Pope people, aircraft supporting fight Published April 3, 2003 By Ed Drohan 43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFPN) -- Members of Pope's Flying Tigers -- the only active-duty A-10 Thunderbolt II unit in Southwest Asia -- are bringing the fight to the enemy as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.A number of the 23rd Fighter Group's aircraft and people are deployed to a forward location and participating in combat operations. Since the beginning of the war, pilots have been flying around the clock to support coalition forces, said Lt. Col. Richard Turner, 75th Fighter Squadron commander, during a telephone interview from his deployed base."We are in 24-hour operations," Turner said. "These guys are flying everyday, day and night. For the last three or four days we've been working with the Marines around Basra, not only providing close-air support, but helping to shape the battlefield."A-10s provide close-air support, air interdiction and combat search and rescue for coalition forces, Turner said.Aircraft and pilots are on constant alert and can quickly launch if help is needed, he said."We sit on alert and if anything happens we jump in the jet and go," Turner said.Many of the pilots flying Operation Iraqi Freedom missions are also veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and flew missions over Afghanistan. The two operations are quite different, though, Turner said."In Afghanistan we were looking for pockets of a few people most of time in rough terrain," Turner said. "Here we're looking for groups of artillery and armor. Obviously there's more here than in Afghanistan. You could fly for three months in Afghanistan and not drop a bomb, but here you don't fly three days without dropping bombs."While they do not always know what specific ground units they are working with, some of the pilots have heard familiar voices on their radios. Several 23rd FG pilots are assigned to ground units as battalion air liaison officers assigned to ground units who help coordinate air strikes."We have guys on the outskirts of Baghdad, and we recognize their voice," Turner said. "It's a good feeling when we know we can help somebody we know."Despite the fact that everybody is working 12 or more hours each day, morale at the deployed location is high, Turner said."Our mechanics are doing fantastic work," he said. "It's amazing how much work they do to keep the jets flying. They work 12 on and 12 off, and they never complain. They just bust butt and get the job done."