Group reflects on OIF mission one year later

  • Published
  • By Maj. James Lowe
  • 786th Security Forces Squadron commander
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFPN) --  March 27 holds special meaning for people of the 86th Contingency Response Group; it marks an accomplishment they made during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Last year on that day, 20 Airmen from the 86th CRG parachuted into northern Iraq along with more than 1,000 Soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade at Camp Ederle, Italy.

Their mission was to seize Bashur Airfield, Iraq, receive the remainder of the group, open the airfield and establish it as a strategic airlift hub to bring the full combat power of the 173rd to fight against hostile forces in northern Iraq, officials said.

"Bashur was a total validation of the CRG operational concept," said Col. Steve Weart, 86th CRG commander, who was also commander of Air Force forces at Bashur. "From airborne insertion to conducting airfield and aerial-port operations in tactical blackout conditions, to full bare-base expeditionary combat support, we (used) every mission-essential task resident in the CRG -- and we did so with astounding success."

In 27 days, they unloaded more than 350 aircraft, carrying a total of 26.5 million pounds of cargo and more than 4,200 passengers. The 86th Air Mobility Squadron, one of the two squadrons in the CRG, ran the airfield and aerial-port operations. During that time, they broke the advertised C-17 Globemaster III download time. The Air Force's average to download a C-17 is 60 to 90 minutes; the 86th AMS Airmen averaged 15 minutes.

The real challenge was all airfield operations were conducted at night, in tactical blackout conditions, using night-vision devices and infrared floodlights.

Airmen from the 786th Security Forces Squadron also deployed to provide airfield security. They provided multiple expeditionary anti-terrorism operation skills to secure Bashur, so the CRG could perform its mission. They patrolled about 80 square miles of key terrain and developed joint and combined anti-terrorism operations tactics, techniques and procedures with the local Pershmerga militia and the 173rd Soldiers.

The Airmen searched more than 550 vehicles, conducted sniper and countersniper operations and used explosive detecting canines. They jointly planned the airfield defensive fire support plan with the brigade’s fire support cell and ensured a continuous link between the two command centers using command and control links.

The CRG's performance at Bashur has affected the accepted norms for expeditionary airfield operations, and it has not gone unnoticed.

"We knew it was big, but we didn't realize how big it would prove to be,” said Colonel Weart in describing the fallout from Bashur. “We have fundamentally (affected) the way the Air Force plans to conduct future expeditionary airfield operations."

But the real sense of accomplishment for a few people came when four of the original 20 jumpers returned to Camp Ederle recently to welcome the 173rd Soldiers back from Iraq.

"Everyone we were able to see again, from the brigade commander to the everyday 'Joes' said how much they really appreciated us being there during the Bashur mission," said Senior Master Sgt. Chris Batta, the deployed CRG superintendent. "They said it couldn't have been done without us. That is an amazing honor, coming from these guys who have just spent a year in combat. It takes what we did at Bashur to a completely new level." (Courtesy of U.S. Air Forces in Europe News Service)