Guardsmen contribute to total force

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Shaun Emery
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  Maintaining and flying F-16 Fighting Falcons in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom is what Air National Guard units from Minnesota, Texas and Arkansas do to provide ground support to Soldiers and Marines.

Demonstrating the power of a total force, these units, along with the active-duty 510th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from Aviano Air Base, Italy, make up the 332nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron here.

Guardsmen from the Minnesota ANG’s 148th Fighter Wing, the Arkansas ANG’s 188th FW and the Texas ANG’s 147th FW are working hand in hand with their active-duty counterparts here.

While popular opinion is that there are differences between the two, guardsmen said those differences are very small. Getting planes in the air does not change, no matter who you are, they said.

“The same procedures hold true, whether you’re active duty or Guard,” said Lt. Col. Joel Henness, 147th ANG detachment commander. “We live under the same Air Force instructions. The only real difference for us is the mindset.”

Many of the guardsmen here are part time, so they are not used to the everyday Air Force, the colonel said. For many of them, it is the first time they have been deployed in a combat environment.

“Back home we are constantly training on combat preparation and combat operations,” he said. “Here we are putting that stuff to real-world use. We gain more of a sense of the mission. We are using live bombs and missiles with a chance that they will be employed.”

Senior Airman Jacob Wheeler, an F-16 crew chief with the Texas ANG, is a prior active-duty Airman who has spent his entire career maintaining aircraft. He said one thing he notices is the kind of camaraderie the guardsmen have.

“Most of us have worked together for a long time,” he said. “We live near each other and go to the same church. It helps when you’re deployed to have that comfort of knowing the person working beside you.”

Bringing their active-duty teammates into that circle is important, said Tech. Sgt. David Grizzle, 147th FW end of runway daytime supervisor.

“Working with the active-duty guys has been great,” he said. “We are on the same page and we know we can count on each other to get the job done.”

Lt. Col. Todd Phinney, 510th EFS assistant director of operations, said the total force concept here has been a seamless integration of combat air power between active-duty Airmen and guardsmen.

“You can’t tell the difference,” he said. “The total force concept is working like a champ.”