Airmen mobilize to confront Afghan insurgency

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Shawn J. Jones
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFNS) --  More than a dozen F-15E Strike Eagles, two DC-10s and a C-17 Globemaster III met the rising sun over the Atlantic Ocean en route to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, April 29.

Approximately 350 deploying Airmen from the 336th Fighter Squadron and 4th Maintenance Group will spend the next four months providing close-air support for Operation Enduring Freedom, which began in October 2001 in response to the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The deployment comes at a time when things are literally heating up within the central Asian nation. As spring's temperatures thaw Afghanistan's frozen, mountainous landscape, insurgent operations increase.

"The Taliban and al-Qaida who have roosted for the winter are coming out of their homes and huts, and they have no good intentions," said Col. Mark Kelly, 4th Fighter Wing commander.

As part of the Obama administration's plan to stabilize Afghanistan, an additional 21,000 servicemembers are joining the fight. The resulting boost in ground operations should keep the Airmen busy throughout the summer with close-air support requirements.

While Colonel Kelly concedes A-10 Thunderbolts are the aircraft-of-choice for planned close-air-support missions, the Strike Eagle brings unique capabilities making it a particularly lethal weapon. The majority of U.S. sorties in Afghanistan are flown from one base, Bagram. Coalition ground forces are spread across the country, which is about the size of Texas, and when immediate close-air support is needed far from Bagram, Strike Eagles are usually first to arrive.

"Nobody can get there as fast as we can," the wing commander said. "Nobody can stay in the fight as long as we can, and nobody can bring the level of ordnance diversity that we can."

In light of U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. David Petraeus's recent comments on insurgent activity in Afghanistan, there will be no shortage of opportunities for the Strike Eagle to prove its worth.

"In parts of Afghanistan, the situation is deteriorating," General Petraeus said in a statement before the Senate Armed Service Committee April 1. "The Afghan insurgency has expanded its strength and influence, particularly in the South and East, and the 2009 levels of violence are significantly higher than those of last year."

Colonel Kelly said he is confident his Airmen are up to the challenge.

"I've seen enough of this over the last couple of decades to know the aircrews are ready, and the jets are ready, and the maintainers are ready -- they'll do great," he said. 

Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)

View the comments/letters page