Homeward-bound crew thankful for support

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. C. Todd Lopez
  • Air Force Print News
Among the many missions B-52s flew during Operation Iraqi Freedom, crewmembers aboard one Stratofortress said their most eagerly awaited sortie was the one they were on April 24.

The crew spoke to reporters at the Pentagon via a radio-to-telephone connection as they flew home to Minot Air Force Base, N.D. From their position at more than 30,000 feet above the Irish Sea, the crew of “Ironman 1” said they were glad to be on the last leg of their journey.

"I can tell you for the eight guys on board right now, we are all very excited to be headed home," said Lt. Col. John Stuwe, the aircraft's commander.

After the nearly nine-hour flight home, the crew will be given some well-deserved down time before going back to work, Stuwe said. He said the crew already has plans for how they will spend that time.

"We will get some rest and relaxation for about a week, to spend with our families and to get reacquainted," Stuwe said. "I think we are looking forward to spending special time with our kids -- going to concerts, basketball games and that kind of stuff."

That is a week of rest for the aircrews of B-52s that flew nearly 120 missions over Iraq, each lasting between 12 and 17 hours. They conducted a variety of missions, including close-air support and interdiction, as well as leaflet drops over the northern half of Iraq.

"All of (the missions) were very successful, and much of that was due to the great maintainers and great support we had back at our unit," said Capt. Matt Breden, a B-52 bombardier.

That support came from all over the force, added fellow bombardier Capt. Justin Rice.

"We had support from not just those supporting the combat mission, but ... from maintenance personnel and the security personnel," Rice said. "When we first got there, the dining hall had really good food, and that just (got better) as we went along. It got to where it was just like at home."

Support for deployed troops from families back home, and even from the journalists covering the war, also helped crewmembers do their jobs better, Rice said.

"All the support, all the things in the mail, and the things we saw in the media -- it really made us proud. It shows us where we came from and what we are made of," Rice said. "The best memories are that everybody contributed and made it so that we could support our troops on the ground and keep them out of harm’s way."