The team of four works to save lives, aircraft and money, usually behind the scenes. They are vital to the mission of this forward operating location serving Operation Enduring Freedom by running the Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard, or BASH, program.

The 40th Air Expeditionary Group safety office manages the BASH program by monitoring, evaluating, and where needed, eliminating the threat so that the aircraft based here can complete their combat missions.

The primary threats to bombers and refuelers launched and recovered from here are wimbrels, mynahs and egrets.

“For an effective BASH program we need to ensure aircraft are safe to take off and land without the threat of a bird strike,” said Tech. Sgt. Roy Ollie, flight safety noncommissioned officer. “With minimal resources available, especially at a deployed location, we cannot afford to lose one aircraft to a bird strike.”

The B-52 Stratofortresses launched from here provide close-air support for U.S. and coalition forces on the ground in Afghanistan. The KC-135 Stratotankers launched here provide gas -- building air bridges -- so that B-52s can complete their missions.

The safety office uses a four-pronged approach to decrease the threat of aircraft bird strikes.

There are six cannons on the airfield. The control tower or the safety office sets them off when needed to scare birds out of the area. The safety office also uses pyrotechnic guns to scare birds away.

Another approach is “pushing” or “directing” birds out of the area with the safety vehicle by approaching them and slamming doors, honking horns, etc. The last approach is eliminating the birds with a shotgun.

The cost of a bird strike can be deadly or, at a minimum, create a mission no-go.

“Depending where (on the aircraft) the strike occurs, it could cause an engine failure that leads to a loss of thrust during takeoff where the crew and aircraft would be lost,” Sergeant Ollie said. “Another possibility is losing vital instruments or flight control systems because an engine-driven generator or hydraulic pump isn’t functioning, also resulting in a catastrophic mishap.”

Another factor of a bird strike is the non-mission capable status while engines are being replaced. Both the B-52 and KC-135 could be down for 24 hours or more, thus hampering the mission, Sergeant Ollie said.

B-52 pilots know how important this program is to their mission.

“As a commander of a combat squadron, a solid BASH program offers my organization two important benefits,” said Lt. Col. Mark Maryak, 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron commander.

“First, avoiding bird strikes offers immediate benefits for the crews returning from extremely long-duration sorties. If they were to encounter a bird strike while approaching the field, they would have to hold and accomplish a time-consuming controllability check," the colonel said.

"Secondly, avoiding bird strikes keeps our B-52 fleet healthy. Because the maintainers do not have to spend time inspecting and fixing bird strike-related problems, they can prepare the our bombers for their next 'in country' sortie in minimum time -- taking the fight to the enemy," Colonel Maryak said.