Editor’s note: This is part five of a five part series highlighting the Air Force’s involvement during the Responsible Drawdown of Forces in Iraq.
CAMP VICTORY, Iraq – The world watched as the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division from Joint Base Lewis-McChord -- the final American combat brigade in Iraq -- crossed the Iraq-Kuwait border during the early hours of Aug. 19. Audiences world-wide saw images of Strykers crossing the border in the dark and Soldiers clearing their weapons all while their Air Force brothers and sisters in arms watched vigilantly overhead.
Support for this massive movement of Soldiers across more than 300 miles of desert required a lot of behind the scenes work from the Air Force. American Airmen contributed to the historic drawdown of forces by ensuring U.S. Forces left Iraq safely, on time and well ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline set by President Barack Obama.
Daily, Air Force planners ensure kinetic and non-kinetic assets are available at the discretion of the ground forces commanders in support of their missions. Air Force support to large ground movements such as the 4/2 include fighter aircraft; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets; joint airborne battlestaff personnel flying aboard C-130 Hercules outfitted with the joint airborne communications system; tactical air control party Airmen; aerial porters; and hundreds of Airmen assigned to Army units throughout the country serving in joint expeditionary taskings.
In lieu of dropping bombs, close air support -- or CAS -- aircrews found themselves tasked with such missions as ground-convoy escort, visual reconnaissance, and airborne CAS alert. According to Air Component Coordination Element-Iraq air planners, sorties involving the employment of weapons can account for as few as four percent of the total number of missions flown. The rare requirement for kinetic effects, however, does not undermine the importance of the presence of armed aircraft and their ability to provide deterrence.
“We’re an extra set of eyes up there for the ground forces looking out for anything suspicious on the ground,” said 1st Lt. Rick Garin, 332nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Balad, deployed from the 169th Fighter Wing from McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C. “And we’re there for deterrence or to provide the kinetics, if needed.
| Date Taken: | 09.04.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 09.21.2010 04:11 |
| Story ID: | 56669 |
| Location: | CAMP VICTORY, IQ |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 5 |
This work, AF teamwork supports 4/2 exit from Iraq, by SSgt Sanja Allen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
