SC Guard sending 100 airmen to Afghanistan (Mission wing’s largest deployment since Op Desert Storm

[KoKo]

Source: Associated Press

SC Guard sending 100 airmen to Afghanistan

Associated Press
Posted: Saturday, June 9, 2012 12:08 a.m

MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE — About 100 members of the South Carolina Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing are on their way to Afghanistan.

Guard spokesman Maj. Jim Roth said the group left Thursday night from the McEntire Joint National Guard Base near Eastover.

It’s the second wave of personnel from the wing to be deployed on the current Afghan mission. They will join the 400 pilots, maintenance specialists and other support staff who left in April.

The men and women in the unit and its dozen F-16 fighter jets are providing air support for ground units in Afghanistan.

The mission marks the wing’s largest deployment since Operation Desert Storm, and its fourth major deployment since 2002.

http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120609/PC16/120609086/1177/sc-guard-sending-100-airmen-to-afghanistan

Read more: http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120609/PC16/120609086/1177/sc-guard-sending-100-airmen-to-afghanistan

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What's up with this?

[hack89]

1. Routine deployment. nt

[KoKo]

2. Did you forget the "Sarcasm" tag....or, not read the post?

[hack89]

3. The South Carolina ANG has been deployed many times to the region.

In 2002, F-16 aircraft and personnel from the 169th Fighter Wing deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and participated directly in combat operations. Also that year, 50 SCANG Airmen, then assigned to the 240th Combat Communications Squadron, deployed to Central Asia for six months in support of the Global War on Terrorism, while the 245th Air Traffic Control Squadron deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In 2003, nearly 400 Airmen from the 169th and all its F-16s were mobilized and deployed to Southwest Asia as part of what became Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 169th was attached to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, stationed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, and flew more than 400 combat missions, performing the Suppression and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) mission and flying numerous precision bombing missions over Iraq.

Over the years, the 169th also deployed for Operation Southern Watch (Saudi Arabia, 1996), Operation Northern Watch (Turkey, 2000) and again for Southern Watch (Saudi Arabia, 2001). This made the 169th the first Air National Guard unit to deploy alongside active duty U.S. Air Force units to comprise an Air Expeditionary Force.

In 2010, thanks to the wing's groundbreaking Active Associate program, the 169th became the first Air Guard unit to support an AEF mission for a full 120 days. While simultaneously deploying Airmen for Operation Enduring Freedom, the wing deployed more than 300 Airmen in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, during which the 169th flew more than 800 combat air patrol missions over Iraq. The unprecedented deployment also allowed the Swamp Fox team to escort the last Army combat forces out of Iraq on the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom (fitting, as the 169th had been there for day one of the operation in 2003).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/169th_Fighter_Wing

[backwoodsbob]

4. no biggie

we have one of the largest forces...therefore it happens.

[KoKo]

5. If that's so..why is the RW AP News saying this?

AP is not some Lefty or even Middle Lefty News Organization. They had to get this from SC National Guard...So...why is this the quote?

It’s the second wave of personnel from the wing to be deployed on the current Afghan mission. They will join the 400 pilots, maintenance specialists and other support staff who left in April.

The men and women in the unit and its dozen F-16 fighter jets are providing air support for ground units in Afghanistan.

The mission marks the wing’s largest deployment since Operation Desert Storm, and its fourth major deployment since 2002.

[hack89]

6. What is it about that quote that bothers you so much?

it is a simple description of a routine deployment. There is a constant flow of units in and out of the region - there is nothing in that quote that indicates anything out of the ordinary.