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Show HILLTOP TIMES 8 flMES Januarys 2010 A-10 unit marks 10,000 flight hours, 2,500 sorties in six-month tour airplanes, flew more than 10,000 hours in six months. Approaching 2,500 sorties, t451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs that is more than 400 sorties a month, or 1 ANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghania utilization rate of about 35, which is 210 stan — More than 10,000 flight percent the rate at home. ' -hours and 2,500 sorties marked The commander attributed that sucthe closing stages of a six-month tour for cess rate to the maintainers who are also the members of the 354th Expeditionary deployed from Davis-Monthan AFB. Fighter Squadron here New Year's Day. "They've done amazing things with The A-10 Thunderbolt II squadron Airthese airplanes, they have kept them fixed all the time," he said. "This is a men were able to save countless ground 30-year-old jet, and if you look, we have forces' lives because of faster reaction the same fully mission capable rate as times as the unit was based in southern the unmanned aircraft, which are 30 Afghanistan. years newer, that's a testament to our "Because a lot of the focus is Regional maintainers. We bring the best people we Command-South — towns in Helmand — can find, and they're the best people I've it jgives you an airplane that is designed seen deployed, and it's a tough environfor close-air support, it does (close air ment." support) better than any other airplane in the world, and it puts us much closer The environment is extreme; from the to the fight than if we were at Bagram fine, talcum-like sand in the barren des(Airfield in Afghanistan)," said Lt. Col. erts to the high-elevations of the Hindu Michael Millen, the 354th EFS commandKush Mountains, and temperatures ranger. "We are much closer to our work, and ing from below freezing to 120 degrees. STAFF SGT. DAYTON MITCHELL/U.S. Air Force it allows us more time actually doing the It's also 24-hours-a-day of hard labor. Two A-10C Thunderbolt Ms from the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron taxi job than traveling to and from it. "Even "The guys turning the wrenches if we're not able to employ or provide the down the runway after completing ten thousand hours of flying, during the really, know what's going on out there, fire power to engage the enemy, they will squadron's six-month deployment, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, on Jan. 1. and that's what it comes down to," said stop shooting while we're, there. It doesn't Senior Master Sgt. John Russell, the sound like much, but if our presence in the cockpit. But until recently, pilots the airplane and the system they have on 451st Expeditionary Aircraft Mainte- , enables guys to take off their body armor could only view units on the ground or • the Stryker, as well as the data link archi- nance Squadron lead production superinand eat lunch, then that's what we do." tendent. "Those guys have never backed airplanes in the sky on two separate systecture that Captain Cox has set up, we down. It doesn't matter what type of tems. Time spent flipping between the The squadron from Davis-Monthan were able to find them in seconds." weather, hot or cold, because they know two meant time not focused on support4ir Force Base, Ariz., which deployed in In its infancy stages, Cox's data link they've got to get the aircraft in the air* July, flew sorties while spearheading new ing guys on the ground. picture still has a ways' to go until more data Link communications along the way SADL, which is also in some older players are linked into the air-ground de- to protect the guys on the ground. That motivates them to do it right." because of a combined effort between model F-16 Fighting Falcons, has been sign, but after six months of operational the Army and Air Force. used since the A-10C was developed. Russell said the main issues they ran use supporting Operation Enduring FreeMoving a step forward, Army Capt. into were engine problems. dom, the groundwork is there. Seeing the bigger picture Jared Cox, assigned to 5-2 SBCT, was a "It is very difficult to keep all the sor"Captain Cox set up preparing for this catalyst in developing the combined air ties going for the amount of hours they're ;. The situational awareness data link over a year ago, and then he managed to and ground picture, providing A-10 pilots flying," he said. "Within a 48-hour pefeeds information into the tactical awareset up the data link architecture so that it with the ability to see nearby aircraft and would feed both the ground picture and riod we changed eight motors, which is ness display in the cockpit and has the ground components simultaneously. outstanding for these guys to put those capability of geospatially finding ground the air picture right in to our cockpit," units that have an Enhanced Position "December 26 (2009), working just 60 Millen said. "We had never trained to it at aircraft back into the fight." miles from here, I went out and began location Reporting System, or a Global that level until we got here, having only Protecting friendlies, talking with the joint terminal attack con- the air picture back in the states, but it's Positioning System-based nonterrestrial attacking enemies troller about a convoy that he had outside been a phenomenal addition to the suite tracking system, Blue Force Trackers. the wire, and I was able to find him in a The A-10 