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434th ARW begins Turkey deployment

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GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind --  The advance team for the 434th Air Refueling Wing's deployment to Turkey departed Grissom yesterday.

Additional groups of personnel and aircraft will depart for Turkey at various times during the upcoming weeks. 

While in Turkey, the 434th ARW will conduct air refueling missions in support of current Air Force operations. The deployment will stretch over the May and June time periods. 

Unit personnel are filling the deployment requirements through "volunteerism." This means the 434th ARW has not been involuntarily mobilized. The unit will be able to meet all deployment requirements by its members volunteering to participate. 

This has also resulted in the 434th ARW being able to have a rotational schedule for the deployment, which reduces the amount of time an individual reservist has to spend away from their civilian job and family. 

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command and has more than 1,300 personnel. The KC-135R Stratotanker is the Air Force's premier tanker aircraft and can provide mid-air refueling to a variety of bomber, fighter and cargo aircraft. 

Personnel and aircraft from Grissom have deployed to a variety of locations during the past six years in support of such operations as Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Public Affairs Staff

Material contained on the Official Grissom Air Reserve Base Internet Web Site is written and produced by members of the 434th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office. The award-winning staff includes:

Ben Mota
Chief, public affairs

Maj. Elias Zani
Public affairs officer

Master Sgt. Wendy Day
Staff writer

Tech. Sgt. Alexa Culbert
Staff writer

Senior Airman Elise Faurote
Staff writer

Senior Airman Benjamin Cowles
Staff writer