ONW fighters say final goodbye to Incirlik

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Tammy Brubaker
  • 39th Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (AFPN) --  The last Operation Northern Watch mission flew March 17, but the end of the operation was not obvious until the last fighter aircraft roared out of here April 7.

The last fighter planes, eight F-16CJ Fighting Falcons from the 55th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., left for home and did their last traditional "wave" goodbye by tilting their fighters from left to right shortly after takeoff.

As part of the regular air and space expeditionary force rotation, the 55th had been part of more than 1,400 British, Turkish and American troops and approximately 50 aircraft enforcing the no-fly zone in northern Iraq. Enforcement began in 1991.

"I'm honored to be one of the last to leave Incirlik," said Lt. Col. Jack Forsythe, 55th commander, as he prepared for his final flight. "I'm disappointed we weren't able to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom, but I'm ready to move on to something else."

Since ONW began in 1997, more than 40,000 troops had rotated through here to support the mission and more than 36,000 sorties were flown. Its predecessor, Operation Provide Comfort, began shortly after the Gulf War in 1991 and ended in 1996. More than 42,000 sorties were flown during that time.

Iraqi surface-to-air missiles and other anti-aircraft systems targeted ONW aircrews on nearly every flight. ONW aircraft patrolling the no-fly-zone responded to Iraqi attacks and when Iraqis threatened their ability to do the mission.

During the operation, the coalition forces at Incirlik experienced a 700 percent turnover rate each year. Deployed active-duty, Guard and Reserve airmen rotated through here an average of every 90 days as part of the air and space expeditionary force structure.

"We had an outstanding team here -- great pilots and a phenomenal maintenance team," Forsythe said. "I worked with people I'll never forget. Coming back after flying a sortie and seeing an excited ground crew is what I'll miss most and always remember."

About half of the people who were deployed to Incirlik to support ONW have returned home, while the other half will return home soon or are awaiting further instructions.

Over the last decade, a generation of aircrew, maintainers and support teams sharpened their wartime combat skills while supporting ONW and performing the daily routine of deploying, flying, fighting and controlling the Iraqi skies. Even though the operation is over, the lessons learned during the 12-year enforcement of the no-fly zone will continue to pay dividends in the future.

"Overall, it was a great experience, and we all grew from it," Forsythe said. "We got a lot of experience that will serve our country for several years to come. It's going to be an exciting Air Force for the next 10 years."