EC-130 squadron surpasses 10,000 combat hours
by Staff Sgt. Rachel Martinez
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
10/14/2008 - BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- Members of the 41st Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron here surpassed 10,000 combat hours in the EC-130H Compass Call while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in September.
While assisting International Security Assistance Force troops move a 41-vehicle convoy, members of the 41st EECS flew overhead in an EC-130H to disrupt enemy command and control communications and limit adversary coordination.
The 41st EECS's 10,000 hours were amassed over four years, beginning with their first Operation Enduring Freedom deployment in March 2004 from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
"Our primary mission is to support the ground troops at the (forward operating bases) with communications jamming," said Maj. James Bands, an operations officer. "For this aircraft it is extremely difficult (to reach such a milestone). There are only 14 of these aircraft in the Air Force. So it's taken four years of constant flying at about 2-3,000 hours on one aircraft a year, in order to accomplish this."
With only two operational EC-130H squadrons in the Air Force, many of the Airmen with the 41st EECS have deployed multiple times. Capt. Jared Howard, a navigator, is on his fourth OEF deployment and has more than 900 combat hours.
"It's all pretty much the same mission," said the native of Pontiac, Ill. "The sorties seem to be getting longer and longer. When we first started off, we were just doing one thing, because everybody didn't know all our capabilities. So now we've told people about our abilities, and they are employing us much more."
While a typical fighter squadron will deploy with about a dozen aircraft, the 41st EECS staff deploys with only one or two EC-130s. Ensuring those few aircraft are mission ready every day falls on the shoulders of the 41st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit Airmen.
"The 10,000 flying hours are probably represented by 80,000 maintenance hours," said Master Sgt. Carla West, the production superintendent.
Having one or two airplanes can be easier because there is less work to do, but it also doesn't allow for much maintenance down-time, said Staff Sgt. Alex Rosales, an EC-130H crew chief.
"If it breaks we have to fix it," he said. "We don't have another plane to fly. It's a little more stressful."
At least three or four times the amount of flying hours goes into maintaining the aircraft, said Sergeant Rosales, a native of Phoenix. The more the aircraft flies, the better it seems to perform.
"They seem to fly better on the longer missions," said Senior Master Sgt. Mike Zielinski, the maintenance superintendent. "If they fly eight to 12 hours, they usually come back in good shape. We haven't been able to figure out why, but it's something that we enjoy."
The 41st EECS staff boasts a mission capable rate exceeding many other airframes in U.S. Air Forces Central Command. This accomplishment is credited to teamwork, Sergeant Zielinski.
"Without everybody pitching in as a team, this mission would not happen," he said. "I've been here since June and every week something surprises me. We continue to hit new plateaus. When I think we are not going to be able to fly, we manage to come up with something and are able to fly."
Ensuring the aircraft can fly and perform its mission safely tops the list of priorities for both maintainers and aircrew.
"That plane needs to go up every night because there are guys on the ground depending on us to do our jobs and employ our weapon system," Sergeant West said.
"If we're not here to employ (the EC-130H), the ground troops really feel the effects of us not being here," Major Bands said.
"Trying to make sure our guys on the ground are safe -- that's the biggest (reward)," Captain Howard said.
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