Airmen prep for Patriot's debut at Southwest Asian base
Lt. Col. Fred Thaden (left to right), Army 1st Lt. Erik Mason, 1st Lt. Shawn McDanal and Capt. Raymond Orr gather at the Patriot Battery motor pool to go over ground plans in preparation for the arrival of about 200 Soldiers in the coming weeks Jan. 3 at an air base in Southwest Asia. The advance team of Soldiers, in addition to the arrival of the main body, will comprise the first Patriot Battery at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. Colonel Thaden is the 380th Expeditionary Mission Support Group deputy commander. Lieutenant Mason is a 5-52 Air Defense Artillery Battalion Signal Officer. Lieutenant McDanal and Captain Orr are both project officers with the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Denise Johnson)