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Reserve units pick up support of AEF 8

Released: 17 Jul 2000

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ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) -- Fighter pilots and air refuelers returned home and others took their places as Air Force Reserve Command continues to help enforce the no-fly zone over northern Iraq this summer.

In mid-July, reservists from the 419th Fighter Wing, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and the 301st FW, Fort Worth, Texas, returned home from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, with a combined force of eight F-16 fighter aircraft. At about the same time, air refueling crews and support people from the 927th Air Refueling Wing, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., and the 940th ARW, Beale AFB, Calif., also wrapped up their Aerospace Expeditionary Force 8 deployment to Turkey.

This was the first time these units participated in an AEF deployment, although all of them have been to Incirlik before in support of Operation Northern Watch. It was, however, the first time Reserve F-16s deployed with the LITENING II precision attack targeting system. With the new targeting pods, pilots are able to identify targets at long-range and drop extremely accurate, laser-guided weapons under a variety of conditions.

"When we deployed (in May) half of our pods were LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night ) and half were LITENING," said Lt. Col. Steve Arthur, deputy commander of the 301st FW's operations group. "We felt like we had drawn the lucky straw if we got to fly with the LITENTING system. It has more capability than the LANTIRN and makes it easier to find targets."

During the second week of July, the 944th FW, Luke AFB, Ariz., and the 482nd FW, Homestead Air Reserve Station, Fla., each deployed four F-16 fighters, along with pilots, aircraft maintainers and support people to Incirlik. Unlike their Hill and Fort Worth predecessors, these F-16 pilots get to use the LITENING system exclusively. The 301st FW was the first Reserve unit to receive the pods in February, which are being purchased jointly with the Air National Guard.

"Our maintenance effectiveness rate was high because the pods are new," said Arthur, commenting on his unit's deployment to Turkey. "It was fun to be the first in theater with the LITENING II's."

Replacing the Selfridge and Beale reservists were five aircrews and support people from the 434th ARW, Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind. They deployed in mid-July with three KC-135R aircraft to take the place of two Selfridge KC-135E's and one Beale KC-135E.

The 513th Air Control Group, an associate unit that shares E-3 Sentry aircraft with an active-duty unit at Tinker AFB, Okla., deployed one of the airborne warning and control system aircraft and a crew to Incirlik in mid-July.

Most of the F-16, KC-135 and E-3 unit members will remain overseas in two-week increments, with their units concluding their AEF 8 commitment in late August or early September.

With more than 20 aircraft and hundreds of reservists deployed throughout the 90-day period, AEF 8 is the Reserve's most extensive operational support of the Expeditionary Aerospace Force program to date. (Courtesy of AFRC News Service)