Grissom Airmen operating out of Turkey

Published June 15, 2008
By Staff Sgt. Ben Mota
434th ARW/ Public Affairs

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind., -- Members of the 434th Air Refueling Wing are operating out of Incirlik Air Base, Turkey in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

The unit is rotating personnel and KC-135 Stratotankers, through a number of swap outs.

"The pace was set from the beginning," said Lt. Col. Laen August, 72 Air Refueling Squadron command and acting commander for the second rotation of the deployment.

"The personnel folks did an incredible job with the processing of troops. This has been without a doubt the smoothest deployment processing I've seen during my 14 years at Grissom."

Upon arrival Grissom had to establish operations because the runway had been renovated.

"We had to set up the operation from the bare bones," said the colonel. The first rotation of Grissom Airmen sat up communication systems, transportation, and billeting before missions began. In addition, maintenance had to put an entire maintenance supply package in position in order to support the mission.

Despite all of those hurdles Grissom personnel began flying operational combat support missions within days of arrival.

"Lt. Col. [Paul] Wietbrock, [74th Air Refueling Squadron commander] was the commander during the first rotation and he and his staff did a great job getting us off to a good start," Colonel August said. "The preparations they for the mid-point enabled us to pick up and keep operating smoothly. We managed to transition more than 200 personnel in and out of the theater within 72 hours and continue to fly our full slate of missions. That takes planning and seasoned teamwork!"

During the deployment Grissom's KC-135R Stratotankers are refueling a variety of aircraft.

The KC-135R is able to provide mid-air refueling, making long flights safer and more efficient because the aircraft are able to get to their destination without having to land.

"It does not get more real than this," said Colonel August. "All of our sorties have been considered high priority missions needed to refuel aircraft going in and out of Northern Iraq and Afghanistan."

All missions have been completed successfully, without any cancellations due to mechanical issues.

"Grissom's maintenance team has done a fantastic job keeping the planes ready for their sorties," he added.

"As soon as we got here we began to work," said Staff Sgt. David Gorski, a crew chief with the 434 Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "We keep busy," he added while performing a general safety inspection a tanker.

During the deployment crew chiefs work 12 hour shifts.

Crew chiefs are required to inspect and perform various functional checks of the aircraft as well as ensure that the aircraft has been properly serviced with fuel, hydraulic fluid, and liquid oxygen.

While crew chiefs work long hours into the night, members of the 434th Aerospace Medicine Squadron stay at the ready to ensure that the flight crew is in good physical and mental health to accomplish the mission.

"Medical personnel are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure that mission essential personnel are able to fly safely," said Colonel August.

The unit has experienced issues such as sleep deprivation, due to the time zone differences and dehydration due to the hot and humid weather, he added.

Turkey's summers can get as hot as 113 F degrees during the day and as low as 23 F degrees at night.

Members of the 434th AMDS are there to look for symptoms before such conditions get worse, and to give advice to cure problems before they lead to medical emergencies.

Rotations to Turkey will continue through mid-summer.

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Grissom Airmen operating out of Turkey

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