US Air Force,
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq: At 6 a.m., it's another early April morning in Iraq as the two pilots deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, get ready to venture into harm's way yet again.
It's a day like many others the pilots, assigned to the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, have experienced since arriving here in January. Still, they listen to the briefings about potential threats and meticulously check their F-16 Fighting Falcons before taking to the sky.
Today, their mission contributed to an important milestone for the Air Force — 1 million sorties flown in support of the war on terrorism, which occurred sometime earlier this week. But it isn't historic events that Capts. B. and D., whose names were withheld for operational security reasons, are thinking about as they don their protective gear — their focus is on providing close-air support to Army ground units by identifying improvised explosive devices and device emplacers in the area.
During their five-hour flight they will synchronize with the operations of three different groups of Soldiers in three different locations in central Iraq.
“The Army Soldiers are building all the contacts — they are shaping people's minds and patriotism. I deal with the more ugly side — the people who can't be changed,” Captain D. said. “We make the bad guys go away.”
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A 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, launches on a sortie at Balad Air Base, Iraq, April 21. On April 20, Air Force pilots had flown more than 1 million sorties in support of the war on terrorism. Many F-16 missions that depart from Balad provide close-air support to Army ground units by identifying improvised explosive devices and emplacers and either recording their actions using intelligence gathering equipment or engaging them with precision weapons. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Julianne Showalter)
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In fact, since August 2007 fighter and unmanned aerial aircraft assigned to Balad have conducted more than 700 attacks on insurgents and dangerous targets, said Lt. Col. Stephen Pedrotty, 332nd Expeditionary Operations Squadron commander.
If the Soldiers below run into any trouble, the pilots flying above them can engage threats with precisely-targeted munitions. They can also provide valuable information within the battlespace.
“Within 30 seconds, I can cover a 10-mile stretch of road,” said Captain D. who is currently serving his first deployment. “I'm putting sensors where [the soldiers and joint terminal attack controllers] want them. It provides information from a different perspective — a little higher up.”
As of the beginning of April, almost 5,000 close-air-support sorties had been flown by pilots throughout Iraq since the beginning of 2008, according to statistics provided by the Combined Air Operations Center.
Synchronizing air operations with what's taking place on the ground is something the pilots prepare for from the day they enter training, but no amount of practice can compare to the real thing.
“For the first time [during a deployment], you get to fight [as a team] with the real joint force and real assets — not just a [in] simulated environment,” said Captain B., who will conclude his third deployment in about six weeks. “You can't simulate this environment as much as you try. Being deployed gives you confidence in your abilities.”
Those abilities include working with ground liaison personnel — Army Soldiers who give pilots information about ground operations to prepare them before a flight.
“The GLOs tell us how comforting it is for the Army to know we are up there and the capabilities we bring to the fight. It's worth doing all those circles in the sky,” Captain B., said.
“The close-air support is huge for ground units because it is a great benefit to have talented pilots providing aerial over watch during operations. It gives Soldiers on the ground the good confidence that they are going to get their mission accomplished and that they have the assets available to them to do that,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark Gordon, GLO detachment sergeant at Balad AB.
Air Force pilots have actually been flying operations over the same terrain in Iraq ever since 1991, the beginning of the first Gulf War. While the tactics and technology have evolved, the goal of helping to keep ground warriors safe while integrating with their missions has remained.
While the Balad captains may not fly the particular 1 millionth war on terrorism sortie, they realize the importance of their work regardless of its numerical status.
“When [insurgents] start to see there are consequences to the actions they are taking and it's fast and it's furious and it's very deadly, that's going to help shape the battlefield and shape their mindset as well,” said Captain D. “For the military as a whole, the joint operations perspective is allowing us to progress further. It is truly a team effort.”
