Airmen keep air flow moving at Balad

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. David Reagan
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  Whether it involves a strategic airlifter filled to capacity or an F-15E Strike Eagle transiting the area, maintainers here are working hard to keep the myriad aircraft supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom thundering high above.

As cargo, people and operations here flow at a breakneck pace, and aircraft conducting an all-out assault on anti-Iraqi forces ebb and flow, Airmen assigned to Detachment 5 of the 721st Air Mobility Operations Group here continually push the bounds to accomplish the mission, officials said.

Capable of maintaining any aircraft in the U.S. inventory and then some, the Det. 5 Airmen pound out a constant beat of precision, officials said. This feat is noteworthy considering it takes place in the austere and frequently unforgiving desert terrain where cold, clear nights and blustery conditions have replaced the heat waves of summer to become the norm during winter in Iraq.

The Airmen dart from aircraft to aircraft, launch one here, refuel one there and recover another. The traffic equals that at a major Air Mobility Command cargo port in the United States, albeit using only one-fifth of the people, officials said.

Providing critical support to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing is one task detachment Airmen remain committed to.

With fewer than 50 Airmen, they ensure the safe arrival and departure of more than 50 flights per day. Their schedule is full of additions, cancellations and other pertinent flight information.

“On paper, we can launch (and) recover up to 16 different types of aircraft, but we also help arrange fuel services, ground power and key support for other traffic,” said Master Sgt. John Dietle, the detachment’s maintenance superintendent.

The Airmen said they are proud to be fighting the war on terrorism.

“It feels great to be here because I believe in what we are doing, and I see how my actions contribute to the mission every day,” said Senior Airman Andrew Porden, a C-5 Galaxy communications and navigation craftsman.