can employ a wide variety Prior to the integration of SADL, an of tools we have in the A-10C." matter of seconds because they had an of conventional munitions, including Internet-like network of land, air and The value in combining the systems EPLRS-based system/' Millen said. "It general-purpose bombs, cluster bomb sea tracking systems, pilots annotated was not lost on the Army captain's chain was a Stryker Brigade element and we units, laser-guided bombs, joint direct , friendly and enemy locations in grease of command, who gave him the autonofound them in about 10 seconds. It would my to run the program. Cox is currently attack munitions, wind-corrected munipencil on paper maps. 1 have taken us approximately 5 to 10 mintions dispenser, AGM-65 Maverick and S All of the 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd working to get Link 16 players — F-15E utes to find them with reading back and Infantry Division vehicles and even a Strike Eagles, F-16s and many command AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, rockets, EUuforth coordinates and us looking for them and control platforms—to see the same • •minatiomflareS',-and the GAU-8/A 30mm lot of their personnel can be seen on the on the roads. With the system we have in air, ground atmospheric. cannon, capable of filing 3,900 rounds pilots' situational awareness displays per minute to defeat a wide variety of "As the system has progressed, we've targets. gone from what I would call our tradiDo you have a child aged 11-15 years? From July through December 2009, tional style of doing CAS, we check and If yes, join us En research of an investigational vaccine that may prevent multiple types of infections cased by the HPV virus the squadron employed approximately find things visually on the ground, we 36,915 rounds of 30mm, 104 white-phos'If ^you ore a parenl, you may be interested in a dinioal rwaordh stody underway in this area We are currently looking forknow where we are, we look at the map, boys and girls aged U to 15 years to participate in research bran rnvedigational vaccine against Human we find the enemy, we find the friendlies, phorus rockets, eight MK-82s, nine GBUS (HFV). You no*yinow mudh abcm HPV, ev&n Jhough it is a very common virus with approximate^ () may y,g pp^ 12s and 78 GBU-38 JDAMs (all 500-pound and then we begin to employ, we begin 5O3£5O3£ f h lofhthe lM HPV f at hfl b porol in their lives. Most HPV infections are not harmful, but 300 types, infecting a! lleast population some bombs), and one AGM-65E laser-guided to escort or we begin to provide armed same can lead to cervical cancer in women, and other cancers in both men and women. TKe HrV Vaodne Study wiil tes! a vaccine designed to protect against 9 disease-causing HPV Types. Your child may qualify for me HPV Vaccine Study over if Maverick missile. That's about $3.75 milwatch," the squadron commander they are 13-15 years old and have not previously received HPV Vaccination. Tnere are also other additional study lion worth of munitions. said. "With the Stryker Brigade combat requirements, which will be assessed m aH study volunteers. There are afeo certain risks with .this study that the study doctor Tb the ground forces, those munitions wfll exptarn to you sfoouW you choose to participate. Compensation may be provided for your time and travel.team, with the EPLRS-based system and our data link, we are able to arrive on staare well worth the cost. When Combat To learn more about the HPV Vaccine Study, please text "FIVE" tion and immediately find the friendlies, Outpost Keating came under attack to 63725, or contact us at: and whether you're offensive attacking, Oct. 3,2009, the fighter squadron Airmen PeterE,Silas. MD or defensive trying to protect the friendchanged their entire schedule. While Col. lies, you immediately find them and then Millen slept, his "smart captains" and Wee Care Pediatrics "smart majors" took control, realizing the you're able to progress from finding them, to finding the enemy, to attacking weather was getting bad and A-10s would Kim at 801-660-5991 the enemy or protecting the friendlies, soon be needed. When the Combined Air and you do it in about half the time." Operations Center battle director called, It could make a difference to your child's future health. they were ready to launch. Turning wrenches U ufc wS bt uuiti with At itnoeii (Mftaxt. CMUO»( w 6en BM win thai )i»f <Wd it cifcptd u "We launched four early in the day, puuofilt of (hii jrw ttm wfl it rijiMt u pvtKsftu. Sofliwd lot wsupnj (hvpt ippty-Tw an ascd and they maintained pi-esence all day (opl wt) by relief "STOr » tJJJS. Ttro tni (Oaitwa it aulvmxoa/iWll. Senia |»o«W bjr EKO Intafh At home station, approximately 24 jets per squadron will normally fly 7,000 over Keating, and then we launched four HI fS03-00S HPT Nmpipr Umx -10. US (btfbli) ».]Jj.20W hours in a year. While deployed, the 354th T'" EFS Airmen, with half the number of See A-10 I page 10 ; BY CAPT. KRISTEN P. DUNCAN 24th Annual OPEN SINCE 1978 STILL THE #1 MONGOLIAN BBQ IN UTAH 9 o o ea & 9 " OPEN KITCHEN Weber County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall iooopn20ow.in0gden(ns.«it3«) * BBQ THE MONGOLIAN WAY, JUICY, TENDER AND FRESH Lunch Per Bowl i.. Dinner ' you Can Eat Dinner Starta ... ,.• One lime Through, Mon.-Thon. e COME VISIT US ' ' flik.;;',, Lunch : Mon.-Fri, 11:00-2:30 Sat. 11:30-3:00 Authentic German Food 81 Entertainment! 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