Total force team excels at bare base Published April 22, 2003 By Capt. David P. Lester 485th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM (AFPN) -- A total force team of active-duty, reserve and Guard airmen deployed to this austere deployed location have worked together to provide "amazing" support for Operation Iraqi Freedom, their commander said.The 485th Air Expeditionary Wing here is composed of active-duty F-15 Eagle fighters from Langley Air Force Base, Va., and Eglin AFB, Fla. It also has reserve and Air National Guard C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft from units in West Virginia, Delaware, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Missouri, and New York.Wing members found a base with few amenities when they arrived here and immediately began the daunting task of building an operational flying base, said Master Sgt. Greg Preece, the 745th Aircraft Maintenance Unit first sergeant."We started building tents on the day we arrived," Preece said. "Every time we would get ahead of the game the base would receive more troops and we would have to start all over. In one period we put up 72 tents in a day," he said."We had great cooperation between the active duty and reserve forces," Preece said. "We all knew that we were here for the same reason and everyone stepped up to the plate and contributed," he said.The austere conditions provided hurdles for everyone, said Lt. Col. Thomas E. Vereb, the 485th AEW chief of staff."It was a challenging situation for all of our airmen," he said. "We had extremely limited restrooms, tents, showers, and no hot meals for about five weeks. However, our airmen rose to the task and worked as a team to get the job done," Vereb said.The base's remote location and lack of amenities were not the only challenges, Vereb said. Extreme environmental conditions including fine blowing sand, sub-freezing wind chills and harsh sun posed concerns for people and planes, he said.Despite the conditions under which the airmen had to live and work, they persevered and excelled, said Col. Tod D. Wolters, the 485th AEW commander. Their performance was evident by the high mission capable rate the wing achieved, he said."The airlift and fighter maintainers had MISCAP rates in excess of 90 and 80 percent respectively," Wolters said. "This is amazing considering our operating conditions. This is another testament to the relentless desire to excel that our military members possess," he said.The 485th AEW continues to fly missions throughout the USCENTCOM area of responsibility supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.