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Eighth Air Force deploys to CENTAF FWD

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kristina Barrett
  • 8th Air Force Public Affairs
Eighth Air Force Airmen packed up and headed out to a forward operating location in Southwest Asia in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. Approximately 40 Airmen deployed recently to the Combined Air Operations Center, filling key roles in leading the air operations portion of the Global War on Terror. The Airmen are filling tasking for Air Expeditionary Force 5/6 and are scheduled to be deployed for an average of 120 days.
"Airmen from various Eighth Air Force units are filling leadership and support roles within the CAOC and running air operations in support of OIF and OEF," said Col. Kenneth Dorner, 608th Air Operations Group commander. "Our people are involved in building strategy and plans and then executing those plans in support of this phase of President Bush's new strategy in Iraq."
Barksdale Airmen from the 608th Combat Plans Squadron, 608th Combat Operations Squadron, 608th Air Intelligence Squadron, 608th Air Communications Squadron, 608th Strategic Operations Squadron and the 8th Air Force Information Warfare Flight made up the bulk of the deployment team. The Airmen left on a contracted flight leaving from the Barksdale flight line.
President Bush's new OIF strategy unveiled Jan. 10, gives the Airmen a look ahead to what the future may hold.
"As we look forward, this is a critical time for our country. Our actions will make or break the next phase of operations," Colonel Dorner said. We have to ensure the Iraqis take successful control so we may redeploy our Airmen back home."
According to Lt. Col. Marc Jamison, 608th CPS commander, five components - strategic, plans, operations, intelligence and mobility - will work together in support of air operations.
"President Bush's speech was an overall strategic guide," Colonel Jamison explained. "Our job is to take his strategic guidance and develop plans via operational objectives and turn them into tactical tasks for the wings to accomplish."
The tactical tasks for the wings result in sorties flown - from close air support mission to tanker and airlift support. In the past 12 months, the Air Force has flown more than 27,900 CAS sorties, more than 51,400 airlift operations and more than 12,600 tanker support sorties. In addition, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets have flown more than 4,500 sorties in the past year.
Eighth Air Force Airmen have played an important part of these statistics.
"Eighth Air Force has been continually deployed and filling many roles within the AOC since May, 2005, and we will continue to deploy in support of the air operations," Colonel Dorner said. "Our Airmen are an important part in filling the key behind the scenes roles in implementation of the air operations."