Bomber group heads home
Released: April 24, 2003
By Staff Sgt. Kristina Barrett
457th
Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM (USAFENS) -- After dropping
3.2 million pounds of explosives and 9 million leaflets during 120 combat
sorties, more than 1,000 airmen are packing up and going home from this forward
operating location.
The redeployment of the 457th Air Expeditionary Group began
April 24 with approximately a dozen B-52 bombers bound for Minot Air Force Base,
N.D. The remaining airmen are closing up shop, preparing for the effort of
getting people and equipment home.
"Our
job here isn't finished even after the planes have left," said 1st Lt.
Francisco Vega 457th AEG Munitions Flight commander deployed from Minot. "We
are ensuring we have accountability of all assets being sent back, because our
attention to detail of munitions doesn't end after the last expenditure."
After the bulk of the airmen leave, a small group of
services, communications and transportation troops will remain to do the final
contingency wrap-up.
"The communications squadron has to close down all of the
deployed computers, ensure all computer equipment is accounted for and put
everything into storage," said Airman 1st Class Vashti Pearson, 457th AEG
Communications Squadron network administration technician deployed from
Barksdale AFB, LA. "In addition, the infrastructure needs to be removed. This
includes local area network connections, routers and cabling associated with all
of the computers on the base."
"As the base
enters its redeployement phase, services will play several roles which will be
vital to this base being prepared for future operations, as well as taking care
of the troops right up to the moment they leave," said 1st Lt. Chris
Radziewiez, 457th AEG Services Flight commander deployed from Minot. "Once the
airmen leave, the dining hall staff will "mothball" the facility, the
portakabins will have to be cleaned and all the furniture will be palletized and
stored."
Radziewiez's team
deployed here approximately three weeks prior to the main deployment and they
will remain here for another three weeks.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, B-52s flew airborne alert,
strategic attack, interdiction and psychological operations missions during more
than 1,600 flying hours; they released more than 2,700 individual weapons and
dropped 70 percent of all leaflets for the operation, one of the largest in
military history.
In addition, the Litening II Pod was used for the first
time in combat on a B-52 here. The pod allows the bomber to pick and chose
targets in the battlefield, increasing the capability and effectiveness of the
aircraft and the munitions.
NEWSLETTER
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