate. That was their final F-16 deployment. The Air Guard members soon will begin training as ground-pilots, sensor operators and as other technicians for a new MQ-9 Reaper mission.

"We just got back from Operation Iraqi Freedom doing close air support with the F-16. Now we are going to do the same mission with the MQ-9," said Col. Greg Semmel, operations group commander.

Colonel Semmel agreed that their qualified, experienced pilots will be very valuable to the transition.

"Looking from our perspective, it's really essential for the initial cadre to come from a background where they are familiar with the mission," he said.

"The seasoned aviators are the people the Guard brings to this fight and are exactly the people needed in the Predator," said Colonel Gibney. "Not just tactically, but in the flying sense. The more seasoned the better."

Guard unit welcomes Predator, reconnaissance mission

If you would like to use a pop media player click here Bye Bye F-16

ELLINGTON FIELD, Texas (AFPN) -- Members of the 147th Fighter Wing here said goodbye to their F-16 Fighting Falcons and made room for the MQ-1 Predator as the Air National Guard unit became the 147th Reconnaissance Wing June 7.

The Predators at the Houston Air National Guard Base are expected to enhance both U.S. military capabilities worldwide and to aid in Homeland Security missions aimed at preventing terrorist attacks at home.

Current plans call for 12 total aircraft. The remotely piloted vehicles will be supported by two fixed ground control stations, a mobile ground control station, secure communication links, and three launch and recovery ground control stations. The unit will also operate a training simulator. The unit should be fully equipped and outfitted by 2009. The investment cost for the project is an estimated $250 million with a $68 million annual operating budget.

The unit's history goes back to 1917, and one of the unit's pilots, then Lt. George W. Bush, became president of the United States. During the 90 years of flying history, pilots of the unit have flown the Curtiss JN-4 Jenny, Douglas 2C, Stinson 49, Curtis 52, A-20, P-39, Allison P-51, F-84 Thunderjet, F-15 Mustang, T-6 Texan, F-80, T-33, F-86, F-102, F-101, F-4 Phantom, C-26 Merlin, F-16 and now the Predator.

With its wingspan of 48 feet and a length of 26 feet, the Predator operates between 15,000 and 25,000 feet and has a 600-mile range, 20-hour mission time. The unmanned aircraft carries three sensor systems -- television, infrared and radar sensors -- for reconnaissance and surveillance missions. It can also carry Hellfire missiles and can be used for interdiction. A basic crew consisting of a pilot and two sensor operators operate the Predator from the ground.

"A chapter about the 147th Fighter Wing was closed and a new chapter about the 147th Reconnaissance Wing was opened," said Brig. Gen. Donald Harvel, the Texas Air National Guard commander. "I am very proud of the men and women of the 147th Reconnaissance Wing for their tremendous service and hard work to transform into a wing and mission that will serve our state and nation for many years